BAE 11-Space 500-Series Rack with Power Supply

Rock solid, 11-space 500-series rack with all-steel chassis and greater current handling for wider 500-module compatibility

If you’re going for maximum 500-series capacity in your studio, this BAE rack goes to eleven (the most spaces available elsewhere are 10). Noted for handcrafting spot-on Neve reproductions, BAE (formerly Brent Averill, now British Audio Engineering) has been one of a very few to offer API/VPR Alliance-compatible 500-series racks and lunchboxes. BAE 500-series power racks are available in three formats: the BAE 11-space rack and lunchbox, BAE 6-space rack, and BAE 3LB 3-space desktop lunchbox. To ensure compatibility with a wide variety of 500 modules, BAE 500-series racks offer greater amperage rating to accommodate 500-series modules that stray outside the original VPR specs.

BAE 11-space 500-series module rack features

• Strong steel chassis (no aluminum anywhere)
• Shielded wires on individual connectors for serviceability—no PCBs
• XLR inputs and outputs
• Remote power supply keeps power transformer interference away from modules
• Operates on 115/230 VAC for global use
• Hand-built in USA

Don’t forget to check out RSPE’s Rack Revolution, a virtual 500-series rack builder that lets you custom-configure the perfect 500-series lunchbox for your studio, DAW, or mobile recording rig. RSPE carries every 500-series module imaginable, including mic preamps, compressor-limiters, equalizers, and 500 power racks.

Inside the Box

While other 500-series racks use an internal power supply, BAE chooses to go a different route in the form of an external PSU. The advantages of an external PSU are many. To begin with, not having space constraints allows BAE to design the power supply without compromise. Plus, it makes the shielding concerns of integrated power supplies a non-issue. When power supplies are built into the same chassis as the audio circuitry, nearby audio paths are susceptible to nasty magnetic fields radiated from the transformers, which adds noise and hum. Additionally, your 500-module’s components are subject to extra heat generated from transformers, regulators, and rectifiers—and as we all know, heat is the enemy of electronics. It causes unwanted changes in operational parameters and premature component failure. Conversely, loading up a rack with 500 modules of varying power requirements can overheat an internal power supply.

To deal with those power variations, BAE’s external PSU was designed to handle greater current. The power output of the BAE 11-Space Rack is ±16 VDC, 3A (1.5A per rail). To maintain reliable connectivity, BAE uses only the finest card edge connectors for your 500 module’s pin-out. Another feature of the BAE external PSU is that it allows the BAE 11-Space Rack can operate at 115 VAC or 230 VAC (70W) for global use.

Outside the Box

When you’re filling up a 500 power rack with modules, there’ll be a considerable amount of weight putting stress on the rack, which is why BAE 11-Space rack features a strong, all-steel chassis to keep your 500 modules firmly in place without flexing. Integrating the BAE 11-Space 500 rack into you studio is as easy as it gets thanks to BAE’s use of high-quality, balanced XLR input and output connectors. To power and protect your 500-series modules from RF and other noise, BAE thoughtfully provides and external power supply, which also allows for 500 modules whose power requirements have strayed outside the old API standard. This also provides an advantage to 500-series manufacturers where quality and capacity of internal 500-series power supplies is an uncontrollable variable. The BAE 500-series PSU allows designers to push the old boundaries, enabling them to create better-performing 500 modules.

About BAE

Answering to a higher authority—maintaining the legacy of Mr. Rupert Neve—BAE puts nothing but their very best efforts into each and every unit they build. Under the guidance of president/CEO Mark Loughman and Neve guru, Avedis Kifedjian, BAE uses the only highest quality components from the original suppliers, such as Carnhill (formerly St. Ives) and Jensen. All BAE products use discrete electronics and are completely hand-built and wired point-to point (no circuit boards). For more information about BAE, check out RSPE's Designer’s Perspective feature and get a first-hand look at the inner workings of BAE.

If you’ve been bitten by the 500-series bug, you’ll be wanting a power rack that lets you mix and match 500 modules to your heart’s content. Choose a BAE 11-space, 6-space, or 3LB desktop (lunchbox) power rack. Check out RSPE’s Rack Revolution custom 500-series module builder and get started, or call or chat with an RSPE representative today.