So you’re saying I shouldn’t use my Digitakt in the water then?
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Implexus.
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Yeah you can bend most metal enclosure gear into shape if its wonky, or desk not flat etc.
Plastic tends to just break 
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Oh that’s right. I was thinking of the other forms of Cobalts and Argons though.
Originally yes! I’m starting to sound like part of the marketing now, but Tall Dog Electronics is making case modifications for the wavestate / opsix / modwave.
Uh… Here!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/loglow/desktop-conversion-kit-for-wavestate-opsix-modwave
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I’ve been looking for a metal case that’s the same size as a Digitakt to rehome my plastic bodied Waldorf into but since the digis are a custome enclosure that Elektron must have commissioned, there doesn’t seem to be anything else out there which is the same uniform size.
According to your link a lot of people paid for keys they didn’t want with that one! The project is overfunded at this point.
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Oh hmm…
Like building a case to home it with the DT as a single unit?
I think I’ve seen a thread here of peoples’ custom cases and stands before.
Ah sorry! Looks like you’ve seen it too.
Some great ideas there though.
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Not exactly, just resizing to match for the sake of vanity while getting rid of the awkwardly shaped hollow plastic body and thin metal faceplate, thought it would be novel if it fit in line with the DT and DN. The board inside of it would easily fit into a digi sized case.
you can see there’s a lot of room inside the plastic enclosure and the size is already 7x7 so it’s close enough to digi dimensions to fit one of the dimensions into a slightly smaller housing.
Unfortunately it’s an awkward shape with the rounded edges and the bottom has some very strange cutouts which I assume are for some sort of stand to be inserted.
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Sitting on my desktop at the moment, aside from things that have already been mentioned;
Twisted Electrons Blast Beats
Korg ESX
DSI Evolver
Some homemade stuff
I’ll say though, some plastics can be incredibly durable. And metal can be flimsy. Plastic isn’t a material, it’s a broad description of many materials that vary quite a bit in their properties. I’ve made housing parts out of acrylic, lexan, uhmw, etc and they’ve generally held up well under harsh gigging conditions.
A little anecdote. The door handle broke in my truck a while back and when I took the door apart to fix it I discovered that every part of the mechanism was plastic except for one metal component which was the piece that snapped in half.
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I have no idea why that low grade steel is still used for the door handle pull mechanism. Blows my mind they have self parking cars but a coat hanger is used to actuate the door latch and lock.
All fairness and appreciation towards advanced polymer compounds and resins but most plastic synths won’t stop a bullet.
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Micromonsta case is metal.
So are the PreenFM2 and Shruthi I assembled.
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I don’t think it’s cheating. I think it’s going to be awesome! I remember thinking the Opsix had a similar design to Elektron, with the screen and the positional data entry encoders, but it just feels so much cheaper. It’s light and plastic… Plus it really feels like plastic. I love the synth, but it’s going to be a hell of an upgrade with those Tall Dog desktop conversation kits.
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Jomox, Nord, Vermona, will last because of the metal chassis. Jomox and vermona might have through hole components too.
Nord stuff is expensive but its metal and sturdy.
Elektron, if used a lot requires more maintenance because of the incoders crapping out, i have had buttons fail too.
I have plastic gear that will last just as long so I now care about sound and usability. Examples of plastic tanks, microkorg (keys are fragile but keys are plastic on metal synths too), Sp202/303/404 and there are many more.
depends.
i’ve seen either metal and acrylic cases.
my Ambika also has acrylic case, but assembled and tested unit for $500 was no-brainer.
My A4 is second hand and wobbled on the desk. I asked Elektron about it and they told me to bend it back.
Turns out, tho’… it was just my desk.
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TBH i have mixed feelings about metal chassis.
bringing Command Station to gigs was not much fun.
one of the reasons why MC-707 was instant purchase for me is that it’s only 2.1 kg – just compare with 6.8 kg Command Station.
the bottom line: either metal and plastic has its advantages.
PS. i don’t trust plastic (carbon) when it comes to bikes, but that’s a a story for another community 
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Got Argon8…so solid! And the best keybed I got so far
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Elektron, Sequential, Synthstrom, Moog, Waldorf, Novation, Nord, Access, SOMA, Erica, Vermona, Modal, ASM are the first that come to mind.
Personally I just suck at playing keys and would rather save the space 
FM with some expression and velocity control is something special though. I’m still looking into keyboard alternatives myself.
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This is me too - I’m not a keys player but I always feel like I miss a lot of expression with desktop synths. No pitch bend, no mod wheel, no velocity or aftertouch. Not the easiest problem to solve because that’s all the stuff that a keyboard synth already adds haha. I guess something like a 0-ctrl is an interesting alternative but I’m not sure it solves any problem the keyboard wouldn’t.
I’d be looking at unpowered Eurorack skiffs - there may be something that could meet your requirements! I assume you’d need to mill a custom front panel for your needs either way. The 4MS pods are decent and similarly sized to elektron boxes, Moog sell their semi-modular boxes empty too!
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If the time comes I may just email care and ask pretty please can you order me a digi shell from the warehouse in Göteborg, slightly afraid of the assumed cost though.
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