Mac OS 9 Lives

Digital Audio Workstation & MIDI => Audio & MIDI Hardware => Topic started by: smilesdavis on August 21, 2024, 03:02:16 PM

Title: SMM PowerRack (mid 90s-mid 00s)
Post by: smilesdavis on August 21, 2024, 03:02:16 PM: everyone knows marathon, less is known about their German counterpart.

I own a SMM PowerRack for my 8100/110 with G3 500 Mhz Upgrade (so yes it counts for Mac OS 9 ;)) and Digidesign Expansion chassis. I intend to set up Pro Tools 5.0 NuBus (the unofficial alpha) on it.

SMM PowerRack

The SMM PowerRack is a solid 19" rack-mount chassis for Apple Macintosh Computers. The installation is very easy and can be done by anyone, who can handle a screwdriver. Just remove the original Macintosh chassis and slide the computer into the SMM PowerRack, fix some screws and that's it. The SMM PowerRack is available for all different kinds of Macintosh computers.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010628174304fw_/http://www.digidesign.com/products/prd_overview.cfm?product_id=1180

The SMM PowerRack™
is a heavy duty 19-inch-rack-mount-chassis with 5 RU for Apple PowerMac G3/G4/grey. There is space left for additional HardDrives, CD-ROM, DAT Streamer and other Removable Storage. CD-ROM and ZIP-Drive are front accessable as well a Power-, Interrupt and Reset Button. A maintenance tailboard opens the computer for fast access. The fitting must be done by a experiences technican. ;D

below are very period-correct in size and resolution website fotos of a graphite and a QS rackmount. no fotos of the G3 b/w or MDD yet.

SMMPowerRacks i know to exist: 8100, G3bw, G4graphite, G4 QS, G5
Title: Re: SMM PowerRack (mid 90s-mid 00s)
Post by: smilesdavis on August 25, 2024, 10:20:23 AM: Just got this amazing foto

And the info that SMM made powerracks for

Macintosh IIvi/vx
Performa 600
Centris/Quadra 650
PowerMac 7100
Quadra 800, Quadra 840AV
PowerMac 8100
PowerMacintosh 7200/7500/7600/7300
G3 Desktop
PowerMacintosh 8200 und 8500
PowerMac 9500
PowerMac 8600 und 9600
PowerMacintosh G3/G4 blue/grey
PowerMac G5
PowerMac 5,1
PowerMac6,1 (prototype only)

So way ahead of MARATHON

I wish i could edit the thread title

1992-2013
Title: Re: SMM PowerRack (mid 90s-mid 00s)
Post by: refinery on August 25, 2024, 02:39:14 PM: I appreciate the utility a great deal (I am a rack fiend) but boy are those unsightly.
Title: Re: SMM PowerRack (mid 90s-mid 00s)
Post by: smilesdavis on August 25, 2024, 03:13:20 PM: They are a piece of art and engineering. The 8100 is georgeous
Title: Re: SMM PowerRack (mid 90s-mid 00s)
Post by: sound_tools on August 30, 2026, 12:26:06 PM: Hi! How is the PT5 build on Nubus going?
Title: Re: SMM PowerRack (mid 90s-mid 00s)
Post by: smilesdavis on August 30, 2026, 12:44:25 PM: had troubles with the Sonnet 500 mhz but the slower Newer worked. just got the 3.5" brackets for the zulusci in the mail and must look for adapters to 5" then, its install time.
Title: Re: SMM PowerRack (mid 90s-mid 00s)
Post by: sound_tools on August 30, 2026, 01:15:06 PM: Cool! By the way, did you manage to resolve the conflict with the SCSI cards and CPU accelerators? I would like to use Atto and Sonnet 260 MHz. I want to believe that this is a matter of conflicting extensions.

I have some macs: IIx,IIci.IIfx. Q650,Q950 with CPU Apple 601. Digidesign Sound Tools from 1989. Audiomedia nubus and LC475, PTII-442 interface and cards, PTIII in Expansion Chasses with 8100+2xRadius Thunder GX1600.

I’d like to solve the problem with Nuverb; I have a build for PT3 where it worked in TDM. But I still couldn’t get it to work; I think it’s a matter of the farm card version.
Title: Re: SMM PowerRack (mid 90s-mid 00s)
Post by: smilesdavis on August 30, 2026, 02:10:35 PM: i didnt dive into that deep as of yet, but maybe soon