What is a rack mount?

[grass132456]

Sorry guys if this is seriously a noob question, but what does it mean to install a rack mount on your amp?

[scottfeldstein]

A rack is like a box where the front and back come on and off by clamps. Inside there are metal rails with holes in them. You can take electronic things--like amps--and screw them in semi-permanently. You can put in a tuner, an amp, a wireless unit, a compressor, effects units, whatever. And they all rack up in the same box, so you can just put the front and back on and carry it away as one unit. Capice?

Here's one.

[will33]

That's a good description, man.

For a little bit of history...the standard rack width is 19-1/2 inches, the standard height is 1-3/4 inches. A "2 rackspace unit is 3-1/2" tall, and so on. All these things come from a time before there were electric instruments. It comes from the old days of the telephone system, when an operator would be sitting in front of a switchboard full of equipment plugging in wires to connect you to "Pennsylvania 6-5000" or whoever you were calling. The 1/4" plugs on the cables we use and the 1/4" jacks we plug them into are also from the early telephone system, as is the decibel scale to measure loudness. None of this was made for amplifiers or electric instruments, we just use it for that, and most of it is 100 year old technology by now.

[canadian*eh]

This is What Is Called rack mounted Heads

[Spectrum]

Originally Posted by will33

That's a good description, man.

For a little bit of history...the standard rack width is 19-1/2 inches, the standard height is 1-3/4 inches. A "2 rackspace unit is 3-1/2" tall, and so on. All these things come from a time before there were electric instruments. It comes from the old days of the telephone system, when an operator would be sitting in front of a switchboard full of equipment plugging in wires to connect you to "Pennsylvania 6-5000" or whoever you were calling. The 1/4" plugs on the cables we use and the 1/4" jacks we plug them into are also from the early telephone system, as is the decibel scale to measure loudness. None of this was made for amplifiers or electric instruments, we just use it for that, and most of it is 100 year old technology by now.

Wow, that's cool, thanks for posting.

I always like to learn about stuff like that. Remember James Burke's Connections TV show? All about how the space shuttle's booster rocket diameter was determined by the Romans' use of horses to determine spacing of wagon wheels and so forth.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Originally Posted by grass132456

but what does it mean to install a rack mount on your amp?

The manufacturers sell "rack ears" to be installed on less than 19.5" wide amps.

Then You can install it to a rack.

Regards
Sam

[chuck3]

Originally Posted by will33

That's a good description, man.

For a little bit of history...the standard rack width is 19-1/2 inches, the standard height is 1-3/4 inches. A "2 rackspace unit is 3-1/2" tall, and so on. All these things come from a time before there were electric instruments. It comes from the old days of the telephone system, when an operator would be sitting in front of a switchboard full of equipment plugging in wires to connect you to "Pennsylvania 6-5000" or whoever you were calling. The 1/4" plugs on the cables we use and the 1/4" jacks we plug them into are also from the early telephone system, as is the decibel scale to measure loudness. None of this was made for amplifiers or electric instruments, we just use it for that, and most of it is 100 year old technology by now.

So are rack mounts still a good way to go? I don't use one, but I've thought about it.

[scottfeldstein]

Originally Posted by chuck3

So are rack mounts still a good way to go?

It is if you've got an amp head plus some other doodads you want to stack on or under it every time you set up your rig. Like a tuner, wireless unit, graphic EQ, preamp, etc. If you have two or more of these and they're rackable, sure. Get a rack and rack 'em up!

[punkrockmike]

Originally Posted by chuck3

So are rack mounts still a good way to go? I don't use one, but I've thought about it.

what kind of amp are you using? is your amp rackmountable? (look up the owners manual online if you're not sure) if it is, i would recommend buying a rack case for it, even if you dont plan on buying any other rackmountable gear. a rack case would help protect the amplifer while you're moving it. if your amp isn't rackmountable, but you still want to protect it while you're gigging, it is usually possible to find custom made cases or flight cases with casters and handles on them to make moving it easier and safer. if you're using a combo amp, then the head and cab are already one piece and should already have handles. most companies will also make some sort of cloth or foam cover for their amps that you can purchase. i guess it jsut comes down to how protective you wanna be about your gear.

[chuck3]

I'm using a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 most of the time, and it's too small to rack mount. But I could move to one of the GB's that's rack mountable, and I'd be interested in both wireless and a compressor.

[JimiLL]

you can get a kit to rack the 6.0

[scottfeldstein]

One of the best rig decisions I made was NOT to rack my micro amp (GK MB500).

[will33]

Originally Posted by Spectrum

Wow, that's cool, thanks for posting.

I always like to learn about stuff like that. Remember James Burke's Connections TV show? All about how the space shuttle's booster rocket diameter was determined by the Romans' use of horses to determine spacing of wagon wheels and so forth.

The basic speaker is the same way. They're better now than they've ever been but it's still a coil of wire in a magnetic field attached to a paper cone....apply voltage, it moves, just like 100 years ago. Similair to the internal combustion engine, the very first model T and a 2012 Porsche both operate on the same principle, one's just a lot more refined than the other.

[chuck3]

yeah, I'm not gonna rack a micro. Under this scenario, I'd go with one of the Genz Benz GBE rackmountables, and get both a compressor and a wireless set up. I can see the convenience of the rack system.