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Ampeg SVT3 Pro PREAMP OUT Balanced or Unbalanced? NEED A DEFINITETIVE ANSWER QUICK!!!

My SVT-8 weighs 23lbs and sags a bit in the rack. It has a depth of 18 inches which is similar to his SVT-3. While it probably won't hurt it because Ampeg uses steel for their chassis, I would rather not put any extra stress on it. That's why I simply use some rubber feet to keep the amp level. Surely nothing is wrong with that.

My comments were directed at the QSC amp which is lighter and only 1/2 the depth as the SVT3



Why would that be?[/QUOTE]

The plastic racks have the unfortunate tendency to come apart upon impact, the rails can tear away from the shell. The result is generally serious damage to the amp.
 
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The QSC PLD4.2 is 12 inches in depth and 18 lbs so it's not that much smaller and lighter than the SVT-3. It''ll still rear end sag some. I would put the SVT-3 on the bottom rack space and put the QSC on the next space up and level them both off with stick on feet and be done with it.

Interesting why the OP is going with a 4 channel amp.

That's good to know on plastic cases like Gator. I was thinking about using one but now I think otherwise.
 
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Sag and damage in not an issue with most short chassis, 2 space lightweight amps. It's a non-issue, a solution looking for a problem.

The SVT-3 would benefit from rear mounts if you plan to handle your gear roughly, butbif you do, the SKB and gator plastic style racks are totally inappropriate for such use.

Thanks @agedhorse but common physics tells me that anything that is only tied down on one side will tend to bounce on the other.
 
The QSC PLD4.2 is 12 inches in depth and 18 lbs so it's not that much smaller and lighter than the SVT-3. It''ll still rear end sag some. I would put the SVT-3 on the bottom rack space and put the QSC on the next space up and level them both off with stick on feet and be done with it.

Interesting why the OP is going with a 4 channel amp.

That's good to know on plastic cases like Gator. I was thinking about using one but now I think otherwise.

Thanks for the reply. I had DEFINITELY planned on having the SVT on the bottom at any rate because it won't push heat because I'm only using the Pre-Amp out to the QSC PLD4.2 (NO AFFILIATION) My SVT already has feet but I have NEVER shoved stuff into a rack case.
 
The QSC PLD4.2 is 12 inches in depth and 18 lbs so it's not that much smaller and lighter than the SVT-3. It''ll still rear end sag some. I would put the SVT-3 on the bottom rack space and put the QSC on the next space up and level them both off with stick on feet and be done with it.

Thanks @agedhorse but common physics tells me that anything that is only tied down on one side will tend to bounce on the other.
Guys, you are arguing the absurd. To a pro audio guy who really does know this stuff, and works with this gear every day, the more you say the more some of us here realize you don't know.

I have a pile of GX-7's belonging to a customer plus a whole bunch of my own CX and PLX amps sitting in racks in my shop. I know exactly what I am talking about because I work with these amps every day and have build more racks in a year than you are likely to see in a lifetime, these are racks that travel thousands of miles a year all over the country.

Because of the way these amp chassis are designed, the side rail stiffness is very good. I went out and measured the stiffness and with the CX chassis I can load the back of the amp with 50 pounds and the deflection is about 1/16 of an inch. I also looked at my oldest amp racks, at least 15 years old with thousands of shows and maybe 100k miles on them and there isn't even the slightest bit of chassis damage.

Guys, if you already know it all, why are you asking the most basic questions of us? Do whatever makes you happy, but for others following this discussion the proposed problems are based on a wild imagination and zero real world experience.
 
Guys, you are arguing the absurd. To a pro audio guy who really does know this stuff, and works with this gear every day, the more you say the more some of us here realize you don't know.

This is the SH@!T that really kinda makes me say PISS OFF yet thanks? I just think it becomes a one sided conversation... Not like you have won the conversation.... but more like "people look up to you and will listen to things that don't even fit physics" type of stuff...

Allow me to say this... If you're so smart, why aren't you rich?

BUT THANK you.
 
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This is the SH@!T that really kinda makes me say PISS OFF yet thanks?
Because you are unwilling to listen to someone that actually knows what he is talking about? You've proven quite readily that you do not. You ask for help yet are unwilling to accept the knowledgeable answers you receive. How do expect people to respond to how you are acting?

- John
 
I don't post information as fact when I'm not sure that it's accurate.

Also, when I don't know something, I don't ask questions and then argue with somebody who provides information and has more knowledge and experience than I do. Not only is it rude, but it shows more about what's not known than I might realize.

Perhaps the OP is new here and doesn't know my background, but to continue with his argument without more consideration for why I provided the answer I did shows a lack of good common sense and courtesy.
 
May I kindly add my point of view, please? When I owned the sound company, we made our own racks and they were very heavy on account of the fact that back then even solid state power amps had massive power transformers that required a lot of physical support. We had to go to extremes to properly buffer and secure these amplifiers so they would not be destroyed on the road. Instead, both my shoulder joints got destroyed moving that #$%$# around.

These days the situation has drastically changed on account of class D topology and switch mode power supplies. The individual components that comprise the new amplifiers are not all that heavy any more, so the size and weight of a power amp has been vastly reduced. By nature a steel chassis will always have some give to it, which is known as its tinsel strength. Were it not for this, the metal would crack under stress on account of being excessively brittle (i.e., iron Vs steel). This is what I believe accounts for the few millimeters of sag noticeable at the back of a modern day component that may happen to be mounted in a rack. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything is wrong.

QSC has a long standing reputation for manufacturing absolutely top quality gear, and it appears that they have as usual taken all factors into consideration when designing their new line of products. Given the characteristics of high quality steel and the actual weight of the components that go to make up one of their new amplifiers (which is relatively low compared to past products), there is every reason to believe that sufficient strength is present in the chassis so that properly securing the component to a properly made rack by way of its front panel will be more than strong enough to provide for adequate stiffness and security. There isn't anything all that heavy in a power amplifier anymore, and steel is very strong, actually.

If desired, it shouldn't be that hard to support the back of an amplifier in a rack with a thin piece of stiff rubber or wood in between the components or between the component and the floor of a rack for piece of mind’s sake. Just make sure its no more than ¼ to ½ inch wide so it doesn’t cover very much of the bottom or top of the component. Personally, I wouldn't worry about a few millimeters of sagging as long as the rack your using is strong and won't shatter or twist. That's where I would put my focus. That is, I would make sure any amp rack is strong and will not shatter or twist! In this case, if QSC doesn't make an optional accessory rear mounting bracket for the particular amplifier in question, then I wouldn't worry about it. If they do make such a bracket, then it should be pretty easy to just use that if you wish.

Get your new rig going so you can concentrate on your playing! Let us know what happens. Oh, wait! Did I mention to make sure the rack is strong and won’t shatter or twist? I would definitely do that. Good luck!
 
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This is the SH@!T that really kinda makes me say PISS OFF yet thanks? I just think it becomes a one sided conversation... Not like you have won the conversation.... but more like "people look up to you and will listen to things that don't even fit physics" type of stuff...

Allow me to say this... If you're so smart, why aren't you rich?

BUT THANK you.


If the backs of your amps are moving around too much, I would say there's good chance you have "crappy case syndrome." I.E. The rack rails are flexing, rather than the amp chassis. The road cases @agedhorse uses will not have this problem because they are very sturdy and also very heavy. They have to be to survive being strapped against one another as load bearing members in the back of a semi-truck.

Many users here on Talkbass use light-duty rack cases that are not designed or intended to be load bearing members in "truck pack." Light-duty cases trade off weight and cost versus any significant protection. I saw a keyboard in an SKB case that was crushed into small bits because someone used it to brace a heavy load. None of our real road cases cases ever had any trouble with truck pack. Light duty cases housing heavy gear also won't typically stand up to a 4' drop very. I have seen the rack rails ripped out of a couple of cases, and the gear got beat up pretty bad in the process. If you treat light-duty cases carefully they seem to do the job, but you might get a bit of rail flex. IMHO...securing the rear rails would help here...but maybe if rail flex is a problem you should consider getting a better case.

I have some crappy cases. I have amps braced with cardboard and styrofoam shims. Also I used 1x1 wood to fashion some stabilizers for my powers amps in a rack that didn't have rear rails. I wouldn't expect the 1x1 to stand up to a serious hit.

If you want real protection and stiff rails, get a real road case.
 
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If the backs of your amps are moving around too much, I would say there's good chance you have "crappy case syndrome." I.E. The rack rails are flexing, rather than the amp chassis. The road cases @agedhorse uses will not have this problem because they are very sturdy and also very heavy. They have to be to survive being strapped against one another as load bearing members in the back of a semi-truck.

Many users here on Talkbass use light-duty rack cases that are not designed or intended to be load bearing members in "truck pack." Light-duty cases trade off weight and cost versus and significant protection. I saw a keyboard in an SKB case that was crushed into small bits, because someone used it to brace a heavy load. None of our real road cases cases ever had any trouble with truck pack. Light duty cases housing heavy gear also won't typically stand up to a 4' drop very. I have seen the rack rails ripped out of a couple of cases, and the gear got beat up pretty good in the process. If you treat light-duty cases carefully they seem to do the job, but you might get a bit of rail flex. IMHO...securing the rear rails would help here...but maybe if rail flex is a problem you should consider getting a better case.

I have some crappy cases. I have amps braced with cardboard and styrofoam shims. Also I used 1x1 wood to fashion some stabilizers for my powers amps in a rack that didn't have rear rails. I wouldn't expect the 1x1 to stand up to a serious hit.

If you want real protection and stiff rails, get a real road case.
I'm in the market to upgrade my rack cases, what are a few good ones to look at?
 
I'm in the market to upgrade my rack cases, what are a few good ones to look at?
What size? I have some lighter duty but still tour grade racks available in the 14-16 space range with 4" casters. I have lots. They all have rear rails, threaded steel.