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Question for rack users

vinny

vinny

Apr 3, 2006
798
11
Las Vegas, NV.
#1
For those of you who use rack set-ups... Do you prefer all your stuff in one rack, or do you split them up between two or more? What are your reasons for either? Convenience, weight, function, etc. I'm anticipating putting together a rack system & would like to learn from your experiences before finding out some things the hard way. Also, give any reasons pro & con for going to the max ie., power amp, pre-amp, effects, power conditioner, tuner, cooling, drawers, etc.
I'm just kicking around ideas right now so I'd like to hear them all.
 
#2
I only have one right now, but im getting a few more bits and bobs soon

They will be in seperate racks

Mainly because im getting a road ready 4U shock case for my SVT-II, which will mean that'll weight 150+ lbs

So, i think i'd rather everything else in a seperate one, and im not too bothered about shock mounting for a tuner etc
 
#5
well, here is my experience...

Having a "rack" is good even ifyou have just a "head" bass amp. to protect it if you plan on taking it ANYWHERE. for a while I had a 2 space SWR bass 350 head. I had a 3 space "shallow" (10 1/2" deep) skb x-rack so I'd have 1 extra space for cooling. then later I bought an RBI preamp to warm up the sound of the SWR. so, at that point I needed a larger rack to maintain a cooling space.

Then I decided I needed more power and wanted to get a Stewart world 1.2 amp, but needed a DEEP or basically a standard size rack 17 1/2" deep.

recently I moved back to a smaller "head" for sound quality and "just enough" power for most of my situations. I'm not going to get a rack to save on weight, but I plan to get the Eden carrying bag for the amp.

Lessons learned: buy the right rack for future expansion. Buy AT LEAST 2 more rack spaces than you think you'll need, for cooling and expansion. Maybe buy TWICE the rack spaces you need. If you buy a HEAVY amp maybe put it in its own rack, separate from the line-level equipment like preamp effects etc...

I like SKB US series roto racks. They are a little bigger than some, but give extra protection for a fair price. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I bought mine here... Invalid Link Removed
 
#10
Depends on how much gear you have and who is going to be hauling it around. Anything bigger than a loaded 4-spacer is pretty abnoxious to move around night after night. I bought a Road Ready 4-space after having and old SKB forever, and while the case is good, it weighs a TON.
 
#11
katri said:
Where would you be able to get shock mount rack cases and are they expensive??
Click to expand...

Any online music store. Try using Google.

Yes.

EDIT: just to be extra-helpful - http://www.google.com/search?q=shock+mount+rack+skb

2nd EDIT: oh, and super-extra-helpful:

All prices are approximate, and in USD. This is from zzounds.com
16 space rack $625
12 space rack 550
10 space rack 525
 
#12
I originally bought an 8 space rack (for: power amp - 2 spaces, drawer - 2 spaces, preamp - 1 space & conditioner - 1 space). This was extremely convenient. For shows I moved one speaker (GS412), the rack case and the guitar. Hookup was quick because most of the stuff was already connected. The drawer held all of the extras. Nice setup except the 8 space case was a little bulky. The real downfall was that I could not put the case in the trunk of the car. It had to go in the front passenger seat. No problem with the pickup, but I wanted to always be able to move the stuff around in either the car or the truck. Hence I went to two separate cases. One for the power amp and another for the everything else.
 
#15
katri said:
Where would you be able to get shock mount rack cases and are they expensive??
Click to expand...
Yeah, like i said im getting a road ready shockmount case, thats coming in at about £185 for a 4U shockmount model

road_rr6uads.jpg


I know some people say SKB and other ABS style cases are the way to go, and i know they say they can handle the weight of heavier amps, but, i dont know, i have an 8U SKB shockmount case than im going to try to sell because i dont feel secure about it
 
#16
I have everything I own in flight cases except for my behringer Bass Vamp pro and yeah nuff said its so tiny itll fit in with my cables and pedals lol but I do have it in its own rack
heres a half arsed picture of what I have

mesa3.gif
 
#18
In my old age I wouldn't do more than 4 spaces. If you have times where you don't need/use a stage amp, it's nice to have your "DI" rack separate from your power amp soyou can just grab that. All in one is nice, but can be a bear to haul.
 
#19
I like the Mesa shock racks. There's no inner rack box or foam lining, less weight and better airflow. Still heavy though. And pricey.

For me, one of the primary advantages of a single rack system is that almost everything's already connected, minimizing both setup time and potential wiring errors.

I don’t use a huge rig:

Power conditioner
Rack tuner
Preamp
Amp
Wireless

...but there’s still lots of cables and way too many wrong holes to put ‘em in, especially under the pressure of “you guys go on in THREE MINUTES, or it’s coming out of your set!”

With a single rack, all I have to hook up is:

One power cable
Amp to speaker cab
House DI cable to preamp output
Footswitch (optional, for mute function)

...and I'm good to go. No hunting around for which gazouta goes inta which gozinta, in the dark, when we're already running late, throwing gear onstage with a 10-minute set change and no soundcheck...plus it leaves me a good 2-3 minutes to fix the f*cking guitard’s rig, or his wireless, or explain to the sound guy how the ****ing sampler works, or what-****ing-ever it is this time... ****!!!! $*%^#@&!!!! :mad: :scowl: :mad: :spit: :mad:

Sorry, I’m back now. :)

Major drawback to a single rack: weight.

Not sure exactly what I’m gonna do when I start the next round of musical adventure. It needs to be a one-person rig, so it ain’t a-gonna be the “Hey! Help me move this!” 16-space Mesa rack anymore (the above gear plus a couple of rack drawers, great convenience but heavy as, um, a really heavy thing, I mean, yeah, it has wheels, but at some point you’ve still gotta LIFT the damn thing)...

I know what you’re thinking...power amp in its own rack is ONLY 2 more cables to hook up, what’s the big deal? I know, I know, I’m thinking about it...plus, as someone mentioned, I can see the advantage of being able to take all your “pre” stuff in its own rack...

I guess that’s about 4 cents’ worth...:cool:
 

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