Multi Purpose Rack Layout Question

GazEcc

GazEcc

mBallstát atá tiomanta
Good Morning Everyone, Hope you had a great new years eve celebration.

I've just decided to start becoming a productive member of society, at least untill the hangover kicks in but I have a few questions to ask the wise ones that haunt these boards.

Yet again I find myself waiting on another piece of gear from Thomann and its got me to thinking.

When I play live I come in two formats;
  • One man Band, This is the money maker and I generally only use a power amp
  • 4 Piece cover band, This is my other baby me and a few friends do it for extra drinking money, after all if you can't drink your way through a recession, your just not doing it right.

Anyway The band uses a compressor live along with the amp and I was starting to wonder about how I should build my first rack,

Until now its just been a question of lug along the gear and play away but since I'm finding I miss having things on hand (as sometimes I may have quite a few beers at the gigs and just leave my gear in the pub's for collection at a later date) I should build a rack and have all my outbound gear for both studio and live use in one nice little package

I'm also thinking of using my new toy (an M-Audio Fasttrack Ultra 8r) live to play some tracks in the background that I'd mix in the studio and use the 8 outputs as instruments on my desk but this is much further down the line I've always hated backing tracks but see them as less evil If I record them myself.

AAAAAAAAAAnyway I was wondering would you guys suggest using two seperate racks or just the one and cable it in whenever I get home / to a gig

If its just one rack it'll be an 8u containing;
  • Power Amp [2u]
  • Compressor [1u]
  • Mic Pre Amp [1u]
  • Interface [1u]
  • Patchbay [1u]
Thus leaving me 2 spaces for expansion

Everything will hit the patch bay and I'd say that'll help my cause for rewiring

Also I was wondering will a normal (studio) rack cut it or will I go for a live one with wheels?

Thanks Guys

EDIT: WOOOH POST 150!!! Go ME!
 
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I'd get a nice ATA road case and have it all patched up. You get to a gig and just plug your speakers in and you're ready to go. And don't skimp on the raod case. It'll take a beating.
 
Take care with the preamp....they can pick up electronic interference very easily from other gear, and yeah, the power amp should be further away from the rest.
 
miroslav said:
Take care with the preamp....they can pick up electronic interference very easily from other gear, and yeah, the power amp should be further away from the rest.
Click to expand...

Hey sorry about the delay responding I forgot about this thread lol, yeah I was pricing them and pre amp / power amp shouldn't be an issue power amp will only be for live gigs pre will only be in studio
 
I would recommend paying attention to where you route your cabling in the back. I know this depends on how the components are designed. Try to pull all your power cables to one side of the rack, and your signal cables to the other side of the rack. Keeps AC from jumping onto your signals.

Velcro, zip ties and 3M trim tape are your friends.

Also, these are very handy for keeping a rack's spaghetti organized and disaster free.

01-adhesive-base_red-cable-tie.jpg
 
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