How do you get in and out of your rack?

Dave Horch · From: Frederick, Maryland, USA

I wanted a front panel in/out for my rack, so I put in a full blown 48 point patch bay! Talk about overkill and a waste of space! I guess I could use a 1U rack "filler plate" and mount two jacks on that (a guzinta and a guzouta). But still a waste of space? Here's a look at this foolishness...

I'll bet most of you have come up with something more efficient than this. Please share with me...

Thanks in advance for any ideas, -Dave

David Mullis · From: Rock Hill, SC

My setup is pretty simple. Outta da Super Pro to the volume pedal, into the Profex, out to the amps. I've got one of those single space padded gig bag racks, made by Hybrid. Instead of having to plug/unplug so much stuff, I just leave the output cables plugged into the Profex all the time. After a gig I just roll the cables up, wrap thier little velcro straps around them, stuff them in the back of the rack and zip it up. I hardley even have a need to get to the back panel of my rack, so this works pretty good for me. Hope this helps.

David

John Lacey · From: Black Diamond, Alberta, Canada

Dave, I took a 4-space rack, drilled a hole in one end, drilled 2 holes on the other end and fitted some 1/4" phono female plugs to them. Then I hard-wired some 1/4" cable with phono jacks on the end to where my devices go. Two on the far end in case I want to go stereo, but at this time I have a mono unit. A friend installed a power bar on the bottom and I plug from my vol. pedal to the input then out of the output to my amp. Just make sure you do a good soldering job and keep any wall-warts away from the output and inputs.

Bob Craven · From: Columbia City, IN, USA

I use a SKB case that sets on the floor to my right. I use a power conditioner so all for the effects plug into that and I have one AC to plug into the back of the amp. I go directly from steel into the the GP-100. I use the preamps for different slide patches so that has to go first in the chain. I also have one space empty that I store my chords in while packing. So when I set up I pull out the AC, the chord to the steel and the longer chord to the volume pedal input. I leave the back (bottom) of the SKB on; no need to remove it since everything runs out the top. I've thought about cusomizing it and going the female plug route, but this is so easy to pack and work with I guess I didn't want to go to the trouble. This works well for stage shows when getting off stage in a hurry is important. Unplug 3 chords and I'm gone.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

When I was using my Transtube Fex, running to the power amp in on my Nashville 400, I built a patch panel using a one space rack panel that mirrored the back panel of the Transtube Fex. That allowed "front panel" access to all the jacks. Now that I'm using a rack power amp I no longer need it (anyone want to buy it??)

Dave Horch · From: Frederick, Maryland, USA

Thanks everybody. I saw both Herby Wallace and John Hughey this past weekend, and they both came in and out of their racks from the front panel, yet it didn't appear that they had wasted a rack space on it. Almost as if they modified a unit by adding jacks to the front of it. I should have thought to study their racks more carefully afterward (they were both very accessable guys who would have been happy to show me), but the thought of racks didn't occur to me at the time. I was too busy listening and watching with amazement!

Tony Rankin · From: Land O’ Lakes, FL

Dave,

I have a Stewart World 1.2 power amp, a blank vent panel, a Tubefex and a Furman power strip in a four space ATA rack case. I equipped it with casters and a folding handle so I could roll it like a suit case. I ran the cord from the power strip to a power receptacle that is actually intended for battery chargers on bass boats. All I have to do is plug an extension cord into the receptacle on the outside of the rackcase.

I also installed a recessed vent panel and recessed dish with 2 XLR connectors and two 1/4 phone jack receptacles. The XLR connectors are for a direct box for when I play through the sound system. The 1/4" connectors are my speaker connections.

I bought the casters, handle, recessed dish and vent dish from TCH. They have a web sight that lists all their products.

I really like my setup. It is very easy to use. Still can't get my wife to push it for me though.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

Rich Paton · From: Santa Maria, CA.,

I've had a 4 space Anvil Forge II rack I got about 8 years ago. I used it (connected in this order)for 6 string guitar, with a Peavey Valverb, Rane PE15 Parametric EQ, ProfexII. and a Peavey CS200X stereo amp.
It was always in the way on stage until I saw how you steelers set them vertically next to the PSG. This was an ideal setup for the all too typical "stages" about the size of a sheet of plywood you probably encounter out there these days. Oriented his way, the entire system, other than a speaker cabinet(s), has a "footprint" of just over one square foot.
I took the four big feet off what was the bottom of the rack and moved them to the back removable cover. I used a holesaw to make an opening for mounting a 3" or so 12VDC fan from a junked computer case in what is now the bottom. It runs off a 9VDC "wall wart" salvaged from a defunct answering machine. Its output is actually 10.9VDC with the reduced load of just the fan. I mounted a small power strip/surge protector in the bottom cover for the Rane & ProfexII warts, Valverb & CS200X power cords.
In the former "bottom", now side surface of the rack, I mounted:
1). A Hubbell flush male AC chassis receptacle which connects to the power strip, (and will accept nearly any type female extension cord end in an "emergency").
2). A square "dish" with two Switchcraft 1/4" phone jacks, hard-wired inside the rack to the CS-200X output terminals.
3). A single round "dish" with a 1/4" Switchcraft phone jack connected to the Valverb's rear panel input jack.
To finish it out I put a pair of rack case hinges on the now "top" cover, with a short piece of chain to hold it open at the right angle.
Making all connections at setup time takes well under 30 seconds.
I was working on adding a light to illuminate the front panel controls, and a plexiglass "Beer Guard", but have switched to a simpler rig and now use the rack in the studio.
BTW, that rack "weighed a ton"!

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