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Forums - Live / PA / gigging
Subject: racks and cases?
Pages: 1
Original Message 1/9 02-Apr-02 @ 04:14 AM - racks and cases?
so how extensively have people done this? I was thinking of getting one of those gig-rig style things (maybe the raxxess one) so the mixer, eqs, comps would be pre-wired, and it'd be just a matter of running a loom from the a-frame and synth/fx rack and it'd all be ready to go with minimal trouble. gigs are a whole lot more enjoyable if setup and teardown is as hassle-free as possible.
some guys I worked some sound jobs with a while back went as far as rigging some elco connectors up so the back never came off the effects rack unless there was a problem -- open the mixer case, plug and play.
also if you're doing mostly self-transport, do those padded gig bags cut it for the keys or should one cough up more for road cases? (I think I know the answer to this one, but budgets and all...)
some guys I worked some sound jobs with a while back went as far as rigging some elco connectors up so the back never came off the effects rack unless there was a problem -- open the mixer case, plug and play.
also if you're doing mostly self-transport, do those padded gig bags cut it for the keys or should one cough up more for road cases? (I think I know the answer to this one, but budgets and all...)
Message 2/9 02-Apr-02 @ 05:45 PM - RE: racks and cases?
marianimal
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Regarding the keys cases, when it's just a controller keyboard, we've been fine with soft cases & packing them on top of everything else. But if it's much heavier than that, yeah, you'll need a road case. If you get SKB, see if they make ones with metal latches instead of those sucky plastic ones. Two out of four have broken off of mine.
The plug & play system sounds appealing.
The plug & play system sounds appealing.
Message 3/9 03-Apr-02 @ 05:54 AM - RE: racks and cases?
damballah - I've always been kinda partial to those "gig-racks," never owned one, but seen a lot of 'em in use (actually, I do own a "studio" version of a gig rack...). They seem pretty well put together and quite handy, long as you dunna need to get on a plane with one (and you could probably swing that, too, given some of the so-called "luggage" I've seen people travel with... some folks idea of traveling light is shit the size of an Army foot locker....)... Anyhoos, when I get my next rack I'm probably gonna check the gig-rigs out first....
As for soft vs hard keys cases, listen to marianimal, if it ain't real critical or important, you can get away with a soft case/gig bag. Otherwise, get something like SKB or what not. Krom make some stout stuff, too, as does Grundorf, and some others. A "flight approved" case "should" be better, but check the stuff out. One company's "flight approved" stuff may not be the same as another's. I've been pretty happy with SKB and they have a wide range of cases to pretty much fit anything you might want.
As to having everything all set up wiring wise, BIG PLUS!!!! I carry a SKB mixer case with the CFX and I keep the little Lexie MPX100 in there, too. Everything is wired save for the compressor and BBE inserts. Those two and my power conditioner travel in another small rack, all plugged in with the inserts numbered. When I arrive it only takes about five minutes to get everything setup and ready.... Much nicer than trying to sort cables, MIDI, inserts and whatnot....
Peace
As for soft vs hard keys cases, listen to marianimal, if it ain't real critical or important, you can get away with a soft case/gig bag. Otherwise, get something like SKB or what not. Krom make some stout stuff, too, as does Grundorf, and some others. A "flight approved" case "should" be better, but check the stuff out. One company's "flight approved" stuff may not be the same as another's. I've been pretty happy with SKB and they have a wide range of cases to pretty much fit anything you might want.
As to having everything all set up wiring wise, BIG PLUS!!!! I carry a SKB mixer case with the CFX and I keep the little Lexie MPX100 in there, too. Everything is wired save for the compressor and BBE inserts. Those two and my power conditioner travel in another small rack, all plugged in with the inserts numbered. When I arrive it only takes about five minutes to get everything setup and ready.... Much nicer than trying to sort cables, MIDI, inserts and whatnot....
Peace
Message 4/9 03-Apr-02 @ 12:54 PM - RE: racks and cases?
For a while, I had a 'ready-to-go' gigging rig, but it took up a pretty big rack. All I had to do was pull of the covers, pull out the sequencer, and the mixer, plug the power conditioner in, plug the XLRs into whatever board I was going into, turn it all on, and load up, and I was ready in minutes. Problem was that it was heavy as hell to move. I may do the same again, eventually, but need the relatively light weight and modular set-up for the versatility and mobility at the moment. Things to think of. Plugging cables isn't hard, and can actually be kind of a Zen thing. It definately helps put me in the mood. It's like foreplay for me. I'm wierd, so what?
Ape
Ape
Message 5/9 03-Apr-02 @ 01:57 PM - RE: racks and cases?
About cases. If you're staying local and carrying the thing, placing it in the back of a van yourself soft is ok although I think even then it's living more dangerously. For a plane, train or anything else, don't mess around. The hard case will pay for itself in peace of mind alone.
Message 6/9 03-Apr-02 @ 11:45 PM - RE: racks and cases?
it'd be me loading stuff in my own ride for the forseeable future.
the SKB Gig rigs are ungodly huge -- bigger than a mini fridge. I was thinking the raxxess models, they have a 10 over 6 and a 10 over 10. I set up a little pa for a friend who has a little coffee house duo in the raxxess 10/6 and she doesn't even have to think about it -- power cable to the wall, plug in the mikes and hook up the speakers. but I've also checked outodyssey's line. their mixer mount looks more solid, plus its 11 mixer spaces deep so more room for the plugs. I could get away with 6 spaces below, but with 8 spaces I could stick a 2 space drawer in there for all the tool kit type stuff -- spares, multimeter, soldering iron. might be getting a bit large though. hmmm.
the SKB Gig rigs are ungodly huge -- bigger than a mini fridge. I was thinking the raxxess models, they have a 10 over 6 and a 10 over 10. I set up a little pa for a friend who has a little coffee house duo in the raxxess 10/6 and she doesn't even have to think about it -- power cable to the wall, plug in the mikes and hook up the speakers. but I've also checked outodyssey's line. their mixer mount looks more solid, plus its 11 mixer spaces deep so more room for the plugs. I could get away with 6 spaces below, but with 8 spaces I could stick a 2 space drawer in there for all the tool kit type stuff -- spares, multimeter, soldering iron. might be getting a bit large though. hmmm.
Message 7/9 04-Apr-02 @ 01:04 PM - RE: racks and cases?
Small and modular works much better. I'm telling you now. All of the pros I know don't carry huge rigs. The tops guys I knw have a rig they can carry by themselves or with one other person helping, unless they have their own truck, and even then, most of them have a small portable rig, of small cases, that they patch together. The patching is easy. it's the moving and arranging you have to worry about. Try putting a refridgerator onstage, let alone playing with one. no fun, but a nice small, easily manageable tabletop rig, not too complicated, and you're into fun.
Another thing, keep it SIMPLE. I can run three different sequencers at the same time these days without problems, but I don't usually do it unless i've got my head on super straight and am totally on point. Usually it's simple stuff that works, and you have to be able to track down whatever sound you're after in LESS than a second. Too long, and it gets stale. Too many cables and you get a bad one, and how do you track it down in a refrigerator? If everything's right there, and you know where each sound comes from, and you run into a problem (as ALWAYS happens) you just mute the channel, pop the cable, slap in a fresh one, unmute, and go. That fast, and that's how it has to be. Big racks do not facilitate this easily. think about it.
Ape
Another thing, keep it SIMPLE. I can run three different sequencers at the same time these days without problems, but I don't usually do it unless i've got my head on super straight and am totally on point. Usually it's simple stuff that works, and you have to be able to track down whatever sound you're after in LESS than a second. Too long, and it gets stale. Too many cables and you get a bad one, and how do you track it down in a refrigerator? If everything's right there, and you know where each sound comes from, and you run into a problem (as ALWAYS happens) you just mute the channel, pop the cable, slap in a fresh one, unmute, and go. That fast, and that's how it has to be. Big racks do not facilitate this easily. think about it.
Ape
Message 8/9 04-Apr-02 @ 03:09 PM - RE: racks and cases?
exactly. that's why I'm thinking a 6 space rack, it's just got a mixer mounted on top. got a separate 8 spacer with synths and fx. not talking about rolling around in a semi with a crew of roadies. whatever I do, I gotta lug it back into a basement at the end of the night. myself.
Message 9/9 05-Apr-02 @ 10:44 PM - RE: racks and cases?
I had one of the raxxess jobs.. They are pretty heavy for their size - all plywood. I still wish I had it though.. I sold it like 2 months before getting into a new band 
I wound up splitting my rig into two seperate cases because of the weight factor. My group has a practice room and my studio is in my house, so I'm carrying my rig back and forth all the time. It sucks to have to make multiple trips, but it's better than throwing my back out lifting the thing out of the hatchback of an Integra and hauling it up the stairs to my apartment!
Since I play in a full band kind of setting, usually alongside hardcore or metal bands, setup time is the key for me. I don't know what it's like when you guys do gigs, but I usualy have about 10 minutes to set up and roll. I pop the backs of my 2 racks, put the RM1X and the Nord on a keyboard stand, pop the backs of the racks off, and I have a loom waiting there to connect the stuff on the stand to the mixer in the case. 1 MIDI lead and 2 outs for the sampler and I'm good to go.
-Craig
I wound up splitting my rig into two seperate cases because of the weight factor. My group has a practice room and my studio is in my house, so I'm carrying my rig back and forth all the time. It sucks to have to make multiple trips, but it's better than throwing my back out lifting the thing out of the hatchback of an Integra and hauling it up the stairs to my apartment!Since I play in a full band kind of setting, usually alongside hardcore or metal bands, setup time is the key for me. I don't know what it's like when you guys do gigs, but I usualy have about 10 minutes to set up and roll. I pop the backs of my 2 racks, put the RM1X and the Nord on a keyboard stand, pop the backs of the racks off, and I have a loom waiting there to connect the stuff on the stand to the mixer in the case. 1 MIDI lead and 2 outs for the sampler and I'm good to go.
-Craig
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