Stacking Rack Gear...

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Vincent
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2006/12/30 16:38:00 (permalink)

Stacking Rack Gear...

Hi Everyone,

I have 8 pieces of rack gear that I do not have racked, they are just stacked on top of one another. I don't have them racked mainly because I need to get behind them to change cables when using different mic pre's, and also beacuse of lack of room.

Most of them are solid units, no vent holes, and for the ones that do have vent holes, they are not being blocked in any way.

Is it okay to do this?

Is the weight an issue? (Especially for the units on the bottom)

Thanks So Much!
#1

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    Middleman
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    RE: Stacking Rack Gear... 2006/12/30 17:04:07 (permalink)
    Heat is the issue. I burned up a preamp once because it was not getting enough air to keep things reasonable. Buy a patch bay, rack and some cables. Make your life easier.
    #2
    DonnyAir
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    RE: Stacking Rack Gear... 2006/12/31 09:34:36 (permalink)
    You didn't mention what these 8 pieces are, exactly... are they processors, pre's, power amps, etc.?

    You mentioned that none of the units have vents... have you checked the bottoms of the units too?
    Are any using heat sinks that would require a bit of space in between pieces?

    Weight could be an issue to those units towards the bottom of the pile.

    You might be okay with it, but for the cost of a few rack screws (plus the added hassle of having to always get behind the rack and patch changes on various I/O's), your life would get easier if you'd pick up a patch bay.

    They aren't all that expensive anymore.

    just a quick search found this one... I'm sure there are many others...

    http://cgi.ebay.com/Furman-pb-40-patch-bay_W0QQitemZ170065387934QQihZ007QQcategoryZ23792QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

    http://www.donnythompson.com
    #3
    Lay In Wait
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    RE: Stacking Rack Gear... 2006/12/31 13:49:14 (permalink)
    Buy a patch bay, rack and some cables. Make your life easier.


    I'll definetly second this. I picked up my first patchbay about 6 months ago. Now I only deal with 1-2 foot cables and everything is always hooked up ready to go.

    8 peices of rack gear stacked on top of each other must be a little precarious. I would be more concerned about them crashing down than heat. It would only take 1 step in the wrong direction on the right cable for them to fall. If you dont want a patchbay you can find some lightweight racks with casters(wheels) which would allow for easier access to the backs of them. Good Luck, Happy New Year!

    Windows 7 Pro 64bit, Core i7 920, Asus p6td deluxe, Sonar X1c PE, Motu 2408 mk3, Apogee Mini DAC, 3x UAD-1, Digimax FS, Motu Microlite, MCU, Tranzport, Nocturn. And more...
    #4
    inmazevo
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    RE: Stacking Rack Gear... 2007/01/05 15:39:56 (permalink)
    I've had several pieces stacked, without issue, but I find that now that I have a Patchbay, I don't have to stack them, or keep them close to each other.
    A Patchbay is the single greatest (and cheap) investment I've ever made to my studio... I route everything through it now, and don't have to change wiring much anymore.
    I like it so much that I got a MIDI patchbay as well, and use it similarly.

    I agree that the trouble will come from either heat, or knocking stuff over.
    I haven't knocked anything over (but I never went 8 high either), but I have some equipment that gets fairly hot over time, and I'm not comfortable stacking anything on top of it.

    I would add that another thing that comes from having a patchbay is prolonged equipment life. Unplugging and replugging cables over and over and over isn't the greatest for the connectors. A patchbay will limit the long-term damage to the cheap patchbay, rather than the (presumably) more expensive equipment. And, patchbay connectors are generally engineered such that a user can switch them out easily. With the other gear, you'd likely have to pay someone to do it... much more expensive.

    Take care,
    - zevo
    post edited by inmazevo - 2007/01/05 16:04:10
    #5
    yep
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    RE: Stacking Rack Gear... 2007/01/05 16:53:42 (permalink)
    In addition to the risks above, it seems to me that there is a fairly high risk of toppling with 8 pieces of gear piled up and you reaching behind them to rearrange cables. Maybe you're more careful and coordinated, but that would be of concern for me.

    It's worth mentioning that a rack is ridiculously easy to build yourself if it doesn't need to be road-worthy. About $8 in use wood screws and lumber oughta do it.

    Cheers.

    Boycott Monster Cable
    companies being sued by Monster
    example of despicable business practices
    #6
    Brett
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    RE: Stacking Rack Gear... 2007/01/06 04:31:09 (permalink)

    Patch bays are quite cheap but unfortunately you need double the cables. As long as you aren't using Monster Cables or similarly unreasonably expensive cables you are a fine. Getting a good supply of reasonably priced cables is not so easy these days.

    Brett

    #7
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