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Half racks?


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I buy one space rack shelfs for odd size gear and remove the rubber feet from the gear, drill holes in the shelf that line up with the feet and then put the screws through the shelf instead of using the feet. Works for gear with feet. Without feet I use rolls of 2" wide velcro on the bottom of the gear and the shelf to hold them in place. Never had an issue, although not my preferred method if I have any alternatives.

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Never seen one in person. Maybe something super specialized, or was built for a specific client where they needed a large number of a particular device and 1/2-rack made sense to tool up for, but just speculating.

 

 

No, you haven't seen one yet. It's a proposed standard that was just announced a couple of weeks ago. Middle Atlantic and extron are pushing to get it adopted. That's why I said that it may not be available yet, but who knows how far down the pike it could be?

 

http://www.cepro.com/article/middle_atlantic_extron_initiate_half_rack_standard/

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Never seen one in person. Maybe something super specialized, or was built for a specific client where they needed a large number of a particular device and 1/2-rack made sense to tool up for, but just speculating.

 

 

or maybe home studio owners that own a lot of half space type of gear ?

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With the possible exception of wireless receivers, I don't know that I've ever known anybody who had enough half-rack sized equipment to justify buying an entire rack for it. Most of the gear I've seen in that size either fits on a universal tray or can be fitted to hardware to mount it in a regular rack either by itself or with another unit of the same size form the same mfg.

 

But this is the audio industry, which is a tiny market. I wonder if this format is more popular in network, telecom, or broadcast industries.

-Dan.

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This is for a bass rig that needs to sit on top of cabs as small as 13" wide. Here's what I'm thinking of having in it:

Wireless Receiver (VHF)

DBX 163X Compressor

Micro Amp

Rolls PM351 Personal Monitor Mixer

IEM Transmitter (UHF)

 

I'm hoping the transmitter and receiver can live in the same rack - dunno what to do if they won't "get along"?

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Half-rack racks would seen to me to be a pretty small market overall. With the digital console "revolution", it's going to get smaller as the entry level digital consoles are the only ones that would have custonmers in the 1/2-rack catagory anyway, and that gear will become harder and harder to get rid of (at minimal loss).

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the 1/2 rack thing I thought would be a standard of 10" wide not 10 5/8". Many DJ mixers use the 10" width but there hasn't been much of a push for racking those.

 

I like the gator case, neat idea... except for 2 things: what about power? there is no place to plug in all 4 wall warts so you know there's gonna be some spagetti in there. 2 is why buy a case for $229 then buy 4 wireless mics that are under $100ea? I doubt anyone buying crap wireless would pay that much for a case.

 

Gator makes this:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/gator-gm-1wp-ata-wireless-microphone-system-case/546114000000000

which I actually bought to house an EV MS3000 wireless. it died sometime 2 yrs ago and I haven't bought another wireless to put in the case. I can't believe I spent almost as much on the case as the mic... wait... what?

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I like the gator case, neat idea... except for 2 things: what about power? there is no place to plug in all 4 wall warts so you know there's gonna be some spagetti in there.

Yah, I could just velcro everything together except for that. Also the signal cords are gonna be a mess and there's enough I/O that I might want a patch panel? I might start by velcroing it up and making all custom length interconnect cables to manage that part of the mess and seeing what else needs doing. I might have enough room in my 13" of allowable width to make a "compartment" for the wall warts next to the stuff instead of underneath or behind. Does sound like I'm gonna have to pull a "Coaster" and roll my own :D . The wireless receiver has top antennas so I don't want a rack that covers that :freak: .

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I use the ATW 2120 wireless mics a lot, I've got 10 of them. One rack has 3, one has 4, one has 2, another is in the rear of an amp rack used 2x a week by rock-bot. None seem to have any issue with being in a rack vs free standing, all have about 100ft of range indoors and I've gotten a little over 150 in downtown seattle outdoors. Many AV companies use the shure ULX with anntenna on the front in pairs and a rack drawer. Works great along with a rack power strip and to leave the 10ft XLR tails attached (no patch panel needed). Works for me anyway and it's modular, can be used with any system.

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What I'm worried about is having both a transmitter (IEM) and a receiver (instrument) in the same rack. They are in completely different bands so may be OK - guess I'll have to try it and see
:)
.

 

There can still be issues because of relative signal strength within a nearby spectrum.

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There's half rack stuff out there. Can't recall the brand name or models, but I know it exists. Several phone system vendors (Avaya being one) use half rack width's for some of their stuff, and there's a number of doodads made for A/V integration that use half rack width. Kinna goofy, but it's out there.

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On my way! Left at the third cow, right?
;)

 

actually cows are more of a Greeley thing. some cows here, not more than anywhere else really.

 

drive until the ground gets so flat you think it cannot get any more flat. then drive till its even flatter than that. when the days turn gray and the grass turns brown and you feel a general sense of depression you are almost there.

 

keep driving until you lose all hope. then you will be in fargo.

 

 

 

 

 

:D not so far from the truth :D

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One of my first gigs was at a venue nearby. There was a rack at FOH that had about 6 of half-rack dbx comps and 4 wireless receivers. someone had fashioned makeshift rackmounts by screwing and duct taping them together and shoving them into the rack.

 

The whole thing drooped in the middle and it made me lol every time.

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actually cows are more of a Greeley thing. some cows here, not more than anywhere else really.


drive until the ground gets so flat you think it cannot get any more flat. then drive till its even flatter than that. when the days turn gray and the grass turns brown and you feel a general sense of depression you are almost there.


keep driving until you lose all hope. then you will be in fargo.






:D
not so far from the truth
:D

 

Q; Why do kids in North Dakota play tag?

A; No trees for hide and seek!:poke:

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