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Looper's Delight
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> How heavy is the SKB mini-gig? > > I'm trying to figure out how to make my equipment reasonably portable in >a > more or less protected fashion. Here are my needs: > > I've got about 10 rack spaces worth of equipment that I'm using -- probably > headed for 11 or 12. Most of it is reasonable shallow with a couple of > annoying exceptions. I'm configuring it all through a Mackie 1642. > > What I've got right now is a 6 space rack crate (essentially a milk crate in > construction) sitting on top of a 12-space Anvil rack on casters. I actually > have almost nothing in the Anvil because I've found it to be really annoying > having controls down by my feet. My MoFX is sitting on a couple of bars >on > my A-frame keyboard stand so that it's easy to get to from my Handsonic. The > Mackie is also on the keyboard stand. > > Issues that I'd like to resolve: > > * The rack crate is fine at home, but I probably should be cautious about > taking it anywhere. > At home, I used to have my gear on a shelf, racked just using rack rails, without anything else. It worked fine, and allowed easy access to everything. > * I don't have anything for packing up the Mackie. > > * Whatever I go with, I need a reasonable way to make the controls on >most > of the rack items and on the mixer accessible while seated. > > * I want equipment that I can move without killing my back or having a > heightened risk of dropping due to weight. > > If I got a mini-gig could I leave the mixer fully connected to the items in > the rack? I'm sure you could. >Would the unit be reasonably portable when loaded? Reasonably? Come on - we aren't talking about a 'reasonable' amount of gear here :> Some people on this list are making the analog modular and grand piano players look bad. Seriously though. My mini rig is about as much as I can lift. I definitely can't carry it - getting it in and out of the car is quite a bit of work. Two people can handle it no problem, but you'll need to roll it around. >Are there > recommendations for what I could set it on to get it situated at a > reasonable height? I'm still working this one out myself. > > The other option I've been considering (based on suggestions from the list) > is a could smaller racks sitting on amp stands so that they tilt back for > better visibility. I'd have to come up with something on which to put the > mixer, however. Perhaps a good table that could also hold picks, E-Bow, > etc.? If I go the amp stand route, does anyone have specific > recommendations? Do I need to worry about having something with a wide > enough back bar so that it actually extends over the width of the rack unit? > The big sell for me about the 'one large box' thing is that when I go out to play, I have to cable - one instrument cable - one power supply - one pair of line outs, or a cable snake - the snake to the footpedals I don't have to worry about two or more sets of rackmounts interfacing with eachother. >...The gig rig seem like a good step.... >i don't know about the mini GigRig, but i have the full sized skb GigRig >and i have to say it is not very well designed. >if you don't need it to be rugged it is adequate, but >the fasteners are week, and the front and back are held on the z axis >only by a single little plastic pin. and the top is only fastened to the sides. >the pin on the front broke imediately on mine, leaving the top and front flopping loose. >i replaced each pin with two metal studs. it still has the lame fasteners on top, though. > I agree - the fasteners are very flimsy. I have a full gig rig for my day job, and I've blown 2 of them already. I'm quite a bit more careful with the one at home now - I don't expect the box to outlast my use of the equipment inside it. Still, it's unfortunately the only game in town - there aren't any other solutions in this format as far as I could find. It's also very light - a wooden case would be prohibitively heavy, especially since I've modified mine with a set rack rails in the back of the unit as well as the front and top. I had to use a Saw-all to do that. Overall, I'm happy with mine, though I wouldn't give it to someone else to carry, or dream of putting it on a plane :> On the topic of rack building, I've found something that you guys might find useful - 6" power cords. SF guys: they sell them for $3 at the SBC computer warehouse at the corner of Lawrence and Central expressways. The ones I got have fully rotating plugs, so you can attach them at any angle. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any 1 foot ones, which would have been a more ideal length for racking. bIz bIz