Thon flightcases?

[cedd]

Googled and searched extensively.

 

Having bought a new Allen and Heath GL2400 I'm interested in flightcasing it. Hardware from CPC alone is £80 plus a sheet of 10mm ply at about £20. I have the skills and workshop to build my own, but the margin of saving by building my own is increasingly looking smaller compared to getting a professionally machined and measured case.

 

Thomann sell a very cheap case here:

 

http://www.thomann.de/gb/thon_mixercase_al...athgl240024.htm

 

made by Thon, a company whose equipment I haven't come across yet. No dog box which I'd probably have built on my own, but can manage very well without. Ignore postage as I do have another couple of items to buy which takes me into the free postage price bracket, so we're looking at £134.64.

 

Flightcase warehouse have a similair spec box here:

 

http://www.spider-engineering.co.uk/script...e%5F2680%5F2991

 

for £167

 

the question is, what are the Thon cases like? do they support the desk properly? Are they useable within the case? Is my investment going to be safe most importantly? Or; is it worth the extra 30 quid for the flightcase warehouse one? I don't know much about the quality of wither company's offerings. Other suggestions around the same price tag appreciated!

 

As an aside, are any mixer case made with doors to allow the case lid to be put back on whilst the mixer is cabled up? I'm thinking doing a run in a school morning and afternoon, with a safe way of storage over lunch hour from pop/chips/little fingers!

 

Cheers

[Shez]

I've got two of Thomann's cases, one for a stage piano (specifically for that model) and one 12U rack. No complaints here - they do what I need them to do. I don't think they're as heavily engineered as the ones I chuck in the back of artics for national tours but for medium use, they seem fine.

The one for the piano is a perfect fit; the hinges mean that you can't use it in the case though (not a problem).

[paulears]

Thon's their own brand - and I too have been quite impressed. I had double mover box of theirs and it was very well made - and had a neat external small door so you could use the wasted space for storage - with direct access from outside!

 

Flightcase warehouse made the one for my 32ch desk, and happily built in a dog box to my spec. They would cheerfully make extra cut-outs for cable access if you ask them.

[cedd]

Great stuff, there are some suitable looking cases in flightcase warehouse's "odds and sods" section which may well work for it very well, though they may be a little tall at double the height of the console. Space for the goosekneck lamps to remain fitted I suppose. Waiting on an email to see how we go for getting it foamed to fit the mixer. Also leaves a portion on the end for connectors/manuals/talkback mic as it's about 100mm longer than I need.

 

As an aside, very very pleased with my GL2400, great piece of kit!

[neild]

Thomann made a ML3000 case for me, it wasn't a stock item, so I was able to request dog boxes etc... The desk fits perfectly, and I have been really pleased with the case. Clearly not as thick ply as touring grade, but great for the cash!

[Light Console]

Very pleased with my Thon racks - I have 3 of the normal racks and a tool kit. The later has survived 5 flights with Spanish air handling, a car crash, and 3 years of daily use. A case I bought recently from the UK, was not as well made (neatness of corners) as the Thon ones. Also consider Roady Ready, my case for my A&H Mixwizard 14:4:2 is superb, and has a removable section for cables so the lid can be replaced, yet the desk still connected.

[dunk_1984]

I have one of the cable trunks in my hall as I type this.

 

No not as thick board as other cases. However has been thrown around and out of van, and dragged across car parks etc and stood up to it all... So although no maybe not as good, but certainly can take the beatings.

[cedd]

Thank you all for that!

 

Will be placing the order after pay day!

 

I'll report back my own findings too, along with possible modifications to allow cable access with the mixer box closed.

 

C

[Rob_Beech]

The one in James' hall belongs to me, I can guarantee its been thrown about more often than the average cricket ball, the catches on some of them aren't up to much but the cases seem strong enough, I have 3 more in various colours to go with it, 4 smaller ones and 2 bigger ones, I have various other racks from 2u to 16u both wheeled and not and they're all very good for the money. I've never had a desk case made by them but I've seen them on other desks and was impressed. They'll custom build aswell, just email them or phone them if you like and give them the measurements, generally speaking a model number is fine, ask for a dog box you get one, wheels no problem, more handles is fine (send them a drawing where you want the handles and they'll send you a digital one for you to confirm). Wood not thick enough? ask them for it thicker wood. the same goes for any of the cases and alot of other things.

I also have 5 or 6 cases for my keyboards from there and can't fault them at all.

 

Rob

[mervaka]

that flightcase warehouse one you posted I've seen before, and seen it used it as a riser. I have my own thomann 10u gig rack. I wouldnt stand on that! yes they're cheap and sturdyish, but I dont trust the pop rivet build quality.

[Rob_Beech]

I'm happy to stand things and stand myself on any of mine. Be it on the edges or right in the middle, and as alot of people will agree, I'm really not designed for standing on things.

 

Rob

[cedd]

To close up a loose end, the case arrived last friday (only 5 days after I placed the order, and I did do it at 9pm!). Very impressed overall. Whilst it's clear my home built case design (10mm ply) would have been slightly stronger, I have no doubts that this case is very up to the job and my own one would have been very heavy.

 

As with any mixer case I've used, I am investing in a pair of ratchet straps (actually the ones with a catch that you slide the cable through rather than a ratchet tie down) as I never trust the 4 butterfly catches (and the 16 rivets) to hold my mixer in place whilst being lifted. It's a personaly thing that I've done with even the most expensive cases.

 

One very minor fristration (and it is a minor one) - the "Thon" makers plate on the top is the wrong way round for the mixer. That is, you place the case on a table so that you can read the writing the correct way up, then open it and the mixer is facing the opposite direction! Easily solved with some "front" labels on the case, but it does make you wonder! The plate will be coming off in the near future to be replaced by one of my standard tour plates anyway.

[MarkPAman]

One very minor frustration (and it is a minor one) - the "Thon" makers plate on the top is the wrong way round for the mixer. That is, you place the case on a table so that you can read the writing the correct way up, then open it and the mixer is facing the opposite direction!

 

Or in other words :o

If the case is stored or transported on its side, with the heavier, back end of the desk downwards, then the "Thon" plate is the right way up. :D

[cedd]

AHA!!!!

 

Thanks for that Mark!

 

Makes a lot of sense!

 

For some reason, I felt that the desk would be better travelling on its back - connectors down in other words, as I felt this was the wider, most heavy and generally more stable side. As it happens it has not been transported like this, but looking at the desk again (and applying a bit of common sense) it's clear that the front of the desk is the better side with no connectors to squash and bend. There's even foam there to hold the handrest in place.

 

Silly me!

 

I'm already starting to see the attraction of a dog box on the case, I've bought 3 x 8XLR - 25pin D's to make patching at a gig quicker and easier. Theory is connecting 3 25way D's is far quicker than 24 XLR's. I then have a similair 25way D to XLR loom to join onto the multicore. However, I can't just quite fit these in the case with the lid on, so I'd have to re-patch anyway! So a reasonable amount of time wasted! I would look at making the back panel removeable for when leaving the desk connected and in situ, but still protected, however this is where the butterfly catches are.

 

As this is the upward side in transit however, I may think of a few modifications as time allows, for the time being it's doing a very good job of keeping the thing safe.

[Simon Lewis]

...it's clear that the front of the desk is the better side with no connectors to squash and bend. There's even foam there to hold the handrest in place.

 

I can't speak for your desk, but all the (larger) ones I've used a) have a doghouse to house the prewired multipins etc. and b) always put the flightcase castors on that side of the case. As you suggested earlier, it's the heavier end of the desk, and logic dictates that should go at the bottom !

 

Simon