S&L Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 I picked up a t racks 4 channel passive DI recently. DI4 unita great little unit for me and it moves around stage for various live band applications, either being used as a single or multi channel DI unit. it's easy to find a place for it on stage and move it around and I find the 'stick' format easy and useful - it takes up very little space if I don't put it in a rack. My problem is transporting it safely (without spending a fortune). at the moment it sits at the bottom of a box of mic cables but due to error the box fell over last weekend (as these things do) and the DI hit the ground, no harm done but it would be nice to put it in a small box to prevent such transport impacts. it would be lost in a proper 2u rack case and take up too much transportation space - it just needs a stick shaped box to put it in... any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arobinsonaudio Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 You could try building one to a custom size. http://www.lookingforbuyers.com/free/rackcase.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedd Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 I looked into this for a Behringer rack DI ages ago. What makes 1u difficult is that there's not really the height to use proper case corners. The top and bottom corners are so close to each other that they foul. If you're not too bothered about looks then you could just make a sleeve out of MDF or something. Just a 1u high rectangle with a couple of strips that you can screw into through the rack ears with wood screws. I've got a couple of amps that I hardly ever use (once or twice a year) so it's not worth spending on a case, but that could still use some light protection around the workshop and in the van, and I'm considering doing just this. Do you need access to those 4 rear XLR's? If so then it'll be very tricky to get your hand in to a 1u case to get to them. What about one of the shallow 2u plastic cases, with a 1u rack strip with XLR's on it that presents those 4 rear plugs? It's actually quite a nice neat unit. I might look in to one myself to replace my Behringer one (which I daren't use because half the buttons have come loose and don't properly operate the switches). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S&L Posted November 6, 2012 Author Share Posted November 6, 2012 You could try building one to a custom size. http://www.lookingfo...ee/rackcase.htm thanks for the link - I did think about it but the unit needs a cover to protect the buttons and given the man hours involved it seems somehow daft spending twice as much money in manhours as the thing cost in the first place! I won't rule it out though, if I can't find a cheaper solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Riley Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 How about building a small padded compartment into your cables box for it? 1 bit of ply, some black paint and a tiny bit of foam and twenty mins later you're all protected! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S&L Posted November 6, 2012 Author Share Posted November 6, 2012 I looked into this for a Behringer rack DI ages ago. What makes 1u difficult is that there's not really the height to use proper case corners. The top and bottom corners are so close to each other that they foul. If you're not too bothered about looks then you could just make a sleeve out of MDF or something. Just a 1u high rectangle with a couple of strips that you can screw into through the rack ears with wood screws. I've got a couple of amps that I hardly ever use (once or twice a year) so it's not worth spending on a case, but that could still use some light protection around the workshop and in the van, and I'm considering doing just this. Do you need access to those 4 rear XLR's? If so then it'll be very tricky to get your hand in to a 1u case to get to them. What about one of the shallow 2u plastic cases, with a 1u rack strip with XLR's on it that presents those 4 rear plugs? It's actually quite a nice neat unit. I might look in to one myself to replace my Behringer one (which I daren't use because half the buttons have come loose and don't properly operate the switches). as per my other reply, I wouldn't excl;ude woodworking my way out of the problem but it's more a transport issue than a stage protection issue. it's a great little 'stick' . I was going to drop it into my on stage amp rack but I'm finding it so useful to be able to move it around at will - one night it is a bass player's DI, sitting on his amp, the next it is an electronic drum unit di, using 2 channels and sitting underneath the kit. the next it;s out to a bluegrass event and I put it rear of the stage, centre, to connect 3 acoustics and a double bass, the next it sits on top of a FOH sub for a supporting acoustic artist - well you get the picture - in the last month it's been all over the stage set ups doing all manner of things and it's just soo easy to slap the 'stick' into the bass player's hand and say., their ya go put that on top of your amp. My problem is transportational - I need to protect it while it's in among other boxes in a van, truck or car boot. if they made 40mm squatre x 20" Tupperware boxes that would have been perfect! Re replacing behringer gear - I wanted something to replace a 4 channel behringer unit I picked up second hand - I was never happy with it and it always seemed noisy on certain channels. I also wanted to get rid of the ;where is the new battery' thing with a battery powered behringer DI. I still battery powered unit in my mic box and I still carry batteries but this thing has been out with me every weekend for 5 weeks or so now and I don't see my behringer stuff coming out again unless I have a need for DI's in different stage positions. obviously it's passive so has that as a limitation but at my end of the market having something that works without batteries, without phantom power and is in a little stick format has been a godsend. I wouldn't be without it now, I'm just trying to do something cost effective to protect it in transit. I also have to say that to my ears it's cleaner and less 'rubbery' sounding than my behringer. How about building a small padded compartment into your cables box for it? 1 bit of ply, some black paint and a tiny bit of foam and twenty mins later you're all protected! now there is a thought. I tend to swap around boxes depending on how much of what is going out to a gig but I COULD make a compartment in a box that usually goes out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ojc123 Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 If you find something outside the forum let us know. I have the same unit for the same purpose and would like some protection for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete10uk Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 it's only a 1 u passive di box, I would say that it is a lot more protected chucked in a cable box than it would be in its own flight case, every knock and bang would travel through the box to the unit where as in a cable box the cables will absorb the knocks. My only concern would be the buttons but as I have had 2 passive single DI's with buttons for 15 years and they just get thrown around in and out of boxes all the time, it's not a great concern. I would cut a piece of thick felt and wrap it around the stick and pop on an elastic band and chuck it in which ever box your taking out. If I had the time a small MDF box knocked up in 10 min painted black and lined with a bit of foam or felt will keep it looking tidy for years, no worry about heat etc. Looks a nice unit though, my 2 passive units get used a whole lot more than the powered behringer units I have, it's just a battery thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gibbothegreat Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Any good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard P-W Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 http://www.ryman.co.uk/0510015260/Flexocare-Mailing-Tube-H610xW75mm/Product Just saw down to length... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkPAman Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 How deep is it? Looks to me as if I could mount that in the lid of one of my small racks, provided I don't need to get to the back of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 1U is too small for full flight racks as (Cedd said) the corners are too big for 1U. http://www.studiospares.com/bags-rack+other/skb-sc19-1u-soft-rack-case/invt/487000/Is one semi soft case but rather deep. I did once see some shallow cases blow moulded IIRC where a 2U box would likely have been OK. The 2U case in this range is likely to be as close as you will get off the peg. I used an 8U mixer case from this range for several years without fault. http://www.terralec.co.uk/rack_cabinets_and_cases/abs_shallow_rack_case/30272_p.htmlThe front and back lids should protect the switches and sockets, but remember that a small case needs to be at the top of a freestanding stack or things will fall off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S&L Posted November 6, 2012 Author Share Posted November 6, 2012 gibbon - apart from the case being almost the cost of the unit - it's too big and bulky really for what the 'stick is Mark - the unit is 50mm deep ish x 1u x 19" but it's more useful to me NOT rack mounted or in a lid but loose and free to stash on top of an amp, a chair or rack. we usually don't get a lot of time to set a stage - so something that I can slip out of a box and pass to someone quickly. I know - it's a conundrum. Richard - not quite right but on the right lines and it's given me a few ideas. if no one has any better ideas I may just follow up on that. ..actually, this whole thread has helped me clear my thought processes and look again at spare spaces I have in my gear. I have a snake stored in a rolling toolbox a little like this one: My link if I can't find a stand-alone idea I am happy with, I think I may pack it in the lid of this with some foam cushioning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Short length of square plastic drain/downfall pipe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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