Stuart91 Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 I'm on the lookout for case to house a Smaart rig. Need to have the laptop on top, with rackspace underneath for the audio interface and ideally a rack drawer for measurement mics etc. So I'm probably looking for 4U of space. Most "mixer racks" have slanted rackstrip which takes up too much space and is awkward to mount a laptop on. The two options I can find are this case from Gator and this other one from SKB. My experience with Gator cases has not been great - the catches always seem to fail. Whilst they may be perfectly appropriate for studio or light gigging, this case will do around 80 gigs per year so needs to be sturdier. The SKB option looks like it has build quality up to the task, but seems quite expensive and I'm not convinced by the arrangement they use to hold the laptop itself in place. Has anyone got direct experience with either of these cases, or are there any other models that I should be considering? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alistermorton Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 The SKB option looks like it has build quality up to the task, but seems quite expensive and I'm not convinced by the arrangement they use to hold the laptop itself in place. It reminds me of the gripper blocks on my (old) Workmate. Those can slip off, and cause damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandall Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 It reminds me of the gripper blocks on my (old) Workmate.Definitely. Suggestion - instead of buying an expensive "special" why don't you use a "standard" case & keep the laptop in the rack-drawer? You can then either use it in situ or Velcro it to the top of the case when in use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 Numerous Laptop DJ cases are available from all the usual suspects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart91 Posted August 21, 2018 Author Share Posted August 21, 2018 I'm quite keen on the idea of being able to keep the laptop plugged up and ready to go. Whilst taking it out of a drawer and plugging a few connections in doesn't take long, when multiplied by the likely number of events it's a significant time saving. Drawers will be great for things like measurement mics and cables. Unfortunately all the DJ style cases I've seen have slanted rackstrip for mixers/controllers and the laptop is perched on a shelf that folds out on top. Alternatively, there's plenty that will hold the laptop itself but lack any rack space. It's a pity that there's two solutions that almost tick all the boxes but aren't quite suitable. Really prefer a moulded case to keep the weight down. I'm tempted to try the SKB and just devise my own way of holding a laptop in place, but for the money it costs it's a bit annoying to be having to bodge things from the get-go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandall Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 SKB used to do a modular (EMS?) system, in which the top panel could just be held in place by the front & back lids - ideal for protecting a laptop. Funnily enough I was trying to offload a trolley made from it a few months ago & had no takers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Remo Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 The SKB unit doesn’t last very long if you are flying it, a band I worked for went through several of them before changing to a beefier rig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart91 Posted August 21, 2018 Author Share Posted August 21, 2018 The SKB unit doesn’t last very long if you are flying it, I'm unlikely to be flying with the case, but it will be getting thrown in and out of vans. Won't have to stand up to baggage handlers but the occasional clumsy "helper". Where did your SKBs fail, James? Was it the catches that went first? Also, what did the band upgrade to? Just a custom built flightcase rather than a moulded design? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Remo Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 Yep, broken catches. Moved over to a lightweight 4u rack sleeve in a peli Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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