XLR Rack Panels?

[doncolga]

Hey,

I saw a sound company last week and the back of their FOH rack had alot of panel XLR connectors, almost like the end of a big snake. Very neat and tidy looking. You couldn't really see inside the rack at all. I didn't notice many of the XLR's in use at the time, but this was for a graduation ceremony and I believe there were just two mics and one keyboard in use so I may have just missed them. I was also participating in the ceremony so I wasn't able to stop, look and ask. Their board was in the top of the rack...I'm guessing the Presonus or Yamaha perhaps. So those panels were likely all their inputs correct?

Thanks,

Donny

[Bruce Weldy]

Kinda' hard to tell without more info.

Could be the inputs that go to a bank of mic pres, then to the board. Could just be the mains and monitor outs after processing inside the rack. The rack could also be a splitter for running a monitor board.

Too many possibilities to know without more recon.

But the important part is that by building a rack panel, they certainly spent the time and effort to make setup and tear down easier and ultimately leads to less mistakes made by trying to access the back panels of amps, crossovers, etc while they are in the rack.

A well-thought-out rack panel is worth the time and expense to build. My rack panel saves me tons of time in set up.

[88h88]

I bought a 1U 16 hole panel thingy and have slotted a bunch of XLR and Speakons in it for the reasons Bruce mentions, it's easier to plug stuff into that than fumble about inside the rack case.

There's XLR in to the entire system from a main mixer, 2 Speakons for tops, 2 Speakons for subs and XLR in for monitoring and Speakons outs for the same purpose. Looks neat, it's only a small rack but it helps if you have anyone unfamiliar with it because they're all labelled...

[Israel]

do they had a digital mixer???? they are maybe an expansion kit

[djtecthreat]

Sounds to me like a rack snake.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

XLRs are used as both inputs and outputs, depending on gender. A patch panel allows fast easy access, as opposed to poking around inside the rack, usually with a flashlight in your mouth to see what you're doing.

[bitSmasher]

A friend lends his small rig out for (proper) DJs to use, who aren't the most adept at system set up.
Everything is boxed up, the processor and compressor locked off - it has Powerkon for power, 1/4" in for the DJ mixer, XLR out for tops and Speakon for subs.
Totally idiot proof, and setup takes about 35 seconds.

[thekl0wn]

Are you talking about something like this? http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdet ... er=262-575

I used a 2U version on the top of a slant-top case with a cheapy Behringer mixer in the slant and power, x-over, and amp in the bottom 4U, and soldered up my own cables to the panel-mount D-series connectors that were needed. e.g. - It started off only using 5 holes...

Output for active tops: 2x XLR (stereo) outs from crossover. 18" male XLR - to panel-mount female XLR (shielded mic cable) http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdet ... er=092-092
Output for sub(s): 1x 1/4" TR out from amp. 18" male TR - to panel-mount 1/4" TR (speaker cable)

Input from 1/8": 1x panel-mount 1/8" jack - to dual RCA inputs on mixer (shielded mic cable)
Input from RCA: 2x panel-mount RCA jacks (R/W) - to dual RCA inputs on mixer (shielded mic cable) http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdet ... er=092-232

I was getting ready to add a power connector (Neutrik-style) and USB, but acquired a different mixer, so I will probably hold off a bit on this box, and focus on getting the new case made for that mixer and incorporate everything "dummy proof" (or better known as, "me proof").

Did anyone get a picture of SonicAnvil's setup? I LOVED the way his setup looked. Had alternating red/white connectors up top, and just looked hella clean.

[Haysus]

Think of it as convienance. What would you like to easily connect. I use them for in ear sends and aux feeds to various other places(video feed/cry room). Same applies to outputs of amps. It really makes stringng a stage really fast. I can have a 5 piece band with 14 inputs 2 in ears, 4 separate wedge mixes, 1 aux send, setup and done start to fininish in just over 20 mIn with the band stringIng there own mic cables. I handle running wedges and FOH cables and things setup lightning fast.

I like making my gear easy to assemble so anyone can do it but I get master control in the end.