For this video i thought we would take a look at road cases, cable trunks, and amp
racks for live production. there is a method to the madness and
maybe this will give you some ideas for your own equipment packaging and future
case purchases or builds. there are three basic concepts in case
sizes based on truck pack dimensions: half pack-
two to a row.
third pack- three to a row. and quarter pack- four to a row.
that doesn't mean they have to be packed in that direction, but it does give you a
baseline and some consistency in the measurements and easy math to figure
what fits where.
one mistake budding sound companies or bands tend to make is getting cases of
all kinds of random dimensions, with absolutely no thought as how they will
all fit and pack together in a truck or trailer.
ideally, you want straight rows as much as possible for efficient use of floor
space. box truck width is usually figured at 96
inches for larger boxes though that can vary and some are as small as 90 inches
wide. a small trailer might be 60 inches wide
or less. whatever you think you might be using
for transport you should try and have cases that in one direction or the other
can make rows in those trucks or trailers.
for example, i have these cases that are 30 inches by 19 inches. so a third pack
case, three to a row in one direction. but turn them 90 degrees and you can fit
three across in a five foot wide trailer. smaller cases like this though can be a
bit of a mixed bag. while maybe perfect for a small trailer, you don't
necessarily want a 26 foot box truck full of smallish cases like these. you
want to minimize trips rolling cases in and out of the trucks.
but you also don't want cases bigger and heavier than you can manage. you don't
want to be working by yourself, or just you and one other person, and have a
large case full of cable ramps or feeder to push up or down a ramp,
work smart and be safe! as for securing your load, e-track is
probably the most popular way. e-track is available in horizontal or
vertical strips with multiple connection points, and also available in even
individual pieces for when you need a connection to a specific location. your
ratchet strap then clips to the e-track rail and allows you to securely strap
your cases in.
securing your load is another reason you want to strive to have straight rows.
you can buy various adapters for e-track- loops for hook style ratchet straps,
board hangers,
storage pouches,
or even ladder hangers. as for the cases themselves, you can add
dividers to your cases to help organize things. even trays and small bags and
boxes inside the cases.
on the lids of the cases you can add caster pockets
or rails so that the cases can stack.
if you've noticed, i have some numbers on the cases.
this is a bit of code to help keep things organized in the shop.
for example, 100s are audio cables and they have a specific area to live in the
warehouse. other codes direct cases to other areas
of the warehouse. the numbers on the right side of the
hyphen are just letting me know a case is 24 inches or 22 inches so i can
know what to pair it with in the truck. here are some popular case sizes- (onscreen)
if you need maximum flexibility then you might want to look at case sizes that
will give you a different total row width when lined up in one direction
versus the other. by that i mean a set of 48 inch by 24 inch cases will take up
the same floor space no matter how you arrange them
a set of 45 by 24 inch cases will allow some flexibility depending on how you
turn them since they can fit in a 90 inch wide box, two across
a packing blanket or small rack can take up slack in wider box trucks or trailers
if needed.
the quarter pack cases are many times things like mic stand cases, work boxes,
or amp racks. except for shock(mount) racks, amp racks will
have the same basic width but their depth can vary. i always recommend
installing some type of input / output panel on your amp racks to simplify and
centralize connections.
when getting amp racks i would suggest factoring in space for an i/o panel.
since the depth of amp racks can vary you should pay attention to the depth
and not get deeper than necessary to preserve floor space in your truck pack,
or trailer pack. smaller cases can easily fit on top of
the larger cases and (roll) right in and out of the gig.
and these are, not surprisingly, called riders.
i'll put affiliate links to the e-track, ratchet straps, and other accessories in
the text below. hopefully, this video gives you some idea
how the packaging for live production equipment all comes together. and it's
not just a random collection of cases. buying and building cases with a plan
can not only help to make for a more efficient load in and loadout, and
truck or trailer pack, but can also help to future proof these investments in
road cases and amp racks so that you can continue using them and implementing
them as your business continues to grow. While this video talks about how to pack
the equipment neatly, this video linked here (upper left of screen) shows how to cable your stage
neatly. check it out if you haven't already. likes and subscribes are always
appreciated... and please leave any comments or questions below.
the patreon page link and the affiliate links are in the text below... please check
out the other videos, and i will see you next time!
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