hi - I'm currently looking at building a DAW (digital audio workstation) to record some music. I plan to do some international travel, so will get this shipped around a bit. yes I've contemplated getting a laptop, but they're too expensive for the performance - it'd be cheaper for me to ship an atx case around.

so what I wanted to know, was if someone could recommend me a silent 4U (or similar) rack case with good ventilation. There's a lot of silent desktop cases advertised, but not many racks. I was thinking rack due to the ease of transport, but if there's a viable and safe method to ship desktops, could you make me aware of it? I'm aware I could get a padded enclosure made to fit the desktop, but the computer would still get jostled around a bit wouldn't it?

thanks greatly for your time,
Mouse

I don't know that there is any rack case made for silent. Aside from maybe the Carillion rack computers, but you'd have to buy a whole system from them.

http://www.carillondirect.com

Suggestion is that you'll need to adjust the fan speeds and mounting, and get a system where you can mount hard drives on isolators. You'll probably also need to put in the power supply of your choice. What is the price range you are talking about?

hi mate - yeah I've sussed out Carillon. they have a bare bones package for about $500 USD which is the case, power supply, FDD and some silent HD enclosures, but I was thinking there'd be cheaper alternatives - hence why I was planning to build the unit myself. Their complete turnkey systems are overpriced IMO, but I'd consider the bare bones if I had no other options.

when you mention HD isolators, are you talking about the silent enclosures that go around them? I've seen some, but would have to find if they were suitable to the HD I'd get (thinking Seagate Barra IV or V at the mo)

I've been sussing out power supplys too and various heatsinks (Zalman). so can you get silent mounts for the fans? I assume to minimise vibration?

I don't really have a limit on my budget, though about 1500 USD would be a guide as to what I was hoping to build the DAW for. but if I have to spend a bit more and it'd make a difference, no dramas.

how viable is it to ship a silent desktop computer around with a decent case? Can you get these cases made up? I'm ussuming you could.....

ciao,
Mouse

My approach would be:

• a small tower case (less than 17" height, maybe 12-14"), as narrow as possible
• mod in/out fan holes for minimal impedance (cut out all the grills, open up the bezel
• Palaflo L case fans front/back on low voltage & mounted with EAR grommets
• bolt-through mobo HS + low airflow quiet fan
• barracuda hdds mounted in novibes or similar (safe to transport)
• 300W 14 dB SilenX psu
• some internal acoustic damping (acoustipack)
• external ruggedized coating to go around the top, bottom & sides -- something like tough vinyl skin with rubberized layer underneath
• rubber bumper all around the edge of front and back panels
• large carrying handle on top (with reinforced bracing on inside of top panel)

It's a carry on! If it is small enuf...

Natch, you'd need to stuff a LEC mon, keybord & mouse elsewhere... Or get a box made for all this -- but I bet a nice case for all this would cost you big bucks -- maybe more than the PC

Well the only cheaper would be to buy a basic generic case and mod it yourself. Generic 4U cases are $100-200, but non-generic will be more than that. Check Ebay to see generic cases. It's kind of hard to get good info and pics on the generic units. Newegg is good with pics, so look there.

As far as HD isolators, no I mean vibration mounts similar to the rubber grommets at each screw point, if you just plan to use normal drives. You could always add the Silent box if you have a 5.25" bay.

If you want a custom shipping case, I'm guessing a place would make you one, but it'd probably cost $100-200 extra for any special modification. That's my guesstimate. They'd probably get a larger case and custom cut the foam inside, plus maybe some hold down brackets or something.

If you get a normal case I would suggest one with all metal front like one of the aluminum cases. Everything in the case needs to be screw mount, none of those slide in or snap in connections for drives or drive bays, they will come loose.

thanks heaps for your replies champs! Muchos appreciatios!

I'll do some searching on the net to see what you're talking about (I'm new to this game ) and I'll write more later.

thanks again and "squeak"

start by searching through the articles & reviews on the main SPCR site. Systems and Recommended are probably best places for you. LOTs of info there, things you can pick up from DIY system articles...

thanks mate - I just printed out some stuff from there and I'll read it over the next few days and post again.

I do have a question though. So they make silent desktop cases and I'm looking at the option of getting a rackmount, but they don't seem to be silent. So if I outfit and mod a generic 4U rackcase with all of the silent components - PSU, fans, heatsinks etc and then add damping - will the damping effectively make this a silent case and comparable to to silent desktops with the above mods? Or will it def. be louder?

thanks,
Mouse

Hard to say, I've never tried this myself. But if you're yousing exactly the same parts and have similar low impedance airflow, then why not? It should be similar.

You can buy generic equipment cases for photographic gear that might be a better bet for shipping. They are usually Aluminum outside (with thin plywood too), so they would be inherently RF sheilded. You could cut up a $50 cheapo computer case for it's mobo tray and drive cages to go inside. Get handy with a jig saw and a drill, and end up with a really cool custom box that would be better than a rackmount box. Use your imagination. Some inspired local computer tekky could help you out too if you didn't want to build it yourself. It would be a fun project. Also, any good sheet metal shop could easily make you some small sliding cover panels that could cover CD, floppy, fan holes, and slot/mobo access areas. That wouldn't be waterproof, but would ship well with a tidy no-snags profile, then pull the slide-covers off and record away. If you got a really big box, it could also hold an LCD, keybaord, mouse, CD's, chords, headphones, etc.. I see lots of great opportunities.

BH Photo listing of Hakuba cases.

Maybe I should build them and offer them for sale eh?

Good luck.

crisspy, great idea! Had no idea such cheap cases could be had! I like the big "trunk" size for this task. Yeah, cris, build em, I bet you'd find a market!

hey Crisspy - thanks so much for your idea! that's a good one and I'm going to look into it.

*virtualhandshake*

I just received a quote today from this tech guy. He was going to use the Carillon rackcase, Ultramate silent PSU, silent fan, molex HD enclosure, FDD, mouse, keyboard, with tech support, online loop station access, Norton Ghost and copy of XP and put in a couple of Seagate barras, 1gig Legend RAM, ASUS P4PE or Intel D845PESV m'board, Matrox dualhead G550 graphics card, 17" monitor, Sony CDRW and Pioneer DVDROM for about $2000 USD. that's a hell of a lot cheaper to a similar setup Carillon Core System, but still quite expensive.

I'm def. keen to suss out this build it myself option. do you think I'd have a problem with ventilation if I went this route you suggest? I'd have to get the ventilation holes in the right space if I wanted to get an efficient airflow pattern wouldn't I? I spose I could just basically copy a case design from some big names and try and apply it to this project.

thanks again for the idea matey!

Mouse

Hey Mouse-funny you should mention this I just got back from doing the same....

I toured around the last couple months with a 4U rackmount PC(Asus P4PE/2GHz/512MB/removable HD's) in a big SKB shockmount case-
http://www.skbcases.com/product/pro_aud ... -904u.html
-this was essential and I was only travelling through Canada and the upper midwest states-for international these cases are a must!!!

ATA flight cases are damn expensive!!

The rackmount computer case itself is:
http://store.compute-aid.com/cgi-bin/ca ... type=store

It's super heavy duty steel, and since i've been a lurker here for awhile I simply applied all I learned here...quiet power supply(Zalman 300w) and a Vantec Stealth 120mm intake fan, Zalman 6500 flower cooler and a fanbus for the fans. The case is big and has great airflow, but I had to mod the back to get a couple of 80mm fans in there. I also lined the entire inside of the case with thick neoprene mousepads.

Anyways, a bit of DIY and I saved tons, but if yer gonna get it done for you, even better. I did FOH sound and recorded bands on 16-24 tracks at 24bit/44.1kHz with 3 Presonus Digimax's and an RME Digiface(with a Lucid Genx6 Wordclock) and it performed flawlessly for a month on the road.

The 4U steel case inside the shockmount SKB case was heavy, but worth it as I could put it in with all the rest of the gear and not be worried about it.


I'm selling the SKB shockmount case if yer interested, I've got 3 months of mixing to do then i'm off for a few months on a different project and won't need it again.

Email me if yer interested-I'd do it for $180 USD(retail is $350-$500USD)

Good luck!!!

You know, I was thinking about building a ATX in a roto case or rack with wheels or other such case. Aluminum front and back plates, with steel chassis.

http://www.skbcases.com/industrial/prod ... -roto.html

Or possibly a mATX is a shallow roto case.

http://www.skbcases.com/industrial/prod ... allow.html

I'd be willing to try it if anyone is willing to cover the cost.

But what would the point be? If you are taking a computer out on the road, keeping it cool and dust-free are subservient to keeping it in one piece-and this means shock mounting it, either in coil springs or foam. If you mount a computer in one of the SKB cases, it's no different than any other case in terms of protection.

Also, I'm thinking of putting my noisy computer in a studio, then completely acoustically treating the entire studio and putting in a double wall between the control room and the tracking room...if anyone is willing to cover the cost....

hey Tungsten groover- cheers mate! Did you register just for my benefit? I'm flattered!

Thanks alot for telling me what you did and the products you used - that'll help a lot. I've been looking at the Zalman stuff and it sounded good. Tell me, some of their heatsinks say they are heavier than the specifications of what a heatsink should be, so they shouldn't be shipped around. Did you take yours out? Actually upon looking at the website I don't think the 6500 model you had was too heavy, so don't worry.

I'll look into your method and see if I can do similar.

thanks again!

oh I may well have taken you up on the offer of the roadcase, except I live in Australia!

cheers and haveagoodun.

"squeak'

Well the design could just as easily be put into a shock mount case too. The main benefit is a design that would be applicable for less noise (120 mm intake and outake, grommet mounted drives and fans, etc...). A benefit of those cases is that you can line all the inside with acoustic foam for reducing the noise. A mATX in the small case would be a pretty neat one though.

I meant if anyone wanted to purchase such a unit. So I would spend my own time developing it but just need the parts and some manufacture costs to be covered.

Hey Mouse-well, I've been meaning to register for awhile now, but, aw shucks you called me on it! It's definitely not worth your while to take this case, it's big and heavy, the two words that drive shipping costs up!
Anyways, since yer in Australia, you need to check out Sebatron's gear, specifically the tube pre-amps....amazing!!!


I'm working on a PC for a friend right now to take on the road for roughly the same thing-this time I want something that can be carried by one person(the rackmount and SKB case weighed 90-100 lbs!!) but it also has to be strong and shockmounted to a degree.

So I've got a handful of factors to consider, as well as cost...

hmm I suppose I could borrow a digital camera and almost make an article out of this....Any other audio folks out there that would be interested? I've done post/live/demos/albums/teaching for 8 years now, and building PC's for 15....

mate I've heard about Sebatron - apparently they're pretty nice. and quite cheap if the hype about the pre quality is to be believed.

do you have some of their gear? how's it compare to the other pre's you have experience with?

thanks. I currently have an M-Audio Quattro and will buy an Omni I/O add on. Later on I'll look at a separate quality pre, but these'll suffice for the mo.

If you wanted to write an article, I'd def. read it and post it on some other forums I visit.

thanks again and good luck on the build projects.

"squeak"

They are tube pre's, i've heard them at a buddies studio and they compare nicely to alot of the tube pre's out there that cost w-a-a-a-ay more... Like Demeter, Avalon, Drawmer, Tubetech, Summit....

I've got more transformer based stuff, 4 channels of WardBeck 441's, 2 channels of Neve 3126, 2 channels of Great River MP2NV...I really dig that 70's sound of iron in the signal path...

Anyhoo, I'm gonna work on writing this up and taking some pics...i'll post when it's all done.

Cheers!

cheers for the comparison.

that's some pretty nice gear you got there!

thanks again.

Mouse