ewi shock mount rack cases

+1 on 1wheel's explanations. He knows his stuff (better than I do :) ).

If the foam were continuous from front to back, any blunt impact to the case is going to be tranferred to the equipment inside, which is exactly what you don't want. A full sheet of foam would have very little "give."

And blunt impact—the rack being dropped or bumped into by a wall or something else—is the biggest threat to your equipment. We've all seen some pretty banged-up rack cases, but you almost never see a punctured case. Anyway, if a sharp object can pierce the plywood skin of a rack case, a couple of inches of foam isn't going to stop it.
 
I don't know anything about case design, but I will say that when my friend rolled his trailer last year, everything in ewi cases (almost everything) survived. They lost a couple subs that were not in cases, lost most of the lights, and totally destroyed the trailer.

Regardless of how you think it should be designed, when you're dragging cases out of a snow bank that were tossed from a trailer rolling at 60mph, you'll be glad they are designed the way they are.
 
mgavin said:
so it sounds like my case is built correctly, which is surprising because it's made in china. can i expect every shock mount rack to have the same design as the ewi cases then? are they all built like this is essentially what i'm asking? are the really expensive shock mount cases built just like these then? i don't know the brands but if anyone else could chime in that would be cool....
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Let me jump in if that's okay...

In the interest of full disclosure, I am the Product Manager for the Music Division of SKB Cases. Our Shock all use elastomer shocks on all corners and there are very good reasons for this:

1. using foam all the way around will not allow for proper airflow through the case which will in turn cause unnecessary heat inside the case.

2. heat inside the case is not only bad for the gear, but also bad for the foam. heat causes the foam to break down. so, when the foam breaks down the gear is then at risk.

3. the load capacity of the foam is finite. in our cases, an additional shock can be added to each corner so that the load capacity can be doubled, if necessary for much heavier loads.

4. I can't speak for other manufacturers, but all of our hard cases are guaranteed for life. we couldn't do that if our cases were not built to last.

btw - next time you see a picture of Dweezil's Fractal gear, you will see that he tours with it in our shock racks.

I hope this helps...

Steph
 
All,
The shock case debate is perhaps getting too judgemental and I may have put too much detail in the mix. I have NO affiliation with any rack/case manufacturer, only extensive experience in these matters.

Your options are really to look at the cases that are offered, consider cost/weight/percevied performance/appearance/ease-of-use and any other factors that may be important to you and your application.

There is NO perfect answer (short of a custom designed enclosure specific to your TOTAL enclosed equipment mass, center of gravity, shock/vibration limitations and type of use), make your decision and see how the case works for you.

Steph's comments on the foam are accurate, foam is NOT used in military systems (but a hammer is $600... :) and they move them in C-17's). The options we have for commercial and cost effective rack cases (regular and shock-isolating) are a blessing. Typical 4U shock rack case is ~ 50lbs and ~$2000 each... The commercial ones are great (with a wide range of selections).

Pete out...
 
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yeah i'm really happy w/ my ewi case, i provided the link in an earlier post. mark and liz have the best customer service and the case is pretty damn heavy duty. i was just curious, and i will be buying from them again in the future.

i was gonna get a carvin case originally 'cause their guitars are top notch. but it was more expensive and it wasn't even a shock rack. the ewi cases are cheap and in my opinion the best looking cases as well. they are heavy duty though so it is pretty heavy, and i have a 3U. so my rack total w/ the axe fx ii, the case, and a furman pl plus = just under 60 lbs. it's heavy but durable and i'm happy
 
mgavin said:
yeah i'm really happy w/ my ewi case, i provided the link in an earlier post. mark and liz have the best customer service and the case is pretty damn heavy duty. i was just curious, and i will be buying from them again in the future.

i was gonna get a carvin case originally 'cause their guitars are top notch. but it was more expensive and it wasn't even a shock rack. the ewi cases are cheap and in my opinion the best looking cases as well. they are heavy duty though so it is pretty heavy, and i have a 3U. so my rack total w/ the axe fx ii, the case, and a furman pl plus = just under 60 lbs. it's heavy but durable and i'm happy
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Agreed... as someone who is also a small, independent SR provider (when not gigging and working my real full-time job). I have nothing but PRAISE for Mark and Liz - both their products and customer service. Over the last few years I have bought from them quite a lot.. most of my cabling is from audiopile/EWI, as are my cases. When a company calls you up to confirm instructions (or item color) on a web order, you know they will be around for a while. I highly recommend them.
 
My favorite shock cases is the Mesa Sus4. Great cases with independent isolators which give you plenty of air movement and the cover design is smart and practical
 
Not quite on topic but if you can get access to the stuff, I had my cases made out of ultra light weight aluminum honeycomb panel, from a company called Ayres Composite Panels. They use the stuff in aircraft and luxury boats. You can simply use the stuff instead of plywood using the same methods of construction. I happened to acquire a few panels free :)

Cheers S ( o )===:::
 
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