The
band I play with is on the road again come December, probably for the best part of 18 months. We're looking at 2-4 flights per week, every week and some very large crowds. I'm taking the FM9 out for this one so I had a case built for it by Chris Hine at
C&C Cases here in Melbourne. Chris builds all of my touring cases. I thought you might like to see it.
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It's heavy duty but still weighs in, loaded, at 16.5kg. That will keep the airport check-in happy.
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When you open the case you're presented with a removable tray on which Fractal hardware is mounted. Simple. There's room enough for a couple of cables - power, audio, etc.
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The tray is simply removed with the side handles and placed on the stage. The FM9 and EV-1 are secured with dual locked risers and bolted on respectively. You would need a good right arm and a tyre jack to dislodge them.
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Risers and Dual Lock beneath the FM9. The EV-1 is bolted on. I was originally going for the EV-2 (size). In fact, this tray previously housed my FM3 - FC-6 - EV-2 setup. But we decided not to waste anything and the FM9/EV-1 fit like a glove. A pancaked right-angle TRS will be installed to connect the EV-1 to the FM9.
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Rear and side.
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Front and side.
The philosophy behind the design was simple: It must be tough enough to withstand countless knocks and throws by truck and airport loaders and quick enough to facilitate short changeover times on stage. I think we've nailed it but I'll be able to report back honestly in a few months. Cost? About AUD$500. Worth every cent considering the conditions it will be subject to.