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laptop setup - which rack to use



Thanks everyone (especially Paul via matrix mail) for their statements. I'd
like to specify more closely my open questions - mainly which rack to use!

I'll put my open questions at the bottom - please scroll down!

Ok, I'll be going for a setup which mounts in a rack
a) an industry pc
b) interface hardware
c) MMI hardware
d) perhaps some "outcomputer" gear.

a) will be a quite deep 2HU case (something like 450mm or slightly above).
I'm still searching for the best one...I definitely will need at least 
        * one external 5 1/4'' slot
        * two internal (or external) 3 1/2 slots
        * a sufficient amount of slots for extension cards (PCI and either
AGP or PCIe) - sufficient? one for the graphics,          at least two
others

b) this will be most probably 1HU. Currently, I'm looking at a combo of RME
Fireface400 (simply cause of its standalone mixer possibilities) and a RME
QuadMic (to have more than 2 mic ins). Any suggestions for alternatives to
the Fireface will be considered. I'd like to have:
        1. (at least) 4 micpres w/ phantom power
        2. (at least) one pair of digital stereo I/O (SPDIF or AES/EBU)
        3. (at least) one pair of ADAT I/O
        4. (at least) one pair of MIDI I/O
        5. if possible standalone mixer functionality

If I decide to leave out (5), this will be fulfilled by a combo of my
(existing) Multiface and a Quadmic or similar.

c) This consists of 
        1. keyboard and mouse (or rather trackball): there are cool
solutions in a 1HU drawer.
        2. my Behringer BCR2000. 
        3. a TFT screen.

Both of this is rather tricky. Perhaps (and that's just one idea):

use an angled (L-style) rack: in the top 3 HU from the bottom:
        1HU keyboard/mouse (1)
        2HU rack cradle which houses the BCR2000 and the flange for the TFT
stand
        somehow mount the TFT in the top lid when not playing (connected!)
and mount it on the stand when playing.
                or use a rack with a top lid on hinges which can be fixed 
in
an upright position and install the screen there
                even cooler! does this exist?

Do you think this will work? Or will it even work with a 1HU rack cradle?

d) I'm thinking about
        1. gear on the 2bus (Finalizer)
        2. gear for the mic in
        3. gear for the guitar in
        4. "outcomputer" effects
        5. room for further expandability

(1) is not that important, as I tend to produce a sound within the computer
which is already relatively "FOH-ready".

(2) here I could think about some analogue channel-strip-like thing, best
with a feedback destroyer. Any ideas on a solution which is small (like 
half
rack)?

(3) this doesn't need to land in the rack necessarily - a floorboard would
be much more practical here. So this is still a point of research. Still, 
if
I put something in my rack, this would most probably be the Boss VF-1 which
I have.

(4) there is the latency issue going out and back in again...still, I might
see a powerful 1HU send effect here (like my Eclipse).

(5) ok, it still won't hurt to just leave 1HU if I ever decide to grow...

In total, I would need: 0 HU for (1), 0, 1/2 or 1 HU for (2), 0 HU for (3),
perhaps 1 HU for (4) and 1 HU for (5) - totalling in 1, 2 or 3 HU.


SUMMARY: requirements for the rack

Ok, I need:
        for a): 2HU
        for b): 1HU
        for c): 3HU (perhaps this works in 2HU?)
        for d): 2HU (or perhaps 3HU?)

totalling in 8HU, which is still manageable, but not perfect...
So I need an 8HU L-style rack with enough space to put the screen in the 
top
lid - best would be a possibility to mount the lid in an upright angle to
the rack or tilt it upright when the thing is in use...does something like
this exist?


OPEN QUESTIONS:

        * which kind of rack (see summary)?
        * perhaps some channel strip w/ feedback destroyer for the vocal
channel (d2), 1/2 rack or full rack 1HU?
        * a nice case for the computer (a)?
        * something other than the RME stuff for fulfilling all of my
requirements from (b)?

        Rainer