Packaway studio advise

Nav · Post by **Nav** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 4:53 pm

Hey All

Happy new year!

I need to be able to easily pack away and get out my studio on a daily basis cos of my kids ability to ruin anything nice

I've been workign with just my macbook and headphones but I really would like to utilise a small set of monitors a firewire interface and my oxygen keyboard and maybe a triggerfinger.

How do people transport and pack there stuff like this, I guess a small case for the macbook backed into another case or does anyone have any better ideas?

I'm sure I'm not alone with this?

kennerb · Post by **kennerb** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:42 pm

It's always been backpacks and suitcases for me. Right now I am designing a rack case for my Traveler and MBpro. It is basically a case that in design looks like a mix between a typewriter case and a turntable one. It has a flat bottom with a 2 rack space mounted on the bottom and a flat rail with clamps to hold the laptop. The whole thing has a cover that clamps down over the top for carrying. It can fit on top of a turntable lid pretty easily and can hold phones and some cables. I still need to figure a way to tote my remote though.

D K · Post by **D K** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 5:46 pm

i'd invest in a nice lock for the door of your work room until the kid has learned
a bit more....keep anything you don't want ruined in there.

Nav · Post by **Nav** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 7:59 am

hehe nice advise D K my workroom is kind of anywhere I find free. I do have an office away from the house but I'm trying to keep that work only as its non productive if i see all my paperwork whilst im writing. So it would be nice to have something I can whip out on the dining room table as it were

I'm thinking of maybe an m-audio studio pack for the laptop and oxygen and then im guessing a second pack for the monitors phones cables and interface.

Maybe I should get a keyboard/interface in one, dunno lots of options really I guess its quite personal.

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:01 am

how bout you get all the nicest gear you could possibly get and then just tell them you'll choke them to death if they touch it?

Nav · Post by **Nav** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:13 am

jbuonacc · Post by **jbuonacc** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:13 am

that doesn't always work, dude. sometimes they think getting choked is a game.

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:19 am

jbuonacc wrote:that doesn't always work, dude. sometimes they think getting choked is a game.

oh yeah, i forgot that kids reach an age wear they take steps over the line just to see if they can.

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:26 am

ok for a serious answer:

mixer :http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=631262

then get yourself some sort of dj coffin case that you can lock up. keep that little mixer in there along side a bcr2000 (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=701762) and your headphones.

you could also get some small monitors (http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=602312) of which would be very easy to unhook very quickly and throw them up somewhere up high where kids can't get to like a closet or in the garage.

so all your cables are locked up in the coffin so the kids don't walk off with them or spill stuff on your laptop or your optical mouse or whatever and your speakers are small enough to move to safer locations.

in fact for like 20 bucks you could build a wooden box with a lock so you could lock up your monitors too.

Nav · Post by **Nav** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 9:39 am

Cool - a coffin seems a good way to go, do you think the little mixer form my macbooks audio out is a good choice over getting say a firewire 400 audi interface or somethign for now? will certainly do to keep the costs down

Cheers

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 10:49 am

audio out on your mac will work fine, but if you want a midi in or to record audio in I'd say get an audio card, or if you plan on playing a show i wouldn't trust a tiny built in jack cause they can be wonky if you move the cable, but for at home use it's fine just go to radioshack and get the connection you need

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Sat Jan 06, 2007 10:50 am

although... you may get a little hiss on your speakers if you turn it up loud, to get rid of that you would want a audio device running into a mixer that has xlr's to the monitors.

Nav · Post by **Nav** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 11:35 am

cool thanks for the tips

Atomikat · Post by **Atomikat** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 7:35 pm

Nav...get a babysitter for your kids...or better, get them one of those toy laptops in funny colors (check toys are Us)...and this way they're gonna think they have their own studio and won't touch yours.

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Sun Jan 07, 2007 8:55 pm

Johnisfaster wrote:how bout you get all the nicest gear you could possibly get and then just tell them you'll choke them to death if they touch it?

Please remind me - you don't have kids, do you?!?