OT.... somewhat... Cases for mixers

[BluesKeys]

I see the cases on ebay by ATA for $99.00 are they any good? Or does someone know of a reasonbly priced case for a Yamaha MG32/FX mixer console?

 

I have found them at Sweetwater for $300+ and really wanted to keep it to $200 or less.

 

The dimensions are 40 3/4" x 21 1/2" x 5 1/4"

 

thanks

[BillWelcome Home Studios]

You might try Get Off Of My Case, a local Pittsburgh company that makes a lot of touring cases. They've also got a bunch of cool guitar stands/cases... one that folds up into the size of a large briefcase.

 

As to the cheaper cases on ebay... I bought an 18 space rack case from one of those companies. It is alright. I cannot gripe for the price I paid, and it suits my in-house needs. Fit and finish could be better, but it isn't stupidly out of whack or anything. Some of the hardware is low budget... well, so was the case, and the buyer.

 

A lot of times, things that we move in cars and vans only need a little protection, and if that is your situation you might find it advantageous to buy a bag with protective panels rather than an actual hard case, or a light-weight fiber case, rather than an aluminum and plywood case. I have a handy 4 space rack bag that has just enough padding (with a hard panel and a little foam sewn into it in stategic places...) to protect the contents, plus it has a shoulder strap. (fewer trips!)

[eric]

Jim,

 

One cost-effective idea would be going to a vintage shop or flea market and getting an old-school hard suitcase and then setting up some foam inside to hold your mixer. I have a couple of these that I've used to carry odd-sized things when I did not feel like spending hundreds on a custom case.

 

I have smaller mixers (Mackie and MOTU) that I typically carry in a spare Anvil briefcase. I also have a trifecta of vintage "makeup kits" (the ones that came with a mirror and tray for holding small things) and I use these for carrying items like my MIDI Drawbars, mixers, Leslie preamp pedals, cables, etc. They get the job done well and are conversations pieces.

 

Regards,

Eric

[MoodyBluesKeys]

I have several of the EBay cases = the ones with recessed hardware seem a bit better. Mine are not rack cases, but keyboard cases (for each Kurzweil). They are not heavy enough for roadies / airline / shipping companies, but are quite adequate for my needs; I transport my own equipment.

If you go directly to their website (www.casekits.com) the company offers various levels of quality (and price).

 

[Dave Horne]

Trying to be green - I'd be willing to bet a local music store can make something for you at the same price (or less).

 

I had a flight case made for me (locally) for my CP300, a custom fit.

[BluesKeys]

Bill, I will check out GET OFF my case and see where they are priced.

 

Eric, I actually do the thrift store suitcase for a small mixer and organ module. This board is quite large and I doubt I could find a suitcase to fit it.

 

Moody(Jim)I looked into their website and saw different levels of construction. I will be handling the board but it will be put into a band trailer, so it has to have some protection.

 

 

[wineandkeyz]

Jimmy,

This guy is in Durham and has a barn full of road cases:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/msg/1376078989.html

 

They're surplus cases from when Nortel went under, and they're definitely heavy duty. He charges $25 for a "small" case (I bought a case large enough to fit my Traynor K4, and he called it "small"!) and $50 for a large one.

 

If you give him the dimensions you need, he'll see what he has. Or you can do like I did and haul your stuff there and do a walk-through. I found one, for example, that fit my Yamaha EMX-5000 powered mixer almost perfectly.

[Maze Sound]

Another one to check out is www.HybridCases.com Reasonably priced and decent for the money. They have different cases depending on their use. They make cases that are designed for specific models as well as custom cases. If the mixer is rack mountable, you might want to consider a "pop-up" case. They sell one for about $100 that works well. Give them a call at 1-800-645-1707 and ask them to send you a catalog, even if just for ideas on what you need. There is a million companies making cases today. You can get a new one for what an old anvil case cost used today. Watch the cost of shipping, its not cheap these days.