xvincex Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 Let's say I have an Ampeg B2R head, am I obligated to put the head in the first 2 spaces of my rack or I can put it straight in the middle without any problem? Or is it too heavy? Thanks a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 Depending on where you are located, federal, national, or state laws may prohibit the mounting of an [Ampeg] head, and may even consider it a felony. That is to say, USE COMMON SENSE, RTM, yada yada yada. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xvincex Posted March 10, 2004 Author Share Posted March 10, 2004 I don't get it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edendude Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 There may actually be a cooling advantage gained from mounting it lower down in the rack. My Last Band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 I have a lighter weight power amp that I don't put on the bottom of my rack. At 11 pounds and single space, I think the rack ears can handle the load just fine. I also like to have the additional space below it for cooling purposes. When I was using heavier, 2 space power amps and heads, I would put them on the bottom for the extra support. That's what would do in your case. I also tend to mount stuff in my rack in "signal chain" order. Power amp is always last. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xvincex Posted March 10, 2004 Author Share Posted March 10, 2004 Hum yeah, B2R head is 15 pounds... I think I'm gonna put it at the bottom, but there is no danger of benting my rack or anything at 15 pounds anyways right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mound Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 if you really need to not put it at the bottom, put it in the middle, and then maybe get a small piece of wood, cut to the length between the bottom of the power amp and the top of the next piece, to maybe get some support.. if it's not bending the rails, don't worry about it.. I remember when I got my first head/rack case the guy at the store telling me "always put the power amp on the bottom" but it's really common sense.. put it where you like, if it's bending the rails, use something to support it, or move it to the bottom. :-) -Paul "You look hopefully for an idea and then you're humble when you find it and you wish your skills were better. To have even a half-baked touch of creativity is an honor." -- Ernie Stires, composer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 You should put it at the bottom. The frame of the amp may warp if it's in the middle of the rack with the back of the amp unsupported. Also, heat rises. If possible, leave a space above the amp. Do not put a digital processor directly over the amp. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xvincex Posted March 10, 2004 Author Share Posted March 10, 2004 Ok well the rails didnt bend when I racked it yesterday so I guess they're fine today (my rack is at the rehearsal studio) so I guess I,ll go place it at the bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 From my experience with the 2 racks I've owned and the broadcast engineering I've done (day gig), you want to put the heaviest thing in the rack as low as possible. There's a number of reasons why. First, you want to keep the center of balance as low as possible. Next, there's the issue of how much support the amp should get. Having it supported by the rails on the front and the base of the rack is the most effective way to do it. While I would advocate placing a 2 rack space amp in the middle of a 4 rack space rack for purposes of ventilation, the support issue is a tremendous consideration. Why? Almost all bass amps and a lot of the racks that are marketed to musicians don't have rails or rail mounts in the back of the racks. If you could support an amp from the rails in the front and back of an amp, then I think you can live with an amp that's not sitting at the bottom of a rack. But to have an amp basically dangling by it's front face alone with zero support from below is putting too much strain on the rack and the amp at the same time. Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted March 10, 2004 Share Posted March 10, 2004 I've built rear support when that is needed. There are a number of different ways to simply do this. Again, common sense. Sometimes racks get moved a lot and placed sometimes NOT on their bottoms. In that case (ahem!) it's good to have really rigid mounting for the deeper and heavier beasties. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fonz Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 i would agree with the thoery that if you must mount it in the middle then support it. if your rack takes a shot who knows what will happen to the brackets. aside from that, vents are almost always in back and on top. i doubt mounting it on the bottom would cause an overheating problem. Eeeeeehhhhhhhhh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted March 11, 2004 Share Posted March 11, 2004 The reason you should consider the back supports and mount a head with space above and below your amp is this: while the heat does rise from your the top of an amp, the ideal situation is to have a process called convection happening. The heat rising from the amp will cause a measure of airflow. The heat will rise away, and cause cooler air to be drawn into the amp from underneath. This is a more efficient way of ventilating your amp. As for having support in the rear of the amp, if the construction of the rack is solid, and the attachments to the amp chassis are solid, you shouldn't have to worry. You've then got 4 to 6 points of solid attachment at 4 corners of the unit, as opposed to only 4 or so on the front face of the amp. That's a lot more stable. The only drawback to prepping your amp for placement in a rack this way is this: you may need access to a machine shop or some serious tools to make the rear rails for your amp and possibly the rack. Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xvincex Posted March 11, 2004 Author Share Posted March 11, 2004 Yeah I placed it at the bottom, plus my head has a built-in fan so the cooling is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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