anyone interested in rackmount?

alpoman · 10-05-2006, 07:17 PM

Hello, I have been developing a rackmount pc for about 3 years to run DAWS for live recordings and playing vsts live. It's a 1u 14" deep pc with a 1u 15" sliding tray lcd. I was wondering if anyone here would be interested in such a product? how much would ya pay? 2 gig ram, 500 gig hd, athlon 64bit cpu, dvd burner. There is currently nothing on the market this small/powerful/cool and stable. I obviously would want this baby using REAPER

here's a pic :

Andy

kenn · 10-06-2006, 12:22 PM

Wow, that's sweet.

I would personally be leary of a 1-U PC on the road because of potential fragility... but maybe you've got this licked.

I've seen a number of "server" PCs available in the 1-U format, but I don't know how roadworthy they'd be, either.

alpoman · 10-06-2006, 03:10 PM

thanks,
there are a lot of problems with 1u - heat, loud fans, and size ( most 1u servers are no less than 23 inches deep which doesnt fit in a sbk style case which is only 18 inches deep)
I've beat the heat issue using passive cooling, which runs silent. Also, a silent external laptop-style power supply cuts heat and noise. As for fragility, it's been on the road with my band Ashes to Ashes for 2 years now with no problems, but a shock-mount rack case would give extra protection. I have been testing this with a number of audio hardware and software including sonar, cubase, protools, REAPER (my new fav), and traktion. I use Motu (as does Justin

firewire asio all the way with super low latency for live performance. My band uses this for front of house pa/ monitors/ amp and bass sims / vocals/ the whole enchelida with 2.9 ms latency. No amps on the stage - really cool. I can record the 18 tracks live while performing - been doing this for 2 years now with amazing results.

andy

kenn · 10-07-2006, 10:02 AM

... (again) wow.

If you were producing this in modest quantities (say 100 units a year) what would you need to charge? (priced with and without the monitor).

Computer hardware's a tough market, as you know, but maybe you've found an unserviced niche (roadworthy rackmount).

alpoman · 10-07-2006, 01:37 PM

yes, thank you for your comments - I'm thinking 100 a year would be a good start for a niche market that I find myself a part of. I think a lot of keyboardists would like to have a rack pc with more power and stability than a laptop for live performances, but also guitarists who want to take their studio sound with them live - like I do. I believe this market will get bigger eventually - people are shy with using pc's live - but my systems are very stable - and I do have a dual pc configuration with a simple a/b firewire switch to switch pc's for backup. I was thinking the pc would be $1600, and the monitor another $400 for a 15" lcd in a a sliding rack tray. I want to keep the price cheaper than an expensive laptop to be competive - although the performance of this machine blows any laptop away - especially for live stuff where drop-outs/glitches are unacceptable. It has a pci slot also, which allows for more types of audio hardware - but it also has onboard firewire and usb 2.0 - so it's flexible.
system would use 2 gig ram, 500 gig sata2 seagate drive, 2.2 ghz athlon 64 bit cpu, 16 dvd burner, and external power supply.

Andy

dln · 10-07-2006, 10:31 PM

Sounds like a killer idea.

One thing that would be fairly unique and incredibly useful if you can pull it off, would be to offer really-fast replacement units in case one breaks (on tour).

Something like an "if it breaks, call and we'll get you a replacement one within NNN hours/days." policy.

It might not be feasible as a small few-person biz though, but it would set you apart. I think the best way to compete is through quality and service, with emphasis on service really - especially for folks who take your gear on the road.

Awesome concept, and best of luck if you decide to go ahead with it!

Till · 10-08-2006, 06:31 AM

definately a really good idea! i've actually come up with this idea, too - not to sell it of course, just to build me one of those, but i could never find any fitting cases.

as i don't have a studio to record in I always gotta go somewhere to record (my band, other bands), which would make this ideal for me. Especially the slide out display is a sweet idea, cuz you always gotta bring those, too.

The Rackmount is very handy, too cuz not only does it protect and mobilize your pc but you can slide your audio interface, headphone amp and mic preamps right in there and there you have an entire recording studio in just one rack - perfect!

maybe i'd build a 2u pc so u can maybe pop in another pci card.

jenna · 02-07-2007, 12:34 AM

2U systems and higher are perfect for audio and home entertanment setups. If you're new to rackmount, this guide can be useful: http://www.pickyguide.com/computers_...ers_guide.html

EnzymeX · 03-28-2007, 12:30 AM

I know this is an old thread but I've actually been looking for something like this for years. The closest thing I found was a 2 space rack PC with a 14" depth, but the company never quite hit the sweet spot for performance. Your spec looks good, and the PCI slot is a real plus for the non-firewire crowd.

The external PS for heat dissipation is innovative.

jamester · 03-28-2007, 01:40 AM

Well, now I've just stumbled upon it...and I will say right here and now that I would buy something like this *no question* if it was Core2Duo and under $2K.

As was said, something like this can blow a laptop away, and what the hell everything else is in my rack already...

philipc · 05-23-2007, 04:20 AM

very interesting! I wonder if this ever got off the ground. Definitely a top idea though. I've been liking the idea of something like this coupled with something like a Gator Studio4Go rack
http://www.sweetwater.com/images/ite...4GoW-large.jpg

Thats about as portable as it gets!

bullshark · 05-23-2007, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpoman

Hello, I have been developing a rackmount pc for about 3 years to run DAWS for live recordings and playing vsts live. It's a 1u 14" deep pc with a 1u 15" sliding tray lcd. I was wondering if anyone here would be interested in such a product? how much would ya pay? 2 gig ram, 500 gig hd, athlon 64bit cpu, dvd burner. There is currently nothing on the market this small/powerful/cool and stable. I obviously would want this baby using REAPER

Andy

I'm looking into somehing like that. I thought about using a 2U housing with PCI extension, never thought it could be done with a 1U case, interesting. Guess you have to use a MOBO who's got everything on, like GPU, firewire and the like, and use a Firewire audio solution?