Now that you’ve purchased all of that fancy audio equipment, it’s time to figure out what to do with it. Right now it’s just laying on the floor or coffee table with cords and cables everywhere! Wouldn’t it be nice to clean up that mess and protect your equipment investment at the same time? There a lot of different kinds of racks available so here are some things to consider while picking out your new rack.
First thing to think about is the type of rack that would work best for you. If you are going to store your audio video equipment in your living room, you will probably want to purchase a furniture type rack. These racks can vary from a small box with a glass door to a large entertainment center that not only holds your audio equipment but your TV and speakers as well. Often times these entertainment centers have audio equipment racks built into them that will store all of your amps, DVD players, cable boxes, etc. Many newer homes have closets that store the equipment away from the living areas. This type of application would lend itself well to a rack type system. Rack systems can be fixed, mounted to a wall, or portable to allow you to roll the rack out of the closet to gain access to the back of the components for easy wiring. Some racks mount to the wall, but then pull out and swivel so you can see all of the connections.
If your rack is more for the commercial environment, you will need something very sturdy and lockable to keep people from borrowing your gear or playing with all of the knobs thus messing up all of your settings. These commercial racks are capable of not only housing your audio gear but your video conferencing and overhead projection requirements as well. There are even some commercial racks that double as podiums.
No matter what kind of audio rack you buy, there are a few things that you should keep in mind. First off all, a good audio equipment rack should provide a sturdy and stable platform for your gear. The rack should have provisions for adequate ventilation as today’s modern electronic gear produces a lot of heat. Your rack should have ventilation holes and places to add optional fans when needed. Excessive heat is the number one cause of failure for electronic gear. Your rack should also make allowances for cable management. Nothing is more frustrating and more unappealing that dealing with a rat’s nest of wires. A rack with good cable management will account for cables running between components within the rack as well as the multitude of external connections for speakers, etc., that run out of the rack. Finally, a good rack system will give you convenient access to the back of the components for easy connections.
A rack system is an integral component of any home or commercial audio video system. The rack system will organize your components and wiring while providing your equipment with a safe and secure home. By paying close attention to the cabling, ventilation and access requirements, you can pick out the rack that is best for your situation.
Tags: audio video equipment, cable boxes, furniture type