Tips for buying a rack (audio/server style), Please

[ryanosaur]

I think this is self explanatory...

How should I plan on making certain I have enough Rack Space (tips for determining how many RU I should plan for)?

What about Depth?

Are most items rack mounted with ears really only supported by the front connection to the vertical rails?

Advice on planning ventilation?

Advice on planning equipment mounting on the Rails? (AVR at the Top or Bottom, for example... other external Amps and accessories like Players or Streamers?)

Thanks!

 

[ryanosaur]

Bump...


Perhaps @BMXTRIX or @highfigh ?

Trying to decide if I DIY or buy one... would really appreciate some assistance understanding better how to plan for it!

Thanks.

 

[highfigh]

Bump...


Perhaps @BMXTRIX or @highfigh ?

Trying to decide if I DIY or buy one... would really appreciate some assistance understanding better how to plan for it!

Thanks.

If you want it to look like furniture rather than a black metal equipment rack, you can buy rack rails from Parts Express- they also have lacing bars, rack shelves, blank panels, etc.

 

[ryanosaur]

If you want it to look like furniture rather than a black metal equipment rack, you can buy rack rails from Parts Express- they also have lacing bars, rack shelves, blank panels, etc.

Yes.

I think my main question now is more along the lines of how much space I need to plan for beyond Actual RUs required for the equipment I have/plan to rack.

 

[Verdinut]

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[lovinthehd]

Just what are the aesthetics, if any, involved?

 

[TLS Guy]

I think this is self explanatory...

How should I plan on making certain I have enough Rack Space (tips for determining how many RU I should plan for)?

What about Depth?

Are most items rack mounted with ears really only supported by the front connection to the vertical rails?

Advice on planning ventilation?

Advice on planning equipment mounting on the Rails? (AVR at the Top or Bottom, for example... other external Amps and accessories like Players or Streamers?)

Thanks!

My advice as usual is to go for quality. After taking professional advice I chose Middle Atlantic racks. A lot of racks are not actually very well made, or handy. I chose form this series of their racks.

These racks are strong and well made. They make powering easy and straightforward. They also make grounding easy, You can easily bond equipment to the racks.
Yes, rack mounted equipment is mounted from the front, with standard mounted spaced holes. Equipment is designed in multiples of that standard spacing.

The hole spacing for standard 19-inch racks on the mounting flange is spaced in groups of three holes. This three-hole group is defined as a Rack Unit (RU) or sometimes just call a “U”. 1U occupies 1.75 inches (44.45 mm) of vertical space.

You need to buy the black threaded rack screws to mount the equipment. These are made of strong high grade steel are very strong and have the standard rack thread.

You can put in shelves also. These can be bought or you can make your own. You can also mount equipment the faces front and back. For instance my ethernet hubs and the patch bay face backwards. If you are going to use a UPS, these are heavy. So you mount them at the bottom of a rack, and do use support under them.

These are my three Middle Atlantic racks

You can put other cabinetry between.

Powering is made easy.

One of the hubs and the patch bay facing the back of the rack.

For non pro and therefore non rack mounted equipment the spacing in not in Rs, so you need to make spacers. I used finished wood oak veneered.

You can see the non R units mounted on MDF shelves.

The standard spaced equipment can be mounted and the rack closed with pro R spaced spacers.

As always grounding is crucial.

That really covers the basics. If you have more questions, and you probably will, I will do my best to answer them. Using pro racks has enormous advantages and is the basics of building complex systems that are quite with excellent SNR. They are one of the foundations of superior systems.

 

[ryanosaur]

Just what are the aesthetics, if any, involved?

Function first. Form follows.

Mainly I want to get my gear off the front wall. It will still be in-room, but the Metro Shelves really need to go. (I have the solid shelves, not the wire shelves. But even those are not flat and accessing gear is not easy.

 

[ryanosaur]

My advice as usual is to go for quality. After taking professional advice I chose Middle Atlantic racks. A lot of racks are not actually very well made, or handy. I chose form this series of their racks.

These racks are strong and well made. They make powering easy and straightforward. They also make grounding easy, You can easily bond equipment to the racks.
Yes, rack mounted equipment is mounted from the front, with standard mounted spaced holes. Equipment is designed in multiples of that standard spacing.

The hole spacing for standard 19-inch racks on the mounting flange is spaced in groups of three holes. This three-hole group is defined as a Rack Unit (RU) or sometimes just call a “U”. 1U occupies 1.75 inches (44.45 mm) of vertical space.

You need to buy the black threaded rack screws to mount the equipment. These are made of strong high grade steel are very strong and have the standard rack thread.

You can put in shelves also. These can be bought or you can make your own. You can also mount equipment the faces front and back. For instance my ethernet hubs and the patch bay face backwards. If you are going to use a UPS, these are heavy. So you mount them at the bottom of a rack, and do use support under them.

These are my three Middle Atlantic racks

You can put other cabinetry between.

Powering is made easy.

One of the hubs and the patch bay facing the back of the rack.

For non pro and therefore non rack mounted equipment the spacing in not in Rs, so you need to make spacers. I used finished wood oak veneered.

You can see the non R units mounted on MDF shelves.

The standard spaced equipment can be mounted and the rack closed with pro R spaced spacers.

As always grounding is crucial.

That really covers the basics. If you have more questions, and you probably will, I will do my best to answer them. Using pro racks has enormous advantages and is the basics of building complex systems that are quite with excellent SNR. They are one of the foundations of superior systems.

Thank you, Mark.

Fortunately I do have some long past experience with some pro gear, so Rack Units and how the mounting works makes sense to me.

What about standard Depth (front to back) and arranging gear top to bottom?
I would expect most likely that you want the hottest item up top so you aren't heating all the gear up from below...

Is there a recommended amount of space between things, and how much additional space is recommended to have for future growth? As an example, If I needed 14RU should I double that for ~28RU?

Also, what about casters? I've seen Pull-Out racks for inside closets and such, but is it OK to have a freestanding rack on casters?

 

[lovinthehd]

Fwiw the little I've looked at this sort of thing I don't think I ever saw anything but generally a thumbs up for the Middle Atlantic stuff. If it were simply out of sight I'd probably just do my own. tho.

 

[ryanosaur]

Fwiw the little I've looked at this sort of thing I don't think I ever saw anything but generally a thumbs up for the Middle Atlantic stuff. If it were simply out of sight I'd probably just do my own. tho.

Ya. The finished Racks can get quite expensive. Since MDF is finally affordable, it becomes a possibility that I build a cabinet for that as I start re-firing my long stalled Subwoofer project. Last week it came down to just under $50 per sheet.

I need to dust off my Sketch-Up skills and find my Trimble login info.

But if I were gonna buy something Middle Atlantic is definitely the one I see mentioned most often.

 

[TLS Guy]

Thank you, Mark.

Fortunately I do have some long past experience with some pro gear, so Rack Units and how the mounting works makes sense to me.

What about standard Depth (front to back) and arranging gear top to bottom?
I would expect most likely that you want the hottest item up top so you aren't heating all the gear up from below...

Is there a recommended amount of space between things, and how much additional space is recommended to have for future growth? As an example, If I needed 14RU should I double that for ~28RU?

Also, what about casters? I've seen Pull-Out racks for inside closets and such, but is it OK to have a freestanding rack on casters?

Those racks will be long enough for any audio equipment I am aware of. All my rack mounted gear is low powered and does not make a lot of heat. If you are putting in power amps, yes, I think I would put them at the top and try and have a fan at the top, preferably ducted to the outside. For the lower powered gear just two or three inches of space between each unit will be fine. The racks are very open, and ventilation essentially takes care of itself.

If your system is not complete then you need to allow room for expansion. The other option is to add another rack.

Putting the rack on casters in your situation is a good idea, if you want to move it, and commonly done.

I do have a very quiet extractor fan vented to the outside. The amps are close together, but I check temps regularly and the amps and heat sinks stay well in the safe range. However, I'm using Quad current dumpers, because of Peter Walker's feed forward design. The 405-2 amps are biased class C for the output stage. The 909s biased well to class B. This is fine, as there is feed forward error correction from small class A amps. Pure genius! I suspect class D could now challenge the design. But outside of class D, I regard these amps as above all others in many aspects.

That is over 3 KW of audio power in a small space. I would not generally recommend that with other amps. Btt with these current dumpers I seem to get away with it.

I would not recommend building your own rack, or racks, out of wood. I did this at our lake home and NEVER again! For just one thing it made proper grounding a nightmare, and this new build is dead quiet. In fact it is quieter than I thought. If I had the larger LED can bulbs on there was a slight buzz, and I thought there was RF being picked up. Recently I had the lights on, when all the equipment was off, and I noted I could still hear a very faint buzz when the room was quiet. I then realized that it was the bulbs themselves making that faint buzz!.

This is the grounding nightmare I created making non metal racks.

That ended up a pretty quiet room, but not the absolute perfection of the installation here. So my strong advice is to use pro racks. I learned the error of my ways from that first AV room.

 

[highfigh]

Yes.

I think my main question now is more along the lines of how much space I need to plan for beyond Actual RUs required for the equipment I have/plan to rack.

If you use active cooling, you can use less space for the existing equipment, but I wouldn't assume that any future equipment will be larger than what's available or needed now. Slotted shelves are always a good idea, though.

As far as space that isn't vertical, most equipment racks are a couple of inches wider than the rails, for cabling- that space is something that can't be added and if the rack needs it but it's not there, things can become crowded, fast. If your rack will be open-back, you don't really need the extra width.

 

[TLS Guy]

If you use active cooling, you can use less space for the existing equipment, but I wouldn't assume that any future equipment will be larger than what's available or needed now. Slotted shelves are always a good idea, though.

As far as space that isn't vertical, most equipment racks are a couple of inches wider than the rails, for cabling- that space is something that can't be added and if the rack needs it but it's not there, things can become crowded, fast. If your rack will be open-back, you don't really need the extra width.

I strongly recommend an open back rack, or one with a door all the way up the back. For complex extensive systems, organizing a walk behind chase is the way to go. Being able to walk behind your equipment is a massive advantage.

 

[highfigh]

I strongly recommend an open back rack, or one with a door all the way up the back. For complex extensive systems, organizing a walk behind chase is the way to go. Being able to walk behind your equipment is a massive advantage.

There's no way to beat having access to the back- Middle Atlantic has rack accessories that allow the rack to slide out and these have a kick stand but they don't rotate far enough. Being right-handed, Murphy's Law dictates that the front can only rotate to the right, making it almost impossible to do anything. I do a lot of things with my left hand, mainly plugging/unplugging cables and loosening screws or bolts that are already loose but it's still not the same as being able to sit or stand directly behind.

 

[highfigh]

Ya. The finished Racks can get quite expensive. Since MDF is finally affordable, it becomes a possibility that I build a cabinet for that as I start re-firing my long stalled Subwoofer project. Last week it came down to just under $50 per sheet.

I need to dust off my Sketch-Up skills and find my Trimble login info.

But if I were gonna buy something Middle Atlantic is definitely the one I see mentioned most often.

I would use AC plywood, rather than MDF- it's lighter, easy to work with and can be painted with good results. When I was doing car audio, the MDF delivery paperwork showed the weight as 105lb/sheet.

If the rack is intended to look 'built-in' and has wooden trim around the edges, I strongly recommend installing swivel casters on the rack (at least on the front) and making the space wide enough to roll it out easily. That also means the cabling needs to be long enough to allot this.

The hinged part is similar to others that are available, some are narrow, some are wider, but they can all work. This link shows something that could be a model for the roll out rack, but it doesn't allow moving the rack to the sides.

https://www.legrandav.com/products/accessories/cable_management_accessories/axs_slide_out_cable_management_tray

The item in this photo is available all over and I usually see it with the Hellerman-Tyton brand, but just buy it based on price- it won't matter which brand you get. If it's cut at some convenient point and hinged, it allows good management and you won't need to house some small creature behind the rack, just so they can prevent the cables being pinched or rolled over.

You can buy a snap-in cover, too

 

[ryanosaur]

I had watched several videos and read some articles previously and am tuned in to the cable management issues and concerns.
I was reminded of one where the guy ran all his HV cabling across to the left side of the rack (from behind) and then all his LV Cabling across to the right. Of course, all his IEC plugs were on the right so he was crossing completely over all his gear with those. Another video I recall (perhaps from Audio Advice?) had their sample rack set up the opposite which made more sense to me, with all power cabling kept to the right side, then low voltage signal cables routed to the left.

All the messaging included warning of planning for proper routing in the rack which includes the required lateral run for all connections including interconnects, not just direct vertical runs.

@highfigh , your post above is spot on with the same warnings regarding making certain you have enough cabling to pull the rack out from the wall so you can get behind or turn the rack for proper access.

Other notes I had made and reviewed with my thread bump reminded me of the recommendation to put heaviest items down low, and consider keeping items you will access frequently like a disc tray on player/transport or console higher where it is easier to get to.

Several comments I was reminded of re: heat dissipation just recommended putting a space between items, especially Amps, to allow natural airflow to work its magic. Of course rack fans can be applied where necessary.

One last note that was shared recently on a different forum thread where Rack Ears for a specific product have stopped being made, one user recommended using Rack Shelf Supports rather than a true Rack Shelf for items. He linked to a product that mounted front-back on each side of the rack only, but did not cross laterally. The L shaped support he claims supported several of his devices (not on the same supports) while minimizing some issue of RU height and improving airflow over even a vented shelf.

Lastly, for now... I had not appreciated the difference between Audio Rails and Server Rails. Are Server Rails with the required Nuts something to be avoided for any Audio installation?

 

[highfigh]

I had watched several videos and read some articles previously and am tuned in to the cable management issues and concerns.
I was reminded of one where the guy ran all his HV cabling across to the left side of the rack (from behind) and then all his LV Cabling across to the right. Of course, all his IEC plugs were on the right so he was crossing completely over all his gear with those. Another video I recall (perhaps from Audio Advice?) had their sample rack set up the opposite which made more sense to me, with all power cabling kept to the right side, then low voltage signal cables routed to the left.

All the messaging included warning of planning for proper routing in the rack which includes the required lateral run for all connections including interconnects, not just direct vertical runs.

@highfigh , your post above is spot on with the same warnings regarding making certain you have enough cabling to pull the rack out from the wall so you can get behind or turn the rack for proper access.

Other notes I had made and reviewed with my thread bump reminded me of the recommendation to put heaviest items down low, and consider keeping items you will access frequently like a disc tray on player/transport or console higher where it is easier to get to.

Several comments I was reminded of re: heat dissipation just recommended putting a space between items, especially Amps, to allow natural airflow to work its magic. Of course rack fans can be applied where necessary.

One last note that was shared recently on a different forum thread where Rack Ears for a specific product have stopped being made, one user recommended using Rack Shelf Supports rather than a true Rack Shelf for items. He linked to a product that mounted front-back on each side of the rack only, but did not cross laterally. The L shaped support he claims supported several of his devices (not on the same supports) while minimizing some issue of RU height and improving airflow over even a vented shelf.

Lastly, for now... I had not appreciated the difference between Audio Rails and Server Rails. Are Server Rails with the required Nuts something to be avoided for any Audio installation?

I'm going to answer some of these questions in reverse because I HATE TRYING TO INSTALL AND TIGHTEN NUTS IN RACKS WHEN THEY'RE IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also, I have big hands, so this is a deal-breaker if someone calls and I need to reconfigure their rack and I can't remove/install the screws from the front. Rack rails are threaded- let's make this easy. However, some IT racks are deeper than AV racks, which vary.

WRT rack ears, do a search for 'universal rack ears' and you'll find plenty.

When designing a rack for a vertically-oriented system, stack your components and look at where the power cables are located- low power stuff can be placed away from sensitive AV cables, or they can be attached to a place on lacing bars where they cross at a right angle to the others- just don't run power parallel to AV cables.

This photo shows lacing bars- if you design the rack, make it deeper than the largest component and add a second pair of rack rails behind- not only would this allow you to install these lacing bars, you could also buy/make a short shelf (with rack ears) for small items that don't need to be seen, like network switches, AppleTV/Roku etc, a power strip for wall warts, remote control hub or whatever. You can buy straight bars or offset- the added depth and offset bars would make separating power & signal very easy, as well as offering some protection for the cable bundles when pushing the rack into its space.

 

[ryanosaur]

@TLS Guy
Follow up:

It seems if grounding were as important then even the more common MA Racks which are Particle Board panels and a pair of Rack Rails would have this feature and it does not seem that they do.

That said...
Building a DIY Rack with MDF or Ply and including in this design a means of correctly grounding it would be sufficient, yes?
Therefore, including a base frame which is properly bonded to the Rails should be sufficient to accomplish this.

Not being a trained electrician, myself, is there something more in this which I am missing?

Thanks!

 

[TLS Guy]

@TLS Guy
Follow up:

It seems if grounding were as important then even the more common MA Racks which are Particle Board panels and a pair of Rack Rails would have this feature and it does not seem that they do.

That said...
Building a DIY Rack with MDF or Ply and including in this design a means of correctly grounding it would be sufficient, yes?
Therefore, including a base frame which is properly bonded to the Rails should be sufficient to accomplish this.

Not being a trained electrician, myself, is there something more in this which I am missing?

Thanks!

It all comes down to resistance. You need the lowest possible resistance from one unit to the next, all the way back to the panel. The lower the resistance between grounds, the quieter the system will be. So a metal rack that the units bond to makes for ultra low resistance. So a metal rack has a significant advantage to achieving a really good SNR throughout the system. All I can tell you is that my metal racks perform audibly better then the wooden racks I had before. So yes, metal racks are superior.