Hello all,

I was wondering how big of a factor the 19² rack (for Neve modules) is. I
mean, you can get them from a bunch of companies, like Neve themselves (do
they actually manufacture at their own factory), boutique audio, mercenary,
VKA etc... But, has anyone compared their build quality? Or their PSU¹s?
Will an 8-channel rack from brand A start sagging after a few months, or
would you prefer brand B for their better power supply?

Any input?

Thank You,

D. Campbell

Original (neve,calrec,...) racks, boutique audio racks, VK racks...your opinion?
Hi DC
Do you mean 19" Nest Units or Housings, with backplane (motherboard) complete with positioned connectors and various pcb busses and wiring pins? If you can get hold of the proprietary backplane, you can get a rack-mounting kits with a blank rear panel, usually all made from aluminium, independently, provided it does not need special horizontal anchoring profiles. Has the power supply module got to be there, alongside or can it go outboard?
Height, depth, pitch of modules and total width are very important, and I think some outfits like Neve and Calrec used special extrusions perforated at 5mm pitch customised for them. Usable width including thicknesses of side pieces should not exceed 17.3". Depth into the rack is rarely more than 14".

The *rack* is the name for the mainframe or linebay that has stamped-out perforations back and front, These cabinets are available in multiples of U (1.75"), up to 45U, to hold one or various quantities of 19" rack-mounted bits via caged nuts. Shorter ones with 2 sides, + top and bottom panels are also around.