“Leave it to us!” - Rack Cases - Frequently Asked Questions【2025】

2021-02-25

A rack case is a must for storing and transporting rack-mountable equipment. This time we are going to answer all the questions we receive about rack cases from e-mail messages and phone messages in a Q&A format!

Q: How do I choose a rack case?
A: Before you go out to buy a rack case, check the size of the equipment you want to store. The standard width of the equipment is 19 inches (482.6 mm), so items that can be rack-mounted should be measured by height and depth. The unit "U (=44.45 mm)" is equivalent to the height. Divide the height of the equipment by this number and check what U it is. For the depth, just measure the depth of the product. Once you know the height and depth, choose a case that matches the size!

Q: The depth of the rack case (e.g. 360 mm in depth) is provided, but does the size include the lid on the case?
A: The description of the rack case depth is generally the size from the sash to sash without the lid. For example, the CLASSIC PRO 2U rack case (CPR2UA) is 460 mm in depth, but it's the depth that is shown in the picture below.

Also, if you look inside the case...↓

The drop between the sash and the rail is visible. This means the number you will get when you subtract the drops in the front and rear from the depth will be the depth from rail to rail inside the case. *The size of the drop varies depending on the product, but it's generally about 10 to 20 mm.

Q: How do you mount (affix) the equipment into the case?
A: Basically, screw the rail part on the left and right sides of the equipment into the rail part of the case to mount as shown below.

As a side note, the following rack mount screws are also available at Sound House.

MIDDLE ATLANTIC / HPS Rack Screw Inch Standard

Q: I want a case that is as light as possible!!
A: If you want to reduce the weight of the case itself, we recommend an ABS resin case. We especially recommend the CLASSIC PRO CPA series, which has an abundant lineup of sizes from 2U to 12U!

CLASSIC PRO / CPA02 2U Rack Case

Well, what did you think? If you have any other questions about choosing a rack case, please feel free to ask.

We at Sound House also have a rack/case selector (in Japanese only) on our website that is very helpful when looking for rack cases! Please come try it out for yourself!