The Control Room

Fitting out the control room is an important part of the construction process. The correct ergonomic layout of equipment and machines can make the room a pleasant place to work. The position of the console is set because of the position of the speakers but how the effects units recorders etc. are arranged is a variable. It is important that effects units can be accessed from the rear so that cables etc. can be accessed. I have found that the area above the meter bridge on most consoles is a good place to have at least one rack unit space for effects:

This system is great for the commonly used effects that you need to see operating such as compressors, gates, reverbs etc. It also tends to bring the nearfield monitors up to ear height with consoles like the Mackie 8 buss, Tascam 3500, Yamaha O2R etc. The cable duct at the rear also cleans up all those stray leads that normally hang around the rear of the console. The leads can be bought up into the duct through one port at the end through a simple timber duct. The back plate can be hinged so access to the rear of the console is available. Most effects units will fit into this system and these days they seem to be getting smaller and smaller. Your normal Mackie 8 Buss will allow 6 - 8 single rack space effects units to be mounted this way.

Further effects units can be mounted either in side wings or in a full effects rack behind you.

THE REAR EFFECTS UNIT

EFFECT RACK WINGS

The effects wing rack construction is the same as for the rear effect unit. With this system the cables can all run within the racks and access to the rear of the equipment can be gained through removable panels at the rear. These wings are also good for computers or keyboards or any additional effects added for the session. Visually they can be glanced at quickly which is more friendly than the rear units.

It is a good idea to put air grills in the back plate to allow air circulation to keep the units cool. (Never underestimate the heat generated by effects units. 10 x 50 watt units equals a 500 watt heater!!) For large powered units, especially valve units it is advisable to space the units in the rack to allow for total air circulation. Single rack spacers with grills can be purchased for this from your local equipment supplier.
Down lights mounted above the effects racks are a simple but effective addition - why do the manufacturers make their units black?? Power outlets can also be built into the rear of the unit which should be installed as per the directions on star earthing. The cable duct in the flooring can be bought up within the unit so cables are hidden.
The rear effects unit system is good because it provides a work bench for keyboards or additional equipment. It is therefore advisable to have some tie-lines to the console patchbay so that the keyboards/effects can be accessed at the console. Some people mount these on the rear of the unit while others prefer to have plugs mounted in a single rack unit strip on the front with the other effects.

The height of these units is a matter of comfort but I find that 720mm (2 '41/2") is a good starting point as it's not too low for the tall and not too high for the short.

The mounting of effects units is a matter of budget. You can screw them into timber if you don't intend shifting them around or proprietary rack mounting strips can be purchased. There are two different types of rack mounting strips. One system has square cut-outs that a nut clips into and then you screw into it. The other type has holes with a screw thread welded into it. I prefer the latter.

The square hole system is designed to give latitude for the sizes but these days the manufacturers build rack units to a set standard and I always seem to loose those little sprung square nut fittings!