For me it’s really all about working out a solid sequence for setting up and tearing down very quickly. I do this with the acoustic kit as well my electric rig. Casters are cool but more often than not there isn’t a good clear path leading off stage. Once you’ve cleared at least the mic cabling you could potentially move the rack with the assistance of someone else, or get some more weight off of it and do it yourself.
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Rack owners stage question
- Thread starter RockrGrl
- Start date
if there's more than one band and we all use the same kit, I deal with what's there the best I can. Everyone else on the gig is. We play the instrument, it doesn't play us. Most of the hit records of the past 80 or so years were recorded with a kick, snare, high hats, a cymbal or 2 and maybe a tom or 2.
R
R
Even with my disability, and especially because we have a lot of cymbals and 3 rack toms plus floor and two snares, I use the flat bed of one of the trucks I have at my disposal (my son or son in law) and the rack is never teared down. Just Toms and cymbals to put back so, super quick. As I have to do that with my rack for keys anyway (all cables attached to the rack, color coded and labelled etc...), we must have a flat bed otherwise it's too long. And we never play the one hour/6 bands gig anymore because with 3 singers, 4 instruments, lots of keys, all IEM and mixer, we move our stuff when we play at least more than the time to set up and tear down. So, set up, 3 hours, tear down one hour, so, playing is 4 hours/55 songs in 3 sets plus an encore of 5/6 songs.
So, either for arms for toms and cymbals or for second and third top tiers for keys, we move the all stuff without folding anything down.
TonyVazquez
Very well Known Member
I'm a newbie to the Racker game,
And... I'm in the process of designing
my own rack, using Gibraltar parts and tubes. Read on...
My band is a 3-piece, I'm the youngest
member (56yo) and our bassist she's 60yo and the eldest member.
Our singer/guitarist is roughly a year
older than I.
We load ALL our gear into the back of
our bassist's Subaru mini-SUV.
I carry her bass amp, and my drums
on a handtruck in/out of the venues.
I don't wanna trouble my bandmates
to help me lift any of my drum gear...
I'm currently switching to a roto-tom
drum kit and using my 16" kick drum
as the only acoustic shell in my kit.
My rotos are 10", 14", and 16" rotos...
My drum rack is modified from a
Gibraltar electronic drum rack.
I'm switching its hard plastic clamps
to metal clamps for the tubes,
cymbals, and my roto-toms.
My front rack tube is no lengthier
than my arm span... this is so that
I can lift my rack (open) with
cymbal arms mounted, as a single unit
onto/off the stage without help
from anyone (unless I'm in a hurry).
I will report back with pics of my
rack setup.
The idea of using casters will work
IF the caster will Lock during play,
and if the caster wheels are 2"
or 3" diameter but no bigger than 4"
(unless you're going Monster Truck mode).
..."Monster Truck mode" if you plan
on crushing the band gear on stage
as a visual stunt finale. LOL
And... I'm in the process of designing
my own rack, using Gibraltar parts and tubes. Read on...
My band is a 3-piece, I'm the youngest
member (56yo) and our bassist she's 60yo and the eldest member.
Our singer/guitarist is roughly a year
older than I.
We load ALL our gear into the back of
our bassist's Subaru mini-SUV.
I carry her bass amp, and my drums
on a handtruck in/out of the venues.
I don't wanna trouble my bandmates
to help me lift any of my drum gear...
I'm currently switching to a roto-tom
drum kit and using my 16" kick drum
as the only acoustic shell in my kit.
My rotos are 10", 14", and 16" rotos...
My drum rack is modified from a
Gibraltar electronic drum rack.
I'm switching its hard plastic clamps
to metal clamps for the tubes,
cymbals, and my roto-toms.
My front rack tube is no lengthier
than my arm span... this is so that
I can lift my rack (open) with
cymbal arms mounted, as a single unit
onto/off the stage without help
from anyone (unless I'm in a hurry).
I will report back with pics of my
rack setup.
The idea of using casters will work
IF the caster will Lock during play,
and if the caster wheels are 2"
or 3" diameter but no bigger than 4"
(unless you're going Monster Truck mode).
..."Monster Truck mode" if you plan
on crushing the band gear on stage
as a visual stunt finale. LOL
Whooo, cool thing, I have never thought about it, for the drums and keys... Instead of carrying bags one by one, all could be in a rack like that and be rolled into to the trailer or the flat bed of the truck. Thanks a lot of the photos...
Flyin6
Well-Known Member
I had a typical 3 sided rack years ago. Set the main rack up loaded and then attached the sides. I switched to this setup of freestanding Pearl side racks and it's a total gamechanger. I can assemble it side stage and be on the riser and be mic'ed ready to play in 10 minutes.
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Parcel
Active Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2019
- Messages
- 27
- Reaction score
- 8
My last acoustic kit was rack mounted.I used 3 cymbals, 2 power toms, an a cable hat on it.
By fitting 3 cymbal holders, 2 tom holders, an a cable hat clamp, with mem lock clips.
It was fitted with folding tube clamps. So leaving the 2 tom holders fixed, I could fold it all up, an it carry it complete on an off the stage.
Worked for me.
See pics, with all the drums set up.
Attachments
Last edited:
cobaltspike
Well-Known Member
I set mine up in three sections, front first which holds the bass drum, 3 cymbals and 2 rack toms, the left side which holds one tom, a cymbal, the hi hat and either mixer or laptop, and the right side which holds two cymbals and both floor toms. It all goes together by myself in under 5 minutes. three clamps on the rack sections and then slide everything on. And I forgot, make the singer help, all they have to carry is a mic. haha
PDXMan
Member
Custom wood-shelled drums, stands, throne, stick-bag, and soft-cases weigh 90 pounds. (not including cymbals). This picture is of my smaller-sized kit, the larger one weighs in at a whopping 92.1 pounds when all packed up. You can nest all the drums without retuning in between gigs when space is at a premium on tour.
I had to lighten my load after several hernia repairs and this kit was the answer for me. Two people can move the whole kit on/off stage in seconds because the bass, toms, and cymbal boom arms are all connected to a plywood quick-stand. Everything you want to know here: https://kurtdeutscher.com/whitney-drums/
I had to lighten my load after several hernia repairs and this kit was the answer for me. Two people can move the whole kit on/off stage in seconds because the bass, toms, and cymbal boom arms are all connected to a plywood quick-stand. Everything you want to know here: https://kurtdeutscher.com/whitney-drums/
cobaltspike
Well-Known Member
What size are your floor toms? It kinda looks like my 16 and 20 in sizes. Nice setup by the way!
Depending on the height of stage or any stairs involved might make casters a problem.
RockrGrl
Well-Known Member
Was thinking of building everything on the side of the stage and then just rolling it on.
With the Falicon Design System and my Gravitator Racks....the drums STAY on the rack/riser....sometimes SPLIT in half....and roll off the stage. Then they rolled into two big animal style cages and voila into the truck. With the legs down....the wheels wouldn't touch the ground...until the legs went UP or off....and then the wheels would be on the riser. Hope this helps!! Doc Killdrums
PetesPonies
New Member
- Joined
- May 13, 2019
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 2
When I was playing out, I used electronic pads ( real heads ) on a Gibraltar rack. I also used real cymbals. But my pads never left the rack. I folded the arms in and picked up the entire rack. It was a great way to gig!!
SplineSpider
Active Member
In theory you could use a block of wood and some U-clamps like used to secure an exhaust system under a car to attach you wood to the bottom of your rack. Attach you Caster/s and Voila.
SplineSpider
Active Member
Much better than my redneck shadetree mechanic solution. LOL.
TonyVazquez
Very well Known Member
If your rack tubes are 1.5" ( 1 1/2 ) diameter , you can attach two of these casters to the bottom of the rack tubes
that are out in front of your kick drum.
A caster for each rack tube.
MySit 4 inch Work Table Caster Wheels for Commercial Kitchen Prep Tables, Expanding Stem Casters Set of 4 with Locking Brakes Fit Both 1-1/2" and 1-5/8" Leg Tube Adapter for Stainless Steel Worktable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X8ZGP6S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_glt_i_8S6RN2DQV03012959RXN
The rubber stems of these casters will fit
inside the the bottom end of each tube.
Your toms and attachments appear too high, as a result of the casters?
Simply lower the horizontal rack tube
as it is attached to the side rack tubes.
that are out in front of your kick drum.
A caster for each rack tube.
MySit 4 inch Work Table Caster Wheels for Commercial Kitchen Prep Tables, Expanding Stem Casters Set of 4 with Locking Brakes Fit Both 1-1/2" and 1-5/8" Leg Tube Adapter for Stainless Steel Worktable https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X8ZGP6S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_glt_i_8S6RN2DQV03012959RXN
The rubber stems of these casters will fit
inside the the bottom end of each tube.
Your toms and attachments appear too high, as a result of the casters?
Simply lower the horizontal rack tube
as it is attached to the side rack tubes.
bpaluzzi
DFO Veteran
Just from my experience, I can count the number of stages where there was room to do this on 2 hands. And the ones with stages where there was room to do this while other bands were playing can be counted on 1 hand.
I've found racks to be (much) more trouble than they're worth on any multi-band bills. Especially since you're already throwing a wrench into the system by not playing the existing kit that's set up.
Flyin6
Well-Known Member
14x16 and 16x18. Thanks!
A guy in my area has his rack on wheels and just rolls the whole thing into the venue and onto the stage - pretty slick, if you ask me.
I rarely use a rack, normally only outside where it's windy. In those cases, because I either use short stack toms or timbales, it's not overly heavy. I can put the 3 or 4 toms on the rack, lift the whole thing up and place it where I need it. Once it's set, I then add the cymbals. YMMV.
I also have my Roland e-kit on a rack, but it stays at home.
I rarely use a rack, normally only outside where it's windy. In those cases, because I either use short stack toms or timbales, it's not overly heavy. I can put the 3 or 4 toms on the rack, lift the whole thing up and place it where I need it. Once it's set, I then add the cymbals. YMMV.
I also have my Roland e-kit on a rack, but it stays at home.
