March 1st, 2011 by admin
A&S Case Company, Inc. is the premier manufacturer of ATA compliant speaker isolation cabinets. A&S did not invent the concept of the ISO CAB but A&S perfected it. A&S worked with the sound engineering department of a major California University to develop designs that include the appropriate baffling, sound attenuation materials, sealing and all other aspects of containing sound properly within the cabinet at full volume. A principal goal established in designing A&S’s ISO CABS was using the speaker cabinet as manufactured to capture the sound exactly as the manufacturer intended it to be. A&S did not want to strip the guts out of the speaker cabinet sacrificing the rich full sound it was designed to produce. A speaker out of its cabinet is just a speaker.
Why do many major bands prefer using ISO CABS that neatly tuck away below stage? They provide the “Front of House” technician much greater control and a clean sound that is not adulterated by ambient air movement or extraneous sounds. Clean, true sound is delivered to the artist through their wireless in-ear gear and to the audience through the venue sound system.
Sound engineering is a science and control is the key to its success. Understanding this is a science is why A&S went to a university that is skilled in this discipline to develop their “ISO CAB”. A&S wanted the artist to have the full benefit of their speakers in the manufacturer’s cabinet producing the sound they are deigned to deliver.
The A&S ISO CAB pictured below, containing a Marshall 4X12 Slant model 1960, is exemplary of the results of this work in developing an engineered solution for speaker sound isolation. The case is a double walled case with a sprayed in barrier between the walls. It has a convex wall with egg crate foam on both sides to prevent sound bounce back to the microphone. A pass through for cable couplers is provided to pass the inbound signal to the speaker and outbound signal from the microphone. The entire case is built in compliance with the ATA Spec 300 Cat 1 to protect all the gear while in transit.
This is an ISO CAB… anything less than this is a foam filled box that will not provide your FOH mixer the control needed to deliver the sound you want to achieve. Always look to A&S for the Superior Solution.
February 21st, 2011 by admin
ATA CASES CONCEPT TO REALITY
A&S Case Company, Inc. received an inquiry from a large multi-national corporation regarding a concept they had for an ATA workbox they needed to purchase. A&S was not the first ATA case builder they called, in fact they had called manufacturers on both the East and West Coast, all of whom either did not respond or responded with generic solutions. A search of the web brought them to A&S where they quickly realized, after looking through our gallery of workbox photos, that we could provide them the unique solution they were envisioning.
The requirements for this workbox were challenging and included:
- A large clutter free work surface with logo marking
- 10 space rack that provided good air circulation to keep their electronics cool
- 2 large drawers with the top one having a lid that extended the work surface to hold a laptop computer
- The lid over the work surface needed to provide for mounting a large video screen
- The lid on the front of the case needed to be a stand alone table at the job site
- The case needed to be as light as possible because it is going to ship frequently and they wanted to keep freight cost down.
- The case had to meet certain outside dimension size requirements
After a lengthy phone discussion with the customer about the required parameters of the case, Randy Romero and Jesse Aguilera of A&S’s design and engineering staff worked together to provide the customer a CAD concept drawing that included all of the customer’s requirements. This concept drawing, shown below, offered a FlyWeight® workbox with a 10 space airack® to meet their cooling needs, a lid that opened to a free standing table and met their other defined needs.
Upon receipt of the concept drawing our customer had two questions
1. Can you build it as drawn?
2. What is it going to weigh when finished?
We said yes and approximately 220 lbs.
These are pictures of the finished case delivered to the customer weighing 201 lbs. By choosing FlyWeight® and airack® the overall weight of the finished case was 50% lighter than conventional ½” plywood and a foam enclosed rack sleeve.
A&S prides itself on meeting our customer’s unique needs — not sometimes — every time.
November 18th, 2010 by Denise
Consistency and repetition are vital when it comes to branding. The key is to get your branding in front of as many people as possible and to reinforce it again and again. Your brand is one of your most valuable assets. In recognition of this value, A&S Case Company exclusively offers the next big thing in personalized custom road cases. Thanks to recent technological advances, you are now able to brand the once untapped canvas of a road case with A&S Case Ink™.
Almost as recognizable as a band’s distinct sound or the quality of a consumer product is their brand. With A&S Case Ink™, your branding will be visible & recognizable on your cases. This is the investment in advertising you want to make to aid in brand promotion and/or to drive merchandise sales. Think “I want something with that brand on it.”
Please check out this video!
There is a cost for A&S Case Ink™ initially as there is for branding the merchandise you sell at venues or on your website but A&S Case Ink™ enhances the visibility of your brand for your merchandise sales operation. A&S suggests that you brand your cases with your custom tour artwork. Then when the tour is over, sell the cases to the highest bidder and even donate some of the proceeds to charity. The best part is you can then get all new cases when the next tour comes around if you didn’t give all the money to charity. It’s a win-win.
A&S Case Ink™ makes it is easy for your Marketing team. They can deliver final artwork or work with an artist through A&S to create final artwork to brand your case. With this revolutionary process, artwork can be applied before or after the case is built making it seamless, durable, unique and adaptable.
For those of you using the A&S Nest™ – A Kriz-Kraft LCD/LED/Plasma Lift Case, this is the perfect opportunity to show off your company brand or tradeshow theme. This artwork can even be applied after construction of the case should you want specific artwork from project to project.
A&S has always prided itself on the ability to deliver on quality, innovation, service & customization. Now they’ve taken that commitment another “Giant Step” further. A&S encourages you to distinctively promote your corporate identity or reinforce your image on your A&S road cases using this exciting new process. A&S Case Ink™ gives you one more opportunity to subtly expand your branding to every element possible.
Please check out this video!
September 27th, 2010 by admin
When it comes to protecting your gear, no case design is stronger than Kriz-Kraft™ exclusively engineered by A&S Case Company. In fact the Kriz-Kraft™ design is, undoubtedly, the strongest rack case in the industry. This strength comes from two factors:
1) a contiguous box providing the highest structural integrity achievable
2) all Kriz-Kraft racks are built using 1/2″ ACX fir plywood and 1/2″ European birch plywood
Once the box is constructed, the doors are then precision-cut in the front and rear panels and fitted with a proprietary door jam and U-channel to provide a meticulous fit without impairing the structural characteristics unique to this design. Additionally, this design encapsulates the foam that provides shock-absorbent characteristics in a manner that dramatically reduces its degradation over time by environmental and human causes. We have also adapted the A&S airack® to the Kriz-Kraft™ design to provide superior cooling and shock and vibration attenuation. While the Kriz-Kraft™ case is stronger than the traditional rack case made of 1/2″ ACX fir plywood, it is lighter, more maneuverable, and quicker to set up and take down at a jobsite or gig.
Since A&S clients are so satisfied with the strength of our Kriz-Kraft™ racks, we’ve incorporated the Kriz-Kraft™ design into many other revolutionary case designs. A&S is proud to offer a new line of exciting products utilizing the Kriz-Kraft™ design: the A&S Kriz-Kraft™AxeBox™, the A&S Kriz-Kraft™ DrumBox™ and the A&S Kriz-Kraft™ WardroBox™. The A&S AxeBox™ is a multiple guitar case made 15% lighter and more compact for ease of use. It’s convenient, incredibly flexible, and stronger than any removable lid case on the market. The A&S AxeBox™, Jr. followed soon after. We transferred the same design concept as a variation on a traditional drum trap case and wardrobe case which has been well received.
The Kriz-Kraft design gives A&S the advantage of offering cases with smaller footprints answering the ever increasing demand for decreased weight and size. One such product is the A&S Nest™ a Kriz-Kraft Plasma/LCD Lift Case which protects the screen both in transit and during setup since the screen simply rises out of the case on a quiet electrical lift. The screen never leaves the protection of the case.
Since acquiring the assets to Kriz-Kraft in 2005, A&S has been able to offer their customers even more choices when selecting a case to fit their needs. The transition in 2005 was smooth as we worked exclusively with Stins, the owner, to learn his unique design and manufacturing processes for the Kriz-Kraft racks first-hand. Because A&S quality met his standards, he trusted us to continue serving his clientele. Always innovating to meet our customers’ needs, we feel fortunate to be able to exclusively offer this line as another option to consider when selecting the best rack or case for you.
September 10th, 2010 by Denise
Outside of protecting their Performance Critical Equipment™, weight is the main concern our customers have when it comes to their ATA case. Whether it be to cut costs on freight, drayage or airline charges or to limit lifting weight, a light weight option is imperative. There are a number of lightweight solutions that have been offered in the industry over the years including hex plastic and poly but no option offered to date compares to A&S FlyWeight®, the light-weight material solution which A&S exclusively engineers.
This development of the A&S FlyWeight® material began at the request of open wheel racing teams across the country who have weight restrictions. The teams are scrutinized closely on the total cargo they can bring aboard the 747 freighters that transport their race cars & gear to these races around the world. We quickly realized… if we could provide the solution for this market, we could address the needs of all of our customers dealing with increased weight restrictions from the airlines & freight costs. We, therefore, adapted these new materials to our more traditional products like rack cases, trunks & workboxes. The results are cases that have a wood weight reduction of up to 60% & are twice as strong as those made of the industry standard ACX plywood. With the prices of gas, diesel & aviation fuels skyrocketing & driving up shipping costs, the weight savings in these cases will quickly recover the premium that these materials add to the initial purchase price of these cases in the first few trips.
So here are cases that are as much as 60% lighter than our traditional ATA cases, but even stronger, and here’s the best part… within the first few trips they pay for themselves! As an example, an A&S Fly Weight® Tool Case weighing 125 lbs. weighs 200 lbs in the traditional ATA version. An A&S Fly Weight® Tool Case weighing 242 lbs. weighs 380 lbs. in the traditional ATA version. ½” plywood weighs 14-18 lbs per cubic foot (depending on grade) whereas A&S FlyWeight® weighs 6 lbs per cubic foot.
How much can the decreased weight save you in freight and drayage?
A&S FlyWeight® cases pay for themselves in freight savings
Example: 1/2” Ply Trunk 48x24x24, 132 Lbs, Case Price $850
A&S FlyWeight® Trunk 48x24x24, 72 Lbs, Case Price $1275
w/200 Lb item inside – 9-10 trips pays for upgrade, 28 trips pays for case
A&S FlyWeight® cases pay for themselves in drayage savings
Example: 1/2” Ply Workbox, 358 Lbs, Case Price $1890, Drayage $233.50×2
A&S FlyWeight® Workbox, 211 Lbs, Case Price $2846, Drayage $123.25×2
$220.50 savings per show – 4-5 shows pays for upgrade, 13 shows pays for case
A&S FlyWeight® generates the biggest benefit in cases that are 4’X2’X2’ or larger because in cases smaller than this metals, casters etc. are a larger percentage of the total weight of the case.
So what is this material?
A&S FlyWeight® is a sandwich panel made of aluminum, Nomex or Kevlar honeycomb with protective layers of unidirectional fiberglass on both sides. Developed for the aircraft industry for use as floor panels, galleys & storage bins, the goal was to produce panels with very high strength-to-weight ratios as well as superior fire & smoke suppression characteristics. These materials are used in every commercial & military aircraft being manufactured in the world today.
In addition to the weight savings and increased strength, A&S FlyWeight® is greener for the planet earth through reduced fuel consumption.
As a leading manufacturer of custom ATA cases, we are the company that industries turn to for the right solutions. That’s right, no one else offers this product except A&S Case Company.
August 13th, 2010 by Bill Waskey
What is an ATA Style Case? Many consumers have no idea beyond the fact that some case manufacturers and importers use the term to describe their cases.
The fact is the ATA Specification 300 has three categories for cases or containers: CAT 1 sets forth design and construction standards for a case built to withstand the rigors of 100 round trips by air freight; CAT 2 sets design and manufacturing standards for a case built to last 20 round trips; and CAT 3 sets design and manufacturing standards for 1 round trip, basically a sturdy cardboard box with Styrofoam to protect the boxes’ contents.
At A&S Case Company, Inc. we have always built cases that are compliant with CAT 1 (with the exception of our poly cases which are compliant with CAT 2). The perfect example of A&S’s commitment to building CAT 1 compliant cases is when A&S acquired Kriz-Kraft™. Some long time fans of Kriz-Kraft™ products were upset that A&S immediately began assembling the Kriz-Kraft™ case using split rivets rather than the woodscrews and glue that Kriz-Kraft™ had always used. Woodscrews and glue are not compliant with the CAT 1 specification. There were a couple of other changes that were adopted in the construction that were necessary for the same reasons. Now the Kriz-Kraft™ design is not only compliant with ATA Spec 300 Cat 1, it is, because of its contiguous box design, the strongest Spec 300 Cat 1 compliant case on the market today.
The Air Transport Association as well as the International Air Transport Association and their member airlines have produced ATA Specification 300 and its 3 categories for their own protection. This specification sets the rules that govern their liability when a case and its content are damaged in transit. They only have to accept responsibility when the shipping case’s design and manufacture are compliant with their specification. The important question to ask the company or sales outlet that is offering you an ATA Style case is — does it just look like an ATA case or is it in fact compliant with the specification? If they say it is compliant ask them — which category is it compliant with? If it’s a non-compliant case… it’s your liability!
At A&S, we know our customers make their living with the gear that goes inside the cases we build. We know it is essential for us to supply our customers with a compliant case that has the necessary internal foam or other protection to have their gear ready for use on arrival. All of our products from the traditional A&S design through Kriz-Kraft™, A&S airack®, A&S FlyWeight®, the A&S Nest™, the A&S AxeBox™, the A&S DrumBox™, the A&S WardroBox™ and everything else are designed and manufactured in compliance with the ATA Specification and its categories. For this reason we are not hesitant to stand behind them. A&S builds the real thing. There are A&S cases, built compliant to ATA Spec 300 Cat 1 for the equipment rental industry that have been in service for over 35 years so we never sweat the 100 round trip requirement of Cat 1.
Style is for clothing, haircuts and automobiles —- trust your gear to ATA compliant cases engineered by A&S… with style.
Bill Waskey
A&S Case Company, Inc.
Manager of Operations & Sales
July 30th, 2010 by Bill Waskey
That’s right, heat and vibration are the two most critical environments that will cut short the life span of your rack mounted electronic gear.
Two years ago, A&S Case Company, set as a personal goal the development of a proprietary rack case that dealt with both of these environmental elements that shorten the life and productivity of your electronic gear. The solution, A&S engineered and is now producing it’s A&S airack® case which is clearly the right answer to these harsh environments. The A&S airack® design eliminates all foam and the eventual “foam decomposition” from it’s rack case by using rubber isolators that provide superior vibration dampening and shock protection that exceeds the protection provided in a foam shock mounted rack.
The A&S airack® features a powder coated rack mount frame and comes standard with front and rear rack rails eliminating the old style ½” wood sleeve, which along with the no-foam configuration facilitates the free flow of air within the rack. The industry standard configuration of wood sleeve and foam actually acts as an insulator keeping heat inside the rack case and heat is a proven killer of electronic gear. This design also has a significant environmental benefit in that it reduces the non-recyclable content of a rack case from 30% to less than 2%.
The A&S airack® provides a triple benefit. First, it provides a better environment for keeping electronic gear cooler with better air circulation. Second, it reduces vibration degradation of gear and shock attenuation is improved. Lastly, it significantly reduces the carbon footprint of the case… now that’s really going green! Our airack® is just one of the breakthrough innovations A&S Case Company has embraced in leading the ATA Spec 300 Cat 1 industry in the 21st century.
In future blogs, we will discuss more of these innovations including A&S FlyWeight® cases, which can quickly pay for themselves in freight savings alone. We will also be discussing the A&S Nest(tm) our Kriz-Kraft Plasma/LCD/LED Lift case for safely transporting large plasma/LCD/LED screens along with other products that are focused on providing our markets with new cost effective solutions to all it’s transportation case requirements.
Because we know how to listen carefully to what consumers are saying, we welcome your input and feedback to these and other shipping questions, needs you might have and suggestions.
