At the last winter NAMM Show (2012, Anaheim CA), I had one of my soundcarts on display in the Tascam booth, where I was doing presentations about the HS-P82 recorder. The owner of the Rock N Roller Multicart company stopped by, and was intrigued by the modifications that I had made to his original design in order to convert the cart for film/video applications. He invited me to help him design a new accessory shelf unit that would satisfy the needs of sound mixers and videographers. In just a couple months time, he shipped me the newly designed cart, ready to exhibit at this year’s NAB show! (see picture)

The original top shelf offered as an accessory kit for the Rock N Roller carts consists of a rather narrow, carpet covered plywood shelf  system. The shelf is in two sections, so that the end user can use the cart in compacted or fully telescoped length. But for production applications, we require a larger work surface for our mixing panel, recorder, wireless, and everything else! Up to now, we sound mixers (and videographers) had to fabricate our own solutions.

I attached a large 36×24 aluminum pan to the wooden narrow shelf. A folding utility shelf system served as an upper hutch. It was not pretty, but it was functional.

However, as of NAB 2012, the Rock N Roller Multicart company now offers a factory built top shelf solution! Their Multi-Media 2-tier Workstation is an accessory shelving system that readily mounts onto most of the Rock N Roller frames, such as the R12, R10, and R8 units. Personally, I recommend the R12 frame, which comes with four all terrain never-flat wheels. Casters just don’t cut it in the world of film and video production!

For those of you who are not familiar with the Rock N Roller carts, they are very strong, yet weigh a whole lot less than conventional handtruck carts. The frame telescopes from 34 to 52 inches. The two side handles fold down flat, so that the entire cart is very easy to transport or ship. Use the cart fully extended to haul equipment cases to the location; then shrink it down and mount the shelf system for use in even the smallest sets.

The Multi-Media system consists of a main shelf that measures 36×24. It is made of plywood, and fully carpeted. A 1/2-inch lip keeps your stuff from rolling off. Weight is around 16 lbs. It easily bolts onto the two upright “handles” of the cart. A narrower hutch shelf measuring 36×10 mounts above the main shelf and can host wireless receivers, monitors, digital recorders, etc. The hutch is supported by a pair of C-shaped square tubes that easily slide into receptacles under both shelves. In storage mode, the tube supports can be attached sideways so as to fold flat against the underside of the hutch. No tools required. All together, the main shelf and hutch only weigh in at around 22 lbs.

The list price of the Multi-Media Workstation kit is under one hundred dollars. And the list price of the R12 frame is under three hundred dollars. I am confident that a good shopper ought to be able to find a dealer who would discount the entire package at least 10% or so. That means that for around $350-ish, you can own one of these highly versatile and very portable production carts!

Of course, every one is still going to want to customize it a little. On my cart, I drilled holes through the top of the handle to accommodate large (rafter hanging) hooks that I found in the hardware store. I also added a bunch of eye hooks under the main shelf so that I could snap on some RipTie cable hangers. A trip to the car parts store located a nice canvas (seatback) apron full of pouches, originally intended to hang down from a seat headrest. It now hangs off of one of the cart handles.

On the other handle, I had a vendor make me a canvas apron with large tubular pockets for holding boompoles & antennas. Rock N Roller is currently negotiating with that same vendor to make similar custom pouches that anyone could order along with their cart.

By the way, here is a picture of us rolling a fully loaded soundcart through the 25 inch wide doorway (hatchway) of the storage room behind the Audio Technica booth at the close of each show day during NAB. Doors don’t get any smaller than that, and we were even able to leave the XLR cables plugged in to the rear of the mixing board! The coffee holder rotated to the rear, and cleared the door.

About the Author:
Fred Ginsburg CAS, Ph.D., MBKS is a highly experienced professional sound mixer, professor, workshop instructor, and corporate consultant. Published and written in many trade magazines, he is also president of the EQE Media & Consulting Group.

RocknRoller® Multi-Cart® 8-in-1 Equipment Transporters introduces the new model R14 Macro designed to transport up to 700 pounds in one trip. The frame extends from 42” to 60” in length (almost 20% longer than the R8, R10 and R12 models), and the frame bed width has been increased an additional 11% to provide more stability for over-sized cargo. The steel tubing that makes up the frame is also 25% larger to handle increased load stress. A shortened rear foldable side allows extremely long cargo to overhang the frame while making the cart lighter and easier to operate as a 2-wheeler.

This new R14 also features 6” x 1.50” front swivel casters with brake and 8” x 2.0” R-Track rear wheels featuring no-flat tires and positions cargo lower to the ground making loading and unloading easier.

“These carts have the highest weight capacity ratings, starting with the smallest R2 model rated at 350 pounds, the R6, 8, 10 and 12 rated at 500 pounds, and this new R14 at an unbelievable 700 pounds.” said Alan Poster, President of Ace Products, exclusive US distributor of the RocknRoller® Multi-Cart® 8-in-1 Equipment Transporters. “They are the perfect add-on for DJs, sound contractors, school band directors, stage bands, keyboard players and drummers, and are now the largest selling equipment dollies in the history of the music industry.”

For more information, visit www.rocknrollercart.com.

A regular on Jimmy Buffett’s Radio Margaritaville, Sunny Jim has been an invited performer for “Meeting of the Minds,” the annual national Parrot Head Convention held in Key West, FL. He has also hosted fellow tropical troubadors at his yearly Sunday Songwriter’s Showcase at Blue Heaven, which has become a “must-attend” event for many wrapping up a wild weekend in Key West. Sunny Jim is also host of the annual Six String Music Festival in New Orleans.

Here’s what he has to say about his RocknRoller:

“I just love the solid clank of the handles snapping into place, and the way the extension stopping button pops into place when you extend the cart. After a long gig, there’s something very comforting about that, and knowing that I can haul all my gear in one go. I have worked at the Margaritaville Cafe at Universal Studios in Orlando, and it’s a more than a QUARTER of a mile pull into Universay City Walk from the parking area. THANKS Rock N Roller!  You’ve saved my back and my sanity both!”

See his laid back web site HERE.

]]> http://www.rocknrollercart.com/blog/2011/06/20/sunny-jim-rocks-with-rocknroller/feed/ http://www.rocknrollercart.com/blog/2011/04/11/daniel-talks-about-both-of-his-rocknrollers/ http://www.rocknrollercart.com/blog/2011/04/11/daniel-talks-about-both-of-his-rocknrollers/#comments Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:57:09 +0000 John http://www.rocknrollercart.com/blog/?p=411 ALL FAME AND GLAMOUR? NOT.

It could be a concert with Earth Wind and Fire or Don Henley (10,000) people. It could be a Rock or Jazz club, a corporate event or a wedding. If I have to cart my own gear, my Rock N Roller cart goes with me everywhere. There are certain pieces of equipment that I never part with and the Rock N Roller cart is one of them, oh… and my Toyota, Sienna Van. 

 The cart that I have been using religiously for about five years now is the R10 ( Max ). Besides being compact and durable the next most important feature for me in a cart is the ability to maneuver in all terrain. Grass, gravel, dirt, carpets and mud. The R10 performs outstanding!

I highly recommend the Rock N Roller carts. 

Awesome!  That is what I have to say about my new cart. Especially at a music event where I have to play both Drums and Percussion’s like what I just did at artist “Benise’s” last concert in Riverside, California at the Fox theater to a sold out house. Now both of my carts come with me and they make life just that much better. I highly recommend every musician to own a Rock N Roller cart. 

Daniel de los Reyes

However, your back is your back regardless of what you are hauling and this video demonstrates how these carts can be used for EVERYTHING you do!

See it by clicking HERE.

Thanks from our pals at Reunion Blues!

Sizes available: 6″x1.50″, 8″x2″, 10″x3″.

Smart RocknRoller dealers are linking testimonial videos
like this one to their web sites to help sell.

Click HERE.

They are also showing them at the point-of-purchase.
They work.

It’s simply the best equipment hauler available today.

Click HERE to witness how one NAMM convention attendee used a cell phone camera to capture RocknRoller® inventor Gary Michael Dahl in action, while hundreds of guitar riffs from neighboring exhibits compete!