Premium UK based audio console manufacturer DiGiCo commissioned leading European flightcase design and manufacturer 5 Star Cases to build a special exhibition promotions ‘Sideboard’ for their busy upcoming 2012 trade show and event circuit.
The brief was that it must accommodate a screen measuring a minimum of 46 inches, complete with Blu-ray player, laptop docking station, coffee maker and an integrated loudspeaker system.
5 Star’s team began the initial design by sketching a few variants from which DiGiCo could choose a definitive version.
The overall design selected was a long ‘Sideboard’ type layout, housing all the necessary equipment including power sockets.
At the heart of it is a super-smooth electric TV lift sourced from Penn-Elcom, featuring 730 mm of vertical travel and a wireless remote control. This slick device is the basis for an inbuilt 47” LG LED screen giving a 1080p full HD display.
The powered TV lift includes a flush fitting ‘lid’ so the 47” LED screen can disappear fully into the case, leaving a clear work-surface when that format / set up is required.
Hooked up to this screen, 5 Star also included a Toshiba Blu-ray player and a small Acer PC so DiGiCo has plenty of playback facilities for use at exhibitions, road-shows and customer demonstrations.
Also included is a high quality Blue Sky EXO2 compact sound system which was supplied by one of DiGiCo’s US distributors, Group One Limited, featuring two desktop satellites, a subwoofer and controller. The satellites are flush mounted into the case just below the work-surface, with the subwoofer ensconced at the bottom of the 19” rack bay for maximum neatness.
A matching 19” grill was CNC machined by 5 Star to cover the subwoofer and
to blend the visual appearance in with that of the other installed equipment.
A 19” rack mount bay is included in the case design on the left hand side which will enable easy changes to be made in the future.
The PC, BDP and speaker controllers are mounted in rack cradles so they can be located anywhere in the rack bay.
The rest of the internal space features various shelves for housing merchandise, brochures, literature and other office essentials, plus a dedicated area for a Nespresso coffee maker whilst in transit.
The overall flight case housing has been constructed from 5 Star’s robust Tour Grade range, and is finished in a fabulous white HPL covering, with a white synthetic paint interior giving a clean, bright contemporary aesthetic inside and out.
DiGiCo branding was applied by 5 Star’s in-house screen printing department, and to complete the picture, a protective PVC cover was also supplied that fully shrouds the flightcase when in transit.
5 Star’s CEO Keith Sykes, “It’s always great to work on projects with DiGiCo. This one was a little bit different and presented exactly the kind of challenges that 5 Star likes in coming up with a practical solution to meet all their needs, that is strong and rugged for touring and above all …. looks very cool!”.
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