Solid Tech rack of silence, sand, rice, something else?

Mordante

New member
Joined
Jan 5, 2017
Messages
596
Location
Leyden
Hi,

I now have two ROS (racks of silence) in my living room. The legs are hollow. I've been thinking of filling them with something. Something like sand. Do any of you have tips on what to use? I would prefer to use bags and lower them into the legs so it's easier to remove them, would this be a bad idea? Maybe Scubapro Eco Weights Softlood or maybe something similar.

Anyone here with any tips?
 
Hmm. The Rack of Silence is based on a low-mass concept, designed to enable resonance from the equipment to be quickly and efficiently dispersed. By adding significant mass you are heading in a different direction to the design philosophy.
 
I recommend Poly Pellets, sold at craft store retailers like Joann and Michael's. Joann is cheaper and has a greater range of package sizes.


Poly Pellets are weighted, polypropylene pellets. I used them in speaker stands, recently.


I chose them because they are clean and non-toxic, aren't food based (like often recommended rice), they aren't an organic material that could be a source of food for pests or absorb moisture (like sometimes recommended kitty litter), and they don't make a mess when filling or removing. They're also made in the USA, I think.


They're sold in various size packages and I was happy with the price and convenience of the 6 pound bag from Joann.


I'd imagine they damp and/or diffuse vibration due to their shape, material, and weight.
attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • 15532179.jpg
    15532179.jpg
    240.9 KB · Views: 132
Hmm. The Rack of Silence is based on a low-mass concept, designed to enable resonance from the equipment to be quickly and efficiently dispersed. By adding significant mass you are heading in a different direction to the design philosophy.

I've contacted the manufacturer. They recommend using 0.25mm sand. But I think I would prefer some PP pellets. I'll have a look around to see what is available in the Netherlands.
 
steel shot works; but be prepared to remove it if it causes your sound to be dead. you can find it at any gun shop. in 2004 i added steel shot to the legs of my Grand Prix Audio Monaco rack. it removed all the life from the music. it was dead sounding. i had to remove the steel shot and gave it to a member of my local audio club. i did not want to have a bag of steel shot sitting around.

i could have bought lead shot at the time, but wanted nothing to do with it.

what i discovered was if you have a concrete floor then the added mass over-damps things. where the added mass can help, is with a suspended wood floor, where it will lower the rack resonance by mass loading. so your floor will be a significant issue of what type of rack and loading works well for music. just don't be wedded to any concept, only to the best sound. you have to see how it sounds. lower noise or resonance is not the only issue, what ever brings the music to life is the idea.
 
steel shot works; but be prepared to remove it if it causes your sound to be dead. you can find it at any gun shop. in 2004 i added steel shot to the legs of my Grand Prix Audio Monaco rack. it removed all the life from the music. it was dead sounding. i had to remove the steel shot and gave it to a member of my local audio club. i did not want to have a bag of steel shot sitting around.

i could have bought lead shot at the time, but wanted nothing to do with it.

what i discovered was if you have a concrete floor then the added mass over-damps things. where the added mass can help, is with a suspended wood floor, where it will lower the rack resonance by mass loading. so your floor will be a significant issue of what type of rack and loading works well for music. just don't be wedded to any concept, only to the best sound. you have to see how it sounds. lower noise or resonance is not the only issue, what ever brings the music to life is the idea.

That is good info. I have a concrete floor with a oak parquet floor on top.

I'm "worried" about what you said that is why I would like to use bags and not just pour is in.
 
The bottom shelf of my rack has maybe 130 album on it. I figure they are loading the rack so I keep them there. Im on a wood floor over wood ibeam. The floor is stiff but resonant.
 
I wasn't aware that "lead shot" was still able to be bought??

being a competitive shotgun shooter and reloader I have 500-1000 lbs on hand at any given time. Sold in 25# bags.
I've used a mix of sand (pool filter variety) and lead shot in my Totem Arro's with great results
 
Back
Top