Top 11 Best Audio Studio Equipment Rack Brands On The Market

Studio equipment racks, among other studio furniture, play both a practical and aesthetic role. Designed to hold expensive studio equipment securely while making it easily accessible, a high-end studio rack will also look nice to you and your clients.

Perhaps you're only starting down the path of rackmount studio gear, or maybe you're a seasoned veteran looking for a reminder of the top brands out there. Though the equipment rack brand is far from the most critical factor in any given piece of furniture, it's relevant to know the top players regarding studio equipment racks.

Though obviously subjective and prone to biases, I’ve done my best to list out these brands based on the following metrics (in no particular order):

• Company reputation
• Variety of studio equipment rack options
• Performance of the studio equipment racks
• Accessibility of the studio equipment racks (how easy they are to find/buy)
• The company must currently be in operation

With all that being said, let’s list out the brands.

The Top 11 Best Studio Equipment Rack Brands Are:

1. Sound Construction & Supply
2. Lowell Manufacturing
3. JamRacks
4. Middle Atlantic Products
5. Gator
6. Sterling Modular
7. Zaor
8. Odyssey
9. Auray
10. Argosy
11. Samson

Let’s get into each of these brands in greater detail and explain why they belong in the top 11 best acoustic treatment brands. I’ll share their country of origin, a bit of history, an example of a notable studio equipment rack, and a link to their official website.

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Sound Construction & Supply

Todd Beeten founded SCS in 1994 after making countless desks for his friends in the Nashville area. Indeed, this music city sparked the flame that would later become the go-to option for professionals in the most demanding studios in the world.

With time, hard work, and great results, Todd grew the brand and hired a team of experts to help make his dream a reality: great quality, made in the USA, custom orders that could last for a lifetime.

On the company’s 25th anniversary, Todd made the phone call and sold SCS to Argosy Console, another heavyweight in the field. This acquisition led to an enhanced line of products for both companies.

Today, SCS still represents the highest standards for studio-friendly custom furniture handmade in Nashville, TN. Besides, they have a 99% pre-assembled policy to make it easier for happy buyers.

No other company offers this level of precision and attention to detail.

Notable studio equipment rack: IsoBox Studio 20RU

SCS’s IsoBox is, perhaps, the company’s biggest achievement. They were invented to solve a prevalent problem in studios working with computers and DAWs: fan noise.

These soundproof units can silence that annoying racket allowing you to work with your computer’s full power without any distracting sounds other than what comes out of the speakers.

Also, its dual exhaust fans (thermostatically controlled) regulate the interior temperature. Finally, a parabolic diffuser is responsible for full wide-band pressure absorption to reduce noise up to 29 dB.

This is the ultimate solution for your noise problems; plus, it can carry up to 20 rack units.

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Lowell Manufacturing

Lowell Manufacturing is 74 years old. It was founded as a small endeavour occupying a floor in a brick building in 1947 by Ben and Dorothy Lowell.

Fast forward to the present; the company is driven by Ben and Dorothy’s three sons, who moved production to a state-of-the-art facility in Pacific, Missouri, to include a new series of products inspired by the same principles that made the company one of the main players in the game.

This new series includes some of the most advanced, best-made, efficient studio furniture in the market. After almost three-quarters of a century in the music business, Lowell Manufacturing owns the know-how to answer every need with style.

Notable studio equipment rack: LPSR-1226

This made-in-USA roll-out studio rack differs from most of the competition mainly in its build material: it is entirely made of 18-gauge steel. Furthermore, both access doors (front and rear) can be locked with a key.

The design is utterly user-friendly because of the 15-degree slanted front, making it easy to see the 12 rack units from a seating position. Finally, the entire unit is made with certified US steel and will last for a lifetime, enhancing your studio.

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JamRacks

JamRacks was founded in 2001 in New York City by Jeff Baker.

He has built studios for artists such as Moby and Lou Reed. Perhaps the biggest characteristic to highlight about this brand is that they work 100% on bamboo. This obeys a concern for the welfare of our environment, as well as the natural beauty and people's health.

In terms of the environment, bamboo’s growth cycle is one of the lowest on Earth, 3 to 5 years. Strength-wise, bamboo has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than graphite.

Finally, bamboo is rated E-1, which helps drastically to improve the air quality in closed rooms.

Although this is very important, what sets this company apart from all competition is that Jeff has been working with bamboo and high-end audio for several decades, creating state-of-the-art pieces for the biggest names in the industry.

If you want an eco-conscious solution that can solve all your studio organization issues, this company might be it.

Notable studio equipment rack: 6/8 Rack

This made-in-the-USA, eco-friendly rack not only looks beautiful but can also carry up to 14U. The design involves heavy-duty casters, adjustable feet, and top, side, and bottom venting.

Furthermore, it can be carried around fully loaded without damage and can also be disassembled and reassembled without losing any of its strength.

Finally, this unit will be shipped flat-packed in heavy-duty boxes, and the company promises it will last for a lifetime.

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Middle Atlantic Products

Bob Schulter founded Middle Atlantic Products in 1979 to bring solutions to a growing Audio and Video industry. Because of its meteoric rise in the Fairfield, NJ area, the company drew attention from the now parent company Legrand, which acquired it in 2011.

This merger granted MAP a new worldwide market where its ground-breaking products were welcomed with high praise. This led to a new, bigger budget to continue developing the brand and its possibilities.

Nowadays, Middle Atlantic Products is a synonym for fearless innovation, state-of-the-art solutions, reliability, and an obsessive dedication to detail. You can’t go wrong buying your next rack from them.

Notable studio equipment rack: SRK Series 12U Angled Over 16U Vertical

For those searching for a no-frills approach to their rack furniture but with a need for high capacity, this rack by MAP product could be exactly what they were looking for.

To begin with, this SRK rolling rack tower houses 12 spaces on its slanted top and 16 vertical spaces on the bottom. This makes a total of 28 spaces inside a sturdy 5/8” furniture-grade MDF structure finished in black.

Finally, the pre-installed 11-gauge 10-32 threaded front rack rail and casters make it easy to have it up and running in no time.

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Gator

Born 21 years ago in Tampa, Florida, Gator Cases is the vision of Crystal Morris and her father. After a very successful NAMM introduction that same year, word of mouth about the quality/price balance achieved by the brand took them on a vertiginous race to the top of the industry.

Today, the company operates from a 180,000 square feet facility in Columbia City, Indiana, where they manufacture their 1,000+ item catalogue and ship to the entire world.

After seeing countless stages and studios, the leverage of the past two decades at the top of the industry gave Crystal and her team the know-how to create some of the best rack cases in the market. If you want to roll with the best, you should roll with Gator.

Notable studio equipment rack: GRW1012509

For those in need of saving some footprint on the floor of their control room, this wall-hanging fixed rack might be the perfect one to fit the bill.

To begin with, it houses 12U inside a single-section welded frame construction with a toughened glass front door with vented sides. Speaking of ventilation, the unit comes with a fan-ready perforated top and 18-gauge removable side panels with a spring latch.

This easy-to-install unit might solve all your rack and space problems in a single purchase; you should give it a try.

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Sterling Modular

Sterling Modular was founded by Jim Maher in 1991, only fifty miles away from Philadelphia, in Boyertown, PA. Although thirty years passed since that foundational moment, the company hasn’t slowed down one bit, and its ever-growing team of professionals manufactures all products to the last spec on US soil and ships them worldwide.

Jim built a reputation for his company equipping some of the most sought-after studios in the country. He eventually sold it to Rick Lawrence, a former corporate executive who wanted to build his own company in 2011.

The knowledge in customer service and sales that Rick brought to Sterling Modular enhanced the brand and made it one of the most prominent names in the industry.

If you need a professional, reliable, tailor-made solution, this company has a plethora of prices and options to offer you.

Notable studio equipment rack: Face-Up Rack

This rack unit's “face-up” design is exactly what most engineers want in a studio environment: all knobs at their fingertips. Because of its exclusive low profile and rolling wheels, it can even be stowed under any work surface, saving space when not in use.

Also, the wide handles of this 12U single-bay unit make it easy to maneuver while the heavy-duty rubber casters move silently and efficiently.

Finally, the removable bottom allows for increased airflow and easy access to the wiring.

It doesn’t get much better than this when it comes to racks.

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Zaor

Italian piano builder and music shop owner Michele Zullo founded Zaor in 2006 with the idea of bringing design, ergonomics, beauty, and performance together in a single piece.

From that early dream, this company grew to include artists the size of Snoop Dogg, David Guetta, and Finneas O’Connell in their clients’ list.

All production is done in the single plant the company owns in Romania and shipped worldwide in flat boxes with assembly instructions. Besides having a standard line of products, the company works hard to create custom solutions for artists and engineers around the world.

If you want the best equipment for your studio, you have to check Zaor out. You can take a virtual factory tour of their facilities in this video.

Notable studio equipment rack: Miza Rack 16 MkII

A crossover between a piece of artistic furniture and studio-ready open rack space to hold up to 16 units, this piece by Zaor is a beautiful addition to any studio.

Moreover, the 19” treasures you can load on it will be safe and sound underneath a convenient 50x60cm surface and on top of a practical drawer to put away accessories.

Entirely made of melamine-faced chipboard, this beautiful rack unit is a no-frill, beautiful version of a well-known concept. If that is what you’re looking for, this might be the best option for you.

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Odyssey

Paul Savasta founded Odyssey Pro Sound after his career as a professional musician in 1993 in Salem, Massachusetts.

Unlike other companies in this list, Paul and his team not only manufacture some of the best studio furniture in the world; they also sell hand-picked, vintage used equipment at competitive prices, excelling at customer support.

Throughout the past 28 years, the company solidified as the go-to option for many professional studios in the area, offering reliable, stripped products that could last a lifetime without breaking the bank.

If that sounds like the description of what you are after, you have to give this company a chance.

Notable studio equipment rack: CRS20W

This 20-unit rack is an open front and back design made of 3/4 plywood and covered in a layer of protective carpet to ensure it’ll work and look flawlessly in years to come.

The casters at the bottom and the pre-tapped metal rack rails are important additions to the design that maximize ease of use and drastically reduce the time spent getting it ready to work in your studio.

Finally, since the design keeps both ends open, airflow makes sure your equipment will never overheat.

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Auray

Auray is a part of the Gradus Group LLC; it is a company dedicated entirely to solving audio problems for professionals in studios as well as video applications.

The company was founded in 2013 and the Auray brand has been built on the same passion for innovation that has built all other 31 brands in the group.

What sets Auray apart from the rest of the brands in this list is that it is a brand dedicated to solving issues in one of the highest-demanding scenarios possible: TV sets. Thus, succeeding at that tough task ensures that every piece of Auray equipment you buy is successfully road-tested and won’t fail you at critical moments.

If you need dependable gear to rely on with your state-of-the-art equipment, you have to check Auray out.

Notable studio equipment rack: ERS-22U

This rack’s solid steel construction and vented side panels not only promote airflow but also dissipate heat while keeping your treasures properly protected.

This rack can hold up to 22 units (440 pounds), and you can move it around even when fully loaded, thanks to its three-inch casters with a locking mechanism to avoid any unfortunate accidents.

Finally, the open design in the front and back allows for easy access to knobs and wiring for changes on the fly.

If you want a no-frills, sturdy, and durable unit to work with, this might be a perfect choice.

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Argosy

Some stories start with nothing but high hopes and thin air; the story behind Argosy started with a Visa Card in David Atkins' garage in 1994. He needed furniture for his incipient home studio, so he built it for himself.

As he liked the result, David took some pictures and mailed them to “Recording Magazine”. That was the true beginning of a growing business operating from Eldon, MO.

The heart and soul of every Argosy endeavour remain the same: to solve everyday problems for sound professionals. The passion for innovation, though, made those solutions increasingly better, and the catalogue they offer today might surprise you.

Check them out before making any decisions on furniture for your studio.

Notable studio equipment rack: Rack ‘N Roll 10 RU

The revolutionary design of this 10-unit rack includes several details that make it stand out from the competition.

To begin with, the hidden casters make it move almost in stealth mode through the studio, and, thanks to its face-up, low-profile design, it can be stowed under the desk easily. Also, the dual handles and open back make it easy to maneuver and set up. Finally, it is entirely made in the USA.

You can’t go wrong rocking with this rack in your studio.

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Samson

This huge corporation began manufacturing and selling wireless units as a two-man endeavour in 1980 in Hauppauge, New York.

Soon after, they gained the recognition of players like Eric Clapton, which allowed them to grow and branch into other aspects of live and studio music-making. Nowadays, they sell their products in over 140 countries.

The secret to understanding Samson’s meteoric rise is the balance between affordability and reliability. The company gained a reputation for being sturdy, reliable, road-ready, and not breaking the bank.

Their disembark in the rack industry was no different, offering some of the best, most efficient units in the market at a price most studio owners can pay for.

If you are looking for serious reliability and relentless innovation at a competitive price, Samson is the brand for you.

Notable studio equipment rack: SRK21

This is the largest rack unit Samson sells and is also one of the sturdiest in the market. It is completely made of heavy-duty steel and features fully enclosed sides with perforations that allow passive ventilation.

Speaking of which, the unit is open in the front and back to ensure airflow is optimum, as well as wiring and knob access.

Finally, the three-inch locking casters allow you to move it around the studio effortlessly.

This rack by Samson is everything you would expect from a brand with this prestige and trajectory in the music business.