[sdiy] Shipping a modular

[Michael E Caloroso]

Do >NOT< use foam "peanuts" or partitions for cushioning.  Even if the item
is wrapped in plastic.  The foam disintegrates and the tiny foam pieces get
into open crevices in switches, pots, anything.  Those pieces WILL get
inside the plastic wrapping.  When I bought my OB-X the seller wrapped it
in plastic, put it in a box, and filled the voids with foam peanuts.  Those
foam pieces are a PITA to remove.

The ONLY reliable protection in a long range move is an ATA certified case
such as Anvil.  Stay away from cases that are not ATA certified.

I moved from NY to Florida to a new job back in 2021.  1100 miles.  I had a
house full of belongings to move including a studio with vintage synths and
recording gear.  Fortunately during the years I have gigged these
instruments I bought Anvil cases for protection - never did I dream that
these cases would be vital for a long distance move.  Cases for synths, for
mixers, racks for outboard processors, etc.  There was very little gear I
did not have cases for.  The moving crew did expert work on packing the
unprotected items, and I was not worried about anything in my Anvil cases
having a rough 1100 mile ride in a 53 foot trailer.  Everything arrived
without damage.

No these cases are not cheap.  But they are well worth the investment.

MC

On Mon, Apr 13, 2026 at 9:33 PM Mike Bryant <mbryant at futurehorizons.com>
wrote:

> Okay I'll give an opposite view.
>
> Hire the correct size of flight case to fit your racks.  Modular touring
> mixers get 'roadied' in and out of vans constantly using these and have to
> work night after night.  You might have to reseat the odd module after
> shipping but everything will be well protected.
>
> As Martin Brundle once said, the biggest improvement in Formula 1 car
> reliability was when they banned teams stripping the car apart and
> rebuilding it between qualifying and the race 🙂
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Synth-diy <synth-diy-bounces at synth-diy.org> on behalf of Pete
> Hartman via Synth-diy <synth-diy at synth-diy.org>
> *Sent:* 13 April 2026 23:57
> *To:* Quincas Moreira <quincas at gmail.com>
> *Cc:* SYNTH DIY <synth-diy at synth-diy.org>
> *Subject:* Re: [sdiy] Shipping a modular
>
> You're probably going to hear this a lot: I agree, take the modules out of
> the racks.
>
> Pete
>
> On Mon, Apr 13, 2026 at 5:50 PM Quincas Moreira via Synth-diy <
> synth-diy at synth-diy.org> wrote:
>
> I would also advise removing and bubble wrapping the modules.
>
>
> Quincas Moreira
> Director | QMA
> mobile:  5534988825
> site:  quincasmoreira.com
> email:  quincas at gmail.com
>
>
>
> On Mon 13 Apr 2026 at 3:56 p.m. Jesse Weideman via Synth-diy <
> synth-diy at synth-diy.org> wrote:
>
> The people shipping CRT's swear by pool noodles, they're cheap insurance.
> That or EPS foam sheets from the hardware store. I usually just wrap my
> racks in a bunch of blankets and box them, haven't had any problem - altho
> they're all 6u euro so not a giant cabinet. Uline offers wood box pallets
> in tons of different sizes, that plus a bunch of blanketing/padding would
> be the most bullet proof. Double boxing can work wonders too.
>
> On Mon, Apr 13, 2026 at 1:40 PM John Speth via Synth-diy <
> synth-diy at synth-diy.org> wrote:
>
> I have a two modular cabinets containing MOTM and Synthesizers.com
> module. I'm moving and I need to pack them securely so the movers can't
> destroy them. It will be a 1000+ mile move. Can anyone provide advice on
> the best way to pack it all up? Lessons learned? Regrets? etc?
>
> Each cabinet is 40in wide (double column 19in rack) by 23in tall by 1ft
> deep. One is fully loaded and the other is half loaded.
>
> Thanks - John Speth
>
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