Free AV Rack Builder for Audio Stage and Studio
RackBuilder is a free AV rack builder and audio rack builder online for integrators, live sound, and studio techs. Use it as AV rack design software to place amps, mixers, and patchbays by U before the case ships or the closet opens.
Ready to lay out an AV elevation in the live designer?
What this AV rack design tool includes today
Documentation here means a visual elevation of AV devices placed by U height. You choose a rack size, add gear from the library, and review empty U while you work. That yields a clear picture of the planned layout without claiming features the product does not ship.
- Place generic power amplifiers, audio mixers, audio patchbays, rack drawers, power conditioners, wireless receivers, DSP, interfaces, blanks, and vents by U.
- Block library adds when the rack has no free U left for that device height.
- Keep guest work across reloads in the browser; signed-in users get cloud sync for saved designs.
- Save one rack per design. Free accounts can save up to three designs; Pro unlocks unlimited saved designs.
Planning a stage or road rack
A stage rack builder free workflow starts with the case height, then the heaviest amps and power gear lower in the stack. Keep wireless receivers near the top for antenna clearance, group patchbays with the mixers they feed, and leave spare U for festival day adds.
Move that plan into the designer and place devices in order. New devices from the library are blocked when the rack has no free U for that height.
Planning a studio rack
Studio racks favor quiet power conditioners, dense patchbays, DSP, and audio interfaces beside the mixer. Keep heat-producing amplifiers separated by blanks or vented shelves, and reserve drawer U for cables and adapters you reach daily.
Searchers looking for a patchbox rack planner can place generic audio patchbays by U next to converters and interfaces, then review empty U before the rack ships to the room.
Planning an install AV rack
Fixed install AV racks in churches, classrooms, and boardrooms mix wireless receivers, amplifiers, and processing with network switches when control sits in the same cabinet. List each device height first, then pick a cabinet with spare U for growth.
For spacing rules that still apply to AV elevations, see U-space best practices. For form factor choices, compare 2-post, 4-post, and wall-mount racks.
Airflow and power tips for AV racks
Amplifiers and power conditioners need intake and exhaust paths. Use blanking panels to close unused U so air moves through the gear, and place vented shelves under hot amps when the case allows. Keep power conditioners and PDUs near the bottom feed, then route conditioned outlets upward.
Catalog wattage for power conditioners is a capacity rating, not a measured or calculated usage figure. Labels appear where available so you can cross-check circuits outside the tool. RackBuilder does not store chassis weights, so compare vendor weight totals to the cabinet or road-case max load limit separately. It does not monitor live power or raise alerts.
Free vs Pro for AV elevations
Planning stays free. Guests can plan without signup, and work in the browser survives a reload. Sign in when you want cloud sync across devices. Free accounts can save up to three rack designs; Pro unlocks unlimited saved designs. Compare options on Pricing.
Frequently asked questions
What is a free AV rack builder for audio and stage?
A free AV rack builder helps you place amplifiers, mixers, patchbays, drawers, power conditioners, wireless receivers, blanks, and vents by U before install day. RackBuilder is an AV rack design tool in the browser: start without signup, keep guest work across reloads, and sync saved designs when signed in.
Can I plan a stage rack builder free layout for road cases?
Yes. Pick a rack height that fits the case, add generic AV library gear by U, and leave spare U for last-minute adds. Library adds are blocked when the rack has no free U left for that device height. Each saved design holds one rack.
Does RackBuilder include AV gear like amps and patchbays?
Yes. The library includes generic AV entries such as power amplifiers, audio mixers, audio patchbays, rack drawers, power conditioners, wireless receivers, audio DSP, audio interfaces, blanking panels, and vented shelves. Brand-specific AV models are not claimed unless they appear in the catalog.
Is this a patchbox rack planner or only IT closet software?
You can use it as a patchbox rack planner for audio patchbays alongside amps and mixers. It is the same U elevation designer used for IT gear, not a live AV monitoring or inventory platform.
Do I need an account to use the AV rack design software?
No. You can start without signup, and guest work survives a reload. Sign in when you want cloud sync across devices. Free accounts can save up to three rack designs; Pro unlocks unlimited saved designs.
Start your AV elevation next
Open the free designer and turn this plan into a live elevation.