had a trusty hard suitcase since 2009 that i picked up 2nd hand for 10e. paddings glued to the inner "walls" from an old printer box. they make a "pit" for wires & mics... then comes the DIY "hassleboard" (hässäkkälauta) with electronics fixed to it with velcro & screws. all this in protected by an old acoustic panel inside an old sheet to avoid the panel from turning to dust and destroying the mixer etc. this turns into a "sandwich" that dampens any impact from transport. now there's kinda room for another "layer" of stuff. then the rest of the acoustopanel inside the top of the suitcase. close it up and nothing shakes around.
i totally agree, why risk arriving at the gig and having your gear in pieces then whining? i've seen the plastic bags and sports bags with all just randomly tossed inside....
but i also agree that the messy chaos belongs to it. just try to keep it as minimal as possible??
i tried the hardcore flightcase in the beginning but man was it a nightmare to carry. still have it but i prefer this one. it has wheels and a handle. basically airport-friendly. loaded up it weighs round 20kg + then another 10-20 kg of junks to play, depending on the ride.
for touring or playin abroad i have to slim it down dramatically. gigs outside of finland don't see what could be done with racks, baskets, radiators, gongs....
one thing i find particularly stupid is having 1 power supply for each device. specially the "wall wart" models with annoying tiny wires coming to the device. man what a spaghetti!! pedals + some samplers can be driven with the classic 1-spot and a splitter cable, up to 5 devices from 1 powersource. players should do themselves a favor.
