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Rack Drawer

SKB 1SKB-R1U Rack Drawer

The SKB 1U rack shelf doubles as a sliding drawer, providing a flat surface for mounting non-rack gear or storing accessories. Its lighter weight and lower price make it a practical alternative to the Gator drawer for rigs where locking is not essential. Useful for holding a Mac Mini, wireless receiver, or other small devices that need a stable mounting surface inside the rack.

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SKB1SKB-R1U
Equipment type
Rack DrawerCatalog classification
Documented weight
2 kgUsed in transport and case planning
Rack placement
1UBuilder checks available rail space
Power draw
0WVerified passive · no AC required
Catalog estimate
~$69Use retailer rows for current price and stock

01 · What it does—and what that changes in your rig.

Product overview

Start with the payoff, then work through how it functions, where it fits, and the details that change a real build.

The payoff

Rack Drawer decisions, organized around the whole rig.

Not everything in a working rig comes with rack ears, and the 1SKB-R1U exists to solve that problem cleanly. It's a 1U sliding drawer — pull it open, set your gear on the flat surface, push it closed. A Mac Mini running playback, a wireless bodypack charging cradle, a stack of IEM frequency charts, a backup hard drive — anything that needs to live inside the rack without a permanent mount finds a home here. At $69 and zero power draw, it earns its space without argument.

Equipment type
Rack DrawerCatalog classification
Documented weight
2 kgUsed in transport and case planning
Rack placement
1UBuilder checks available rail space
SKB1SKB-R1U
SKB product panel1U · 0W
Function

How it works in the path

The drawer runs 350mm deep, which is enough for most compact devices but worth measuring against whatever you're planning to rest inside it. The 2kg weight is the drawer itself, empty, so factor in your payload when calculating rack case load ratings. There's no locking mechanism on this unit — the drawer slides freely. That's fine on a static fly rack or a club rig that doesn't move much, but on a truck-toured rig hitting rough roads every night, unsecured contents will shift. Velcro, foam inserts, or a bungee across the front face are your friends here.

Best fit

Where it earns its place in the rack

If your rack stays in one room or moves infrequently, this is a straightforward buy — practical, affordable, and honest about what it is. If you need a drawer that latches shut during transport and you're willing to spend more for that security, look at the Gator GRW-DRWR1 or similar locking alternatives. The SKB wins on price and is perfectly capable when you control how the rack moves. Touring engineers who load their own cases and know their gear will be fine; engineers handing cases to unfamiliar crew should think twice about leaving anything loose inside.

In the rack

Details worth deciding before load-in.

  • Line the drawer floor with a thin sheet of non-slip mat or hook-and-loop fabric — it takes five minutes and keeps a Mac Mini or small device from sliding into the back wall every time someone opens it.
  • If you're resting a Mac Mini or similar device inside, route the cables through the back of the drawer before closing it so the drawer can fully retract without pinching anything against the rack rail.
  • Position this unit toward the middle or bottom of the rack rather than the top — the sliding mass of a loaded drawer is easier to manage ergonomically when you're not reaching over other gear to open it.
  • Use a short velcro cable tie looped through the drawer pull as a simple travel lock; it won't survive a determined tug but will prevent the drawer from rattling open during transport.

03 · What this product asks of the rest of the system.

Compatibility

Treat connector names as the start of the check—not the answer. These are the boundaries that determine a complete working path.

Best fit · Rack Drawer

Use it when 1U and 350 mm of depth fit the case.

Plan the companion path

Use documented companion accessories and system pairing; no physical connector map is verified for this catalog item.

Documentation boundary

No physical connector map is documented. Do not infer compatibility from category or product shape alone.

05 · Compare the decision, not just the price.

Alternatives

The rows are organized around fit, power, I/O, and system role so a cheaper unit cannot hide a more expensive workflow.

Compare
Gator GRW-DRAWER2U Rack Drawer
Fit📐 1U📐 1U📐 1U📐 2U
Power⚡ 0W⚡ 0W⚡ 0W⚡ 0W
Weight⚖️ 4.4 lb⚖️ 5.5 lb⚖️ 4.9 lb⚖️ 7.7 lb
I/O🔌 No documented ports🔌 No documented ports🔌 No documented ports🔌 No documented ports
Estimate💵 ~$69💵 ~$89💵 ~$55💵 ~$119
Deep diveCurrent selectionFull comparison →Full comparison →Full comparison →

06 · Resolve the questions that can change the purchase or build plan.

Planning questions

Short, source-backed answers surface rack fit, power, cabling, and connection details before they become surprises.

How will the SKB 1SKB-R1U Rack Drawer affect rack fit and case depth?

It occupies 1U. Its documented depth is 350 mm.

How much power does the SKB 1SKB-R1U Rack Drawer draw?

It is verified passive and requires no AC power.

07 · See this unit inside a real rack plan.

Builder preview

Placement is only the start. Builder checks space · depth · weight, power headroom, dependencies, and compatible signal paths around this exact catalog item.Open in Builder
1SKB-R1U Rack Drawer positioned in a rack planA simplified plan shows the unit taking 1 rack units.SKB1SKB-R1UFIT CHECKspace · depth · weight1U · 350 mm deep

08 · Related gear, in the order you may need it.