I am finding myself in a frustrating situation. I've been doing sound for my friend's band for about a year, and some other local bands have approached me to do the same for them. My dilemma is that these other acts want me to provide more equipment than I currently have. I'm willing to make the investment, but the brands of equipment that fit the budget don't meet my expectations of quality. How can I provide what these clients want, and do it with respectable equipment? Josh Norton Cincinnati, Ohio
Brian: Well, Josh, I see a few options for you. Most people would buy what they can afford, and eventually upgrade it to something better. I don't recommend this because you will spend more money in the long term that you would if you had bought nice gear to begin with. Say you spend $150 on a cheap compressor, but you really want the $450 model. After a year you've saved up some cash and you sell the cheap compressor with plans to buy the nice one. You only get $75 for the used compressor, and proceed to spend $450 on the new one. The $450 compressor has now cost you $525. And you weren't able to meet your own expectations of quality for the past year.
The next option is to wait and save up the money to buy the nice gear you always wanted. In the meantime, you can rent the pieces you don't have. Don't forget to bill this cost to each job. I like this option because you can always provide your client with the quality of service that you want to provide.
The third option is to get a contract with your client for multiple shows at once, offering them a discount if they can give you a deposit up front. Now you have the cash in hand to buy what you really need. This is great because someone else has made the investment for you and you can still use the nice, new gear when working with all of your clients.
Paul: Brian, you have a great debate here. I have struggled with this for years. Purchase what will be rider acceptable. Bear in mind that if you have to negotiate with an act on what gear you have, then typically the act wants something in return from their rider. What I mean is this. The rider requests a Yamaha PM4000 and you have an Allen and Heath GL4000. If you call and negotiate to use the GL4000, then the act wants a dbx compressor and not a Behringer. I bought what I could afford and then needed to rent more rider-acceptable gear and this cost me more in the long run. I also purchased the best sounding effects processors and then needed to rent a cheaper but more rider friendly one because the band engineer didn't want to use mine. Name brands don't always mean that it is the best choice, and rider acceptability is usually the best way to go. Avoid debt as much as possible because contracts can dry up if the markets go south. Let your ears be your guide along with rider acceptability. That said, do the best with what you have and rent the rest until a proven need exists. It might be that the bands will only use you for a short period of time and then go on to someone else for a better deal, or even purchase their own gear. Wouldn't it be nice if we could afford all the toys we needed?
Brian: Oh, man would that ever be sweet. How much does that latest digital console cost??? Of course, that's part of the problem. We toss our equipment in and out of vans and box trucks constantly and don't think about what it's worth while we're using it, but man, all of this gear we work with is incredibly expensive. Even if you build a complete system with more modestly priced brands and models of gear, it's easy to spend 10 to 20 grand before you have all the components you need. So, stepping up to real top-end gear can really choke a smaller company financially. Most of us with lots of gear have acquired it all in steps. And you have to look for cost-effective ways to purchase equipment. Going to your local (or national) music store is usually not the way to go. However, I have found many bargains on used equipment at a variety of music stores. But, no matter how you buy your gear, don't put it on the credit card and don't take out a loan for it. So many guys have to think about when a piece of gear has paid for itself. Wouldn't you rather think about what new piece of gear your current system is going to help you buy next month?
Paul: Speaking of a digital console, I wrote an article regarding the Yamaha M7CL. It is a wonderful piece of gear and it costs around $20K depending on what version you want. The nice part of digital consoles are the ability to save your work and recall it immediately. Also another great feature is when you buy the console, the need for outboard gear is done away with. Maybe you should save your money and buy a digital console and not spend on compressors, gates, effects processor and EQs. All of that money is saved when you buy the console. With today's gear prices and availability, one must really be vigilant on what to purchase. Be careful and keep out of debt when possible. Most of all, though, have fun and enjoy the ride!
