Hello Anklebiters,
I have been running my own sound business and mixing for other outfits for more than five years now and I have finally gotten to a place where I am mixing good shows and making good money, but my most recent obstacle has been riders. It seems like every new gig comes along with a rider full of stuff I don't own. I end up either renting gear or subbing out a show I can't handle. I just watch the money go somewhere else instead of to me. Can you help? Thanks,
Mike Healy, Albuquerque, NM
Jamie: To answer your question, yes we can help. First, turn to the "Showtime" section of your latest issue of FOH. Right there is current information on who is using what gear and where they are using it. Take some notes here. You may have some of the gear that is being used by other professional outfits in various parts of the country or world. At some point, you will be discussing that pesky rider with a producer or manager, and it is always good to know which sound companies and artists use the same gear you use.
Now that you have a little extra ammunition, let us look at the reason for a Front of House rider. Generally speaking, the manager wants his or her artist to sound
the same at every venue. Also, generally speaking, the average manager knows very little about live sound equipment. So, it makes sense to their uneducated mind that if you use the same gear, you get the same sound. But we both know that you can put someone with limited experience in front of the most beautiful Midas board and it can sound like crap. And of course, you can put an experienced sound guy in front of a Tapco board and it can sound great. So the challenge here is to convince the manager, producer or whoever is in the driver's seat that it's the engineer, not the gear.
Next, we must recognize that a rider is just a wish list. Only Santa Claus and Genies fill wish lists, not your average sound tech. Also, I look for something on the rider that I have in my arsenal. For the most part, the mixing console is the biggest concern. But if you have the right outboard gear, microphones, monitors, mains or just the right mic stands, you can capitalize on this. If I have anything that is on the rider (and I always have something), I will point out that I have that exact piece of gear and in a sweeping statement claim that the rest will not be a problem.
If that doesn't work and I am asked to account for each piece of requested equipment, I will have to go into a discussion about how the gear I am using is very close to that laid out in the rider, and I will be able to create the same sonic experience. Occasionally there is a little B.S. required, but I am confident in my abilities as a live sound mixer and I believe that always comes across in any of my negotiations.
If push comes to shove, I'll rent gear in order to get a gig I want. But as you mentioned earlier, Mike, renting gear puts money into the wrong pockets. And don't forget, when you replace gear, buy what is being used for the kinds of gigs you are trying to get.
Tim: Jamie's right. I couldn't agree more. An old-timer I know (Willie Nielson) always told me, "It's not the car; it's the driver." I find this statement to be true most of the time. However, the better the board, the smoother the ride. There are a lot of variables that
can affect overall sound. The acoustics alone will always be different. For example, indoor, outdoor, room size, glass, concrete, acoustic tiles, wood, materials of construction, even your own hearing can vary from day-to-day based on how well you slept, whether you've had an altitude change, your health, ear infections, temperature and whether you trimmed the hair in your ears. We can go on and on, but the point is that all of these variables can affect the sound. To reproduce the same sound at every gig would be nice. However, it's not realistic and your particular venue might even be better sounding than any the
producers have heard so far.
So absolutely sell your skills as a sound man. These are skills that take a great deal of training and knowledge. They are your service product.
Often times, the initial rider you receive has some flexibility to it. If you don't own an item, and don't have easy access to it, try to see if the artist will accept an alternate. Before I sub-rent equipment, I always check to see if there is an acceptable alternative.
Taking a little extra time to get to know repeat clients and venues can really be worthwhile. If you are providing gear and not mixing, try to get the opportunity to speak with the artist's sound man personally–you may be able to get a more specific picture of the artist's needs. Usually, that person come in to run the sound exclusively and is more knowledgeable on what the artist and venue needs are than the producers or the artists. Getting accurate information may help create a more accessible rider, and save you time and money in making unnecessary purchases or sub-rentals.
If you can, separate the labor costs, cartage costs and equipment costs on your proposal or estimate. Therefore, your time/labor is covered. You're now being paid for your time. Assuming there's a loan on the equipment your company owns, the equipment rental income should be sufficient to cover your bank
loan payment (or whatever method you've used to acquire your inventory). If it's not covering costs on the loan, you may want to refer to what Jamie said earlier about acquiring equipment that is more widely accepted. And thirdly, the cartage should cover your fuel and truck/transportation costs. Avoid telling the client about sub-rentals. As you know, everyone wants
a piece of the pie, and the more people involved, the higher the cost of providing the requested equipment.
Getting the right equipment is important in being successful. And then you can sell all your old, obsolete equipment to Sonny's. You Albuquerquians will understand.
