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Working Smarter

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Does anyone else feel guilty about purchasing items that make the job a little easier? I love using powered speakers for smaller stuff—the usual reasons apply (fat, lazy, sweaty, etc.), but I admit to not dragging along an EQ rack when it is good policy. It may be psychological, but the channel strip EQ on the grade of a mixer I am taking to these smaller gigs is not that great, and even worse, sometimes it’s just some DJ mixer directly into the speakers. Yes, I am pretty much a delivery boy on those days.

Combining Both Skills
Granted, I am smart enough to know which DJs I can trust and which require the brick wall limiter plus babysitting. But it is less than satisfying, even on those days when I get to combine both “skills” as the DB/BS (delivery boy/babysitter or decibel bull-shitter!).

I purchased another tool today in the “work-smarter-not-harder” category. It is a two-position hand truck that unfolds to form a four-wheel hand truck. It is my first, and an item that many of you made one of your first purchases, because you are much smarter than I am. It cost about $200, and the reason I feel guilty is that it represents another admission of my getting older, feeling less frisky about pushing gear around. Yes, I have other hand trucks. This more expensive model, about seven times the cost of a “straight” hand truck, will reduce the effort of a load-in by a third or even half due to its increased capacity. It is another item that is key to me being clean, cool and collected at the gig. So, why my reluctance to purchase this item?

Is it because I no longer feel the need to make each gig sound perfect? No, I still want every gig to sound pristine. Is it because I no longer feel the need to drag every piece of gear to the $300 job? Kind of, but I think we all learn that lesson pretty quickly. Is it because I am nucking futz? Yes! What are you willing to pay somebody else to do now that you were never willing to pay somebody else to do before? Is it making cables, changing the oil on the truck or customizing the racks for the next gig? I have been doing this for a while now and have some measure of success. I have the luxury of working in some of the best-known venues in the United States and maybe even the world (doing very small gigs). When do you reach the status when maintaining a supervisory role and not sweating the grunt labor is more beneficial to your enterprise?

We’re All Control Freaks

I think all sound engineers are control freaks to a certain extent. Don’t think this applies to you? Let some guy wrap a cable for you over his shoulder at the next gig! Are you mature enough to thank him for his help, taking your beautifully trained cable from spaghetti-nightmare-making hands and set it aside to discretely rewrap it later? Or do you take the cable, sarcastically droll out a “thanks” while rolling your eyes and unravel and wrap it—THE CORRECT WAY—right in front of the poor, misguided bastard who dared to touch your cables?

It is my nature to control every part of my gig and that includes what I think should be the correct amount of effort to load in and out of the venue. I guess my point is to treat each gig differently. If you are doing the no budget bar band, sweating your cojones off getting the gear in and out is expected. If your doing the corporate gig, budget for and hire enough qualified help so you can simply supervise on the in/out. That leaves you free to speak to the clients/potential clients and your hands free to pass out business cards.

Time Well Spent
You’ll find that this time is well spent, as you can bond with the client, set them at ease and discuss future events! Not putting a hand on the gear to get it in or out is going to set you apart. You’ll find standing there and directing your people makes you more approachable for other vendors at the venue as well as those attendees who liked what you did at the event. I love when the venue approaches me to discuss becoming their “preferred” vendor.

Now for the hard part—not even your well-trained guys do things exactly the way you would. Your best guys don’t treat your stuff as well as you do. But your job at that specific time is to attract more business. Be open to attract that business—this is not the time for you to chew out the tech because, for the 87th time, he put the coiled cable in the wrong place. Be cool, be charming and be successful! I am living proof that you can put lipstick on a pig!