We audio pros are an odd lot. We have a fondness for gear which may not be the latest model. However, more often than not, as soon as we settle into a rarified combination of a solid and reliable software rev, hardware version and operating system, then one of those three factors changes.
This may simply result in quirky performance, or at worst, system functionality that earns the term “brick” — all very good reasons why you should never install any “new and improved” software or firmware the night before you leave on tour or load the truck for an important gig.
It’s good advice we should all follow, just like Gary Larson’s classic The Far Side cartoon that warns of Raymond’s last day as a sound engineer as he reaches for the console’s “suck” button.
Maybe we all pine a little for those “good old days” before consoles had five-minute reboot times, yet at the same time, we love walking into gigs with our libraries of showfiles on a USB stick. There are pros and cons to both sides. This month’s Green Day tour cover story spotlights FOH engineer Kevin Lemoine’s choice of taking a very analog, Rupert Neve-designed 5088 console on the road. It’s a sweet sound, but at a price — in cost as well as logistics, with its six-foot width and 664-pound heft. And loading showfiles? Fuhgeddaboudit!
Speaking of nostalgia, this month Sennheiser unveils the MD 421 Kompakt, a new version of the beloved MD 421 mic — same sound, smaller body and an integrated stand mount. It’s living proof that sometimes, this progress thing isn’t always so bad…
Travel safe!
Got a comment? Send George an email to george@fohonline.com
