You have to be insane to own a studio or an audio rental house, or, if not crazy to begin with, the insanity will slowly overtake the unsuspecting entrepreneur as they realize the money pit they've fallen into. For audiophiles and providers everywhere the lure of the next piece of equipment is not merely a vanity, but a necessity when trying to compete with and stay ahead of all the latest breakthroughs in audio technology. Digital technology has made access to great sounding gear much easier than it was even five years ago and any engineer will attest to the fact that with all the available options, one's dream studio or sound system is only limited by one's budget. There is no such thing as starting small, because even as the first piece of equipment is purchased it is with the foreknowledge that it will soon have to be upgraded or enhanced by another piece of expensive gear. In this respect, audio equipment is to the audiophile as the Sirens were to the mariners of Greek myth. Engineers, strap yourself to the mast and cover your ears to avoid being lured by the sweet sounds that will only carry you to certain doom. Check out the back of any pro-audio magazine and in any given month one can find a liquidation sale or someone selling gear so that they can then, in turn, buy the new and improved upgrade.
After living with a piece of audio equipment for a while a good engineer will be able to glean the optimum performance from the piece, and the little piece of technology might even become beneficial in getting a studio or audio company known for that particular sound. Whether it's boredom or just the eternal search for something better, the audiophile acquires more equipment– at enormous expense–as certain sounds are upgraded and others become obsolete. Keep in mind that the audio world is a stern mistress with expensive tastes, and while many pieces of equipment may have all the bells and whistles and come complete with a new contemporary design, not all will last or be viable in a rapidly changing, highly competitive market.
As a provider of equipment it pays to have easily recognizable gear with name brands and popular model numbers. Unless an unlimited budget is available it would be advisable to any buyer to read a few production riders and see what is the most commonly requested equipment before going out and making any new acquisitions. There are many great pieces of gear on the market, and while a lesser-known model might actually be better sounding than a more popular piece of equipment, one doesn't want to find themselves in the position of trying to sell an item to customers who might be unfamiliar with it.
A good example of this phenomenon is the Midas Heritage 3000 console. A few years ago the Midas Heritage shot to the top of the " Rider" list, but recently it has been getting quite a bit of competition from the Yamaha PM5D for the number one "Rider" slot. Though the console sounds great, is very flexible and appears to have staying power, it is only a matter of time before it, too, will become a number two or three choice. As technical requirements become more demanding it is the manufacturer's job to keep producing new and improved equipment for the consummate engineer, and, in turn, it is in the best interest of all audio providers to keep abreast of these changes, though quite often it is not fiscally feasible to acquire every new piece of "New and Improved" that comes on the market.
As another example, it is a safe bet that most engineers would accept a tried and true microphone package that includes Shure SM58 and SM57 microphones for vocals and instruments and SM98s for the toms. Microphones for the kick drum can include choices between the Shure B52, SM91 or a Beyer M88, with Shure SM81s to mic the cymbals. To round out the package some AKG 414s, a few Sennheiser 421s and a drawer full of Countryman direct boxes will provide an acceptable mic package anywhere in the world. Although there are many companies that make great (and possibly better) microphones, as a sound provider, it may not be feasible to stock them either for reasons of budget, desirableness or reliability.
Audio gear is expensive, and as an audio provider budget is always an important consideration. Therefore, it is imperative to choose one's gear wisely, based on the market in which one is trying to compete. This is not to say that the business is locked into only those tried and true pieces of gear that have been around for years, but there are many products that come onto the market and for one reason or another do not last. At the rate that technology is advancing it's very hard to rationalize the purchase of a seventy thousand dollar item if you are only going to rent it out three or four times a year and find it to be obsolete in two or three years time. Unfortunately, in our business, it is important and advisable to keep up with the latest technology and to stay cutting edge, but being an audiophile is one hobby that can definitely get out of control, especially as you try explaining to your wife why, even after you have expanded the garage for the second time, the cars still have to be parked on the street.
