Lost my first gig due to SAC

Discussions about the use and operation of SAC (Software Audio Console)

Lost my first gig due to SAC

Postby randyhyde » Mon Aug 05, 2013 3:54 pm

Well, it had to happen sooner or later.
I lost a gig because I listed SAC on my equipment list. The headlining act choose another sound vendor based on the console in use and they'd never heard of SAC. Didn't have the opportunity to discuss SAC with the band -- they based their decision solely on the info I gave to the event promoter. We did the gig last year (same promoter, different acts) and they loved us.

On the plus side, losing one gig doesn't justify having a far more expensive board. OTOH, if this becomes a regular occurrence I'll probably have to accelerate my movement to a new board on my A rig.

Yeah, I could have rented a board *IF* I had known it was going to come down to this. Never got the chance to discuss the possibility, however.
Cheers,
Randy Hyde
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Re: Lost my first gig due to SAC

Postby Butch » Mon Aug 05, 2013 6:15 pm

ALWAYS talk to the bands FOH guy or at least road manager FIRST
I have only had 4 gigs that I could not use SAC on in the last 3 years
1 wanted only an analogue console (I stll have some)
1 wanted a M7 (I rented it $175)
1 wants an I live (rented $250)
1 was a real pain huge backline needed and a Digico and the band manager was a dick head (by the time I figured my cost the job wasn't worth it and I gave it away)
And NO I will not name that band
Moral of story
No mater what you have they will want something else

Butch
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Re: Lost my first gig due to SAC

Postby gdougherty » Mon Aug 05, 2013 7:11 pm

Might be worth keeping it a bit more vague on something like that where you can cross rent if necessary.
http://softwareaudioconsole.wikidot.com The start of a wiki. It's slow going and there's a ton of info that should be in there yet.
Biggest item is the Command Reference on how to do most actions within SAC. It's 90% of what you need for UI proficiency.

g is for George
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Re: Lost my first gig due to SAC

Postby mycorn » Mon Aug 05, 2013 8:10 pm

LOL

yeah

i have 'various digital mixing' options available....
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Re: Lost my first gig due to SAC

Postby randyhyde » Mon Aug 05, 2013 9:28 pm

Butch wrote:ALWAYS talk to the bands FOH guy or at least road manager FIRST

Butch


yeah, I never got the opportunity. As I said, I did the show last year and they were real pleased so I didn't even know the whole "console selection" process was taking place. Had I figured out what was going on when the promoter asked me what gear I was supplying, I would have listed it differently.

I quoted a covered stage (24'x16'x2'), scrim, and my A rig for $3,000. I'm pretty sure I didn't get beat on price (by a large margin; covering the stage is a *lot* of work and expense). If I had known the console was going to be an issue, I could easily have rented something (PM5D rentals go for $500, for example).

Oh well, live and learn. Fortunately, I don't make my living doing this, so it's not a disaster. Just a bit of experience that will help me quote future bids.
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Re: Lost my first gig due to SAC

Postby newmediamark » Tue Aug 06, 2013 3:19 am

I'm curious about the process of how the band's production people were presented with the options.

As a touring engineer, I am usually put in touch with the sound company/lighting company that was chosen by the promoter/talent buyer because (I assume) they have a history of providing good service to the promoter, and they meet the "loose" requirements of our tech rider. Sometimes I have an option of FOH and MON consoles to choose from the chosen sound co., and occasionally I get stuck with something I really don't care for, but rarely is it intolerable. (for example, M7s are not on our rider ... and I don't like them ... but a few times I get stuck with them ... not the end of the world as we know it).

But I can't remember the last time I was given an option of choosing between different sound companies based on their equipment list. So my question is ... how did this go down? Did the promoter give the artist a choice based on various equipment lists ... or did they flat our refuse to use an unknown console by name only, and the promoter was forced to provide other choices.

It just seems odd to me.

Mark
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Re: Lost my first gig due to SAC

Postby IraSeigel » Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:02 am

newmediamark wrote:I'm curious about the process of how the band's production people were presented with the options.

...
It just seems odd to me.

Mark

+1 on everything Mark says and asks here. When I saw this yesterday, I couldn't understand it either. Please enlighten us.

Ira
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Re: Lost my first gig due to SAC

Postby randyhyde » Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:15 am

newmediamark wrote:I'm curious about the process of how the band's production people were presented with the options.

As a touring engineer, I am usually put in touch with the sound company/lighting company that was chosen by the promoter/talent buyer because (I assume) they have a history of providing good service to the promoter, and they meet the "loose" requirements of our tech rider. Sometimes I have an option of FOH and MON consoles to choose from the chosen sound co., and occasionally I get stuck with something I really don't care for, but rarely is it intolerable. (for example, M7s are not on our rider ... and I don't like them ... but a few times I get stuck with them ... not the end of the world as we know it).

But I can't remember the last time I was given an option of choosing between different sound companies based on their equipment list. So my question is ... how did this go down? Did the promoter give the artist a choice based on various equipment lists ... or did they flat our refuse to use an unknown console by name only, and the promoter was forced to provide other choices.

It just seems odd to me.

Mark


All I know is this: one day the promoter asked me to provide a list of my gear. A month later we enquire as to whether we got the gig so we could schedule people (it's coming up in two weeks). They told us they'd get back to us (last) Monday because they were waiting to hear which console the headliner wanted to use. We never heard back...

Whatever the case, the story we were given was the decision was being based on the choice of console. I really don't know much more than that. I was never given the opportunity to talk with the band's tech manager. Oh well, win some, lose some.
Cheers,
Randy Hyde
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Re: Lost my first gig due to SAC

Postby newmediamark » Wed Aug 07, 2013 12:28 am

Where you advised as to which console met the artists approval? And was the rest of the gear such as speaker enclosures and amplifiers of higher quality? If you have a positive history with the promoter, it doesn't make sense to me that they would not give you the option to provide a different console if it was only about that.

Mark
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Re: Lost my first gig due to SAC

Postby mycorn » Wed Aug 07, 2013 7:22 am

the odd bit here is that there
are so many totally clueless folks that work in the
booking/promotion segment of this industry

especially the "club/small festival" level...

it's not at all surprising to me that
promoter did not forward contact info for the band

the worst ones are the 'yeah... we do this every year'

fwiw
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