jlepore wrote:... When I'm unlucky, I get the Yamaha's. That is 90% of what I run into out there, with a few oddballs thrown in for good measure.
So let me sharpen my pencil and see if I can do some math here. When touring, you say you get Yamahas 90% of the time and a few oddballs, so let's say 3-5% oddballs. So that leaves you with about 5-7% of the time you get the "rider-friendly" Avids. Do I have that about right? So either the rider that you're touring with isn't very airtight, the band/management/agency isn't strong enough to make that demand/preference, or the sound companies/venues you're working with are simply not willing or able to provide your first choice. Either way, "rider-friendly" doesn't mean jack.
And I will, and have many times, turned down an Avid for something else, like an analog Midas.
Joe, I'm not intending to personally attack or insult you, altho it might sound like it. I'm just saying that the marketing hype behind Avid is way overblown, especially with all the new stuff out there since the Profile and SC48 and Venue first appeared.