It really is time to get out of this business

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

It really is time to get out of this business

Postby randyhyde » Fri Mar 13, 2015 3:25 pm

I've had some problems over the past couple of years with people underbidding me and providing inferior equipment. The latest was too much to take:

8 shows/year, 5-year contract (which they ultimately settled on a one-year contract with the winner).

Equipment list:
Equipment list -
(1) Yamaha QL1 digital console
(1) TSC FOH Rack (dbx 4800 4x8 system processor), Waves SoundGrid Server, PC Host production computer
(1) Snake system - Whirlwind Concert 40 (32x8 split snake), (2) 50' 12 channel sub snake, (1) 50' 6 channel snake
(1) Main snake cable - Whirlwind - 200ft 40 channel - W3 connection (1) TSC 12 channel Drive snake
(1) FOH AC Feeder cable - 200ft
(1) House amp rack - (3) QSC PL380 power amps, (1) NEXO Processing
(1) Monitor Rack - (3) QSC PL380 power amps, (1) dbx 480 processing
(6) NEXO GEO S12 Speakers
(2) JBL 4719 Dual 18" subs
(8) JBL SRX712M monitor speakers
(40) custom TSC/Whirlwind mic cable
(8) Shure SM58 mics
(8) Shure Beta 58 mics
(4) Shure SM86 mics
(4) Shure Beta 87C mics
(3) Sennheiser 421 mics
(6) Shure KSM137 mics
(4) Shure SM81 mics
(8) Whirlwind DI's with Jenson Transformers
(1) TSC adaptor box
(1) TSC workbox
(16) NL4 50' speaker cable
(1) Feeder cable - Single phase 50amp connection
(1) TSC Custom power distro
(16) Stage AC cable
(4) Whirlwind AC drops
(1) A1 mix engineer / System engineer
(1) A2 audio tech
(1) Trucking

Price: $875 per evening.
This is certainly less than my A rig, but the price seems exceptionally low.

This will be my biggest year in terms of gross income, but that's largely because I've got a community (black-box) theater gig pulling in a lot of money. People (sound providers) in my area must be getting desperate or something. Two years ago (same prices as today) I was the cheapest, by far. Now about every other bid I try I get underbid at 50% of my price. Worse, with the influx of cheap digital boards, SAC is becoming a real liability. I had one person tell me that "the other bidder had an X32 board, what is SAC?" It's one thing to lose out to the likes of Yamaha, A&H, Soundcraft, or Midas boards. But when you start losing out to Behringer...

Oh well, soldier on.
randyhyde
 
Posts: 385
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:42 pm

Re: It really is time to get out of this business

Postby RBIngraham » Sat Mar 14, 2015 8:17 am

I don't think SAC was ever a great choice if part of your biz is to provide gear to other users and engineers. Only the flavor of the month in console choice has changed. What was once a mid level analog desk became an M7 or LS9 and now its the QL or Soundcraft Si or the X32. Its a game really, with engineers wanting something they know or someone told them they should have or something they saw in a trade rag and rental houses trying to provide them that gear at low rates. There is probably a good reason so many small sound providers go out of biz. They go bankrupt trying to keep up with the latest and greatest gear. Honestly, if you're not constantly selling off and buying new stuff it seems like you get left in the dust. At least that is what I see happen, from talking to sound gear providers. The ones that keep using the same gear for decades have a certain rep if you know what I mean. Even if that gear is perfectly fine and adequate for the clients needs. It doesn't always make common sense, but it seems to be the way things work.

I guess I should just be thankful that most days the people that hire me don't care what gear I use as long as the show sounds good. I get hired for the skill set more than gear choice. But its a different animal all together.
Richard B. Ingraham
RBI Computers and Audio
http://www.rbicompaudio.20m.com/
SAC details and goodies at: http://www.rbicompaudio.20m.com/SAC.html
RBIngraham
 
Posts: 1021
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2012 1:05 pm
Location: Cleveland, OH USA


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