BG> -> Reminds me of a "consulting" job a family-run country show
BG> wanted
BG> -> done (at least the papa of the bunch) in PCB, Fl.  The ex
BG> Ah yes, free consulting.. what a concept.
Yea, the sound person puts in the time, labor and sweat on learning the 
"trade" and then someone wants ya to give it away.  (or dang near it!).
BG> then expect to get it for free. Most of the time I have been
BG> directly working with a contractor/dealer so we could "absorb" the
BG> consulting in the profits. I even had one small hotel/convention center
BG> purchase a system and when I came to install it, told me that they had
BG> shopped my bid and gotten a better deal elsewhere (with a lot of corners
BG> cut), but when it went to court, I knew I was out of luck when the judge
BG> knew him personally.. small towns... You be amazed at the sloppy job
BG> contractor did, maybe not though, come to think of it, I've
BG> seen so much schlokky work done under the guise of "professional sound" 
BG> over the  years.
I put in a bid on a junior high school auditorium system in Fl.  The 
engineers' specs and the equipment being used was not very high quality.  I 
asked the contract contactperson with the county if we could put in a bid 
using custom equipment as well as our own accoustic specifications for the 
room.  (We even went to the construction site and took a hard hat tour of the 
auditorium while it was barely under roof.)  When we submitted our bid, they 
wanted specifics on the custom speakers that were being used... (and we gave 
the contactperson with the architectural firm the specifications of the 
speakers, as well as other hardware, and the capabilities of the cabinets, 
but refused to give exact specifications in the design of the cabinets (part 
of which would be set in an overhead array)... We gave him the outward 
dimensions of the array and the weight (so the rigging could be done) but he 
wanted to know the engineering aspects involved in the cabinets themselves, 
(so he could later build duplicates for other auditorium applications.)  His 
reasoning: "I'm always doing jobs outside the firm  for churches and small 
auditoriums; and would like to be possibly be able to use the design in 
future bids."  I told him, "Great, that would mean more work for my company, 
then!"  and grinned.  He didn't think it was amusing cause he was serious... 
and I didn't get the contract.  And, the equipment that went in the 
auditorium spent more time being serviced than it did in the auditorium; and 
I knew some of the kids who went there and everyone of them complained about 
how bad the auditorium's sound always was.
BG> They either became instant experts (isn't if funny how often
BG> THAT happens, after all they know someone who owned a stereo system
BG> once)
BG> They were looking for validation that their sound system was
BG> primo. It wasn't, they didn't want to hear about it apparently. Note how
BG> they all of a sudden knew enough to reject any ideas you gave
BG> them!
You're right!  The youngest son was upset when we told 'em the mix wasn't 
right.  (They had a grand piano on stage that could not be heard at all 
unless the keyboardist was doing "Last Date" or another song featuring the 
piano. They didn't want to change the mix (I kept telling 'em, "It's not 
because I'm a keyboard player, that there should be more keyboard in the mix. 
 There's not enough to fill in when it should be filling." The answer:  
"Well, she doesn't play good enough for the volume level to be raised!"  I 
couldn't grasp why she would be given solos ("Last Date" and some others) if 
they didn't think she could do keyboard work as fill (rhythm section). Go 
figger!
BG> Regarding mixes, though, I've never heard of setting the knobs
BG> and  walking away from a serious mix, I'm constantly adjusting
BG> something to tweak the mix correctly from an acoustical, sound system and
BG> most importantly, musically valid mix.
I've seen both kinds of "mixers" (chuckle).  When my ex and I did the 
majority of sound work at Hank Jr's club in PCB, on occasion an act would 
bring in their own sound person.  Big Al Downing's soundman tweeked 
constantly (worked harder during the set than he did on setting it up.)  
There were times *I* think he just wanted to make it look like he was doing 
something especially since there wasn't much, if any, audible difference in 
the sound and he always returned each control to where it had been at the 
first of each song. (I was at the foh board during most of the show - even 
though I didn't run the board. - cause the house board was also there.)
BG> -> whatsoever. I guess they figured we'd do it for the
BG> admission
BG> -> price for each person (3 of us).
BG> That is a tough thing to do, having the value of your
BG> information
BG> percieved and how your information compares in value what Joe
BG> Schmoe from DJ Sound just told them. Sounds like you gave them a bunch
BG> of consulting for free. Hopefully, they at least listend to the
BG> ideas  for future reference.
I didn't give them *that* much free info.  I told them the overhead array 
needed to be moved, (but didn't tell them where to put it - )
I told em the mix was wrong but didn't tell them exactly how to correct it. 
(The vocal mixes and the vocal mics weren't set right as well as the overall 
mix itself).  The lows, mids, and highs of the mics were not set according to 
the capabilities of the particular vocalist.  Instead of setting the levels 
flat - since different vocalists (males and females, adults and children) 
used the 4 or 5 vocal mics, the sound man wouldn't get the levels set for 
each vocalist before the particular song being sung was over - unless it was 
one of the regular adult members of the band. (talk about squalls, squeals, 
and rings and rumbles.
BG> and audio expertise. It's even harder when you are female to
BG> get that "trust" level sufficient to be able to charge for what you're
BG> worth (besides I can't work that cheap!). Fortunately, locally, I've
One of the females from IATSE 76 was in charge of the John Satriani (sp?)
(That kinda surprised me when I found out about it today!).  The guys I 
talked with today said it was a great concert and she did a great job! (and 
that was from her colleagues!)
BG> equipment. The original contractor had sold them 4 of the large
BG> Altec
BG> Multicell horns and had set them up in a very cockeyed fashion
BG> in the
BG> 1000 seat auditorium. I've always liked the Altec line, making
BG> stuff that will last as long as the facility it is put in, but
BG> not
BG> necessarily THE finest.
I did some decorating in the north and south banquet halls of San Antonio 
Convention Center the last couple of days (with IATSE) as well as the trade 
show affiliated with the convention getting ready to start this next week 
(filling the entire convention center.).  I happened past the microphone 
controller of the in-house system in the South Banquet Hall and took a 
ander.
 It was Altec too.  Although I hand-pleated the foh stage and the speakers' 
stage, I couldn't see what the console was (16 channel) nor the amps or 
effects racks the sound crew was setting up - but there was a lot of 
technical problems getting that system to sound right in the room.  (The 
permanent stage is on one of the long sides of the room and it's definitely a 
lively room - brick wall on all three sides with parquet floors.  There's 
been accoustic spray added to the ceilings in both rooms.) The colorful 
language was flying everywhere (at least amongst the crew setting up the 
sound!).
Nancy
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