Why is it....

[tolley1466]

At my high school (dont go there anymore) they buy in rubbish equipment!

 

They had a 12 ch Soundcraft desk with effects, nice and easy for the school, but then they have to go and buy a Behringer 32 ch desk, whats the point?!

 

It wont last as long as a... say 24 ch Soundcraft Desk. I wish they knew how to do things properly!

 

And "Uni-Directional" mics, never heard something so bad, the frequency range was appalling!

 

Why is it that schools never buy decent hard-wearing gear?

 

Sorry, I just wish they knew.

[Nick LX]

Money?

[PDD]

1. Money (lack of);

 

2. Technical knowledge (lack of, when there is no paid technician);

 

3. Bad advice (follows from above);

 

4. Sometimes it is better sense to buy something cheap and keep replacing it, than to buy something expensive and then not be able to replace it when it inevitably gets trashed.

[Rob_Beech]

Hard wearing gear in a professional environment is one thing, in a school environment it is something entirely different.

 

To buy a desk that costs £1000 (figures picled at random) an have it last 3 years before its trashed by people who can't use it. or to buy a desk at £250 and have it last 2 years before you can swap it for a newer model costing £250.

 

It's not going to sound the best, but with the greatest respect, it's unlikely to be used to it's full potential be it a behringer or a midas and we're unlikely to see the best sound engineers in Yr10.

[nothingatall666]

because they don't understand how it should be, and to be honest they don't care nor do they need to. if it makes the sound they want, they're happy.

 

It's not going to sound the best, but with the greatest respect, it's unlikely to be used to it's full potential be it a behringer or a midas and we're unlikely to see the best sound engineers in Yr10.

 

I agree; I was in a school the other week and found out they only use their 4 Audio Technica ATW 3141 wireless handhelds once or twice a year

so it really isn't worth buying the decent gear.

 

my schools equipment is so out of date/broken that they rely on me and my equipment.

(I'm in year10 so I don't know what they will do when I leave next year)

of course, it being my equipment I look after it whereas if it was the schools; the students would trash it.

[paulears]

In my last year at my college where we did Firsts, Nationals and Highers, we set level of kit based against the course level The idea being that an HND student would really need an expensive condenser as they were capable of hearing the difference, being careful with them and needed equipment as close to the 'real world' as possible. At the other end the First Diplomas used Thomann mics, and the cast off older kit. Why? Simply that over 10 years or so it was clear that the vast majority - there are always a few exceptions - can't be trusted to not wreck stuff, lose it, or leave it around so somebody else nicks it! Over this period we tried booking systems, making people responsible for things they sign out, but they never worked. Being honest, even the HND lot trashed things from time to time, but being older - trashed less. No way I would ever let any student I didn't trust use my kit.

 

You only have to read the things students admit to doing here on the BR to see why nobody in their right mind would equip a school with expensive pro kit. It simply is not needed. Lots of basic stuff is much better!

[tolley1466]

yeah that was the thing at my school, I had to keep lending things out.

 

I tried not to get involved at my school as it was just so unprofessional! really was.

[KevinE]

Back in the mid 1980's our highschool had good equipment really, Furse rheostats and Furse & Strand lanterns. We used Grampian and Tandberg sound equipment. Just before I left in 86 it was upgraded and we ended up with Strand Tempus and new Strand lanterns, the sound was hired-in on an event by event basis but was typically Carlsbro, Electrovoice or Peavey. So nothing budget there! I guess things have changed.

 

I now do servicing for schools and colleges and round here they're a mixed bag, the city council has to put all equipment supplies and installs out to tender and the specs are relatively wide..meaning the cheapest usually wins; so think Skytronic sound, Showtec lighting etc. (there are exceptions).

[ojc123]

I buy cheap stuff so I don't need to worry about it getting nicked, trashed or misused.

[Nick LX]

At my school we have a dedicated theatre, so there is need for high quality equipment, usually resulting in expensive equipment. This includes a digital Soundcraft mixer, and an ETC Express 72.

[Jivemaster]

I think you will find that budget plays a huge part and also budget politics.

 

The school will have a budget imposed by it's govenance body and have to buy all the books materials and services out of that. If a school theatre buys top of range kit then another department gets no books, pens or paper. Also, in schools the kit is under used - two shows a term rather than two shows a week! BUT the kit is still trashed by untrained hands.

[MarkPAman]

There are students out there who will deliberately break things.

 

While a £1000 desk may be slightly more difficult to break than a £250 one, nothing is indestructible.

[paulears]

The school will have a budget imposed by it's govenance body and have to buy all the books materials and services out of that. If a school theatre buys top of range kit then another department gets no books, pens or paper.

That's a big simplification of the system used. The Governors and head work out the school's budget, and it is split into a huge amount of different areas such as premises, staff, catering, etc, then it has a sum allocated for new project start up costs, and then each department get their share. This is split into smaller budget areas again, and very often they are not linked to each other. So the budget for Books, small bits and bobs, consumables etc is not linked to any funds made available for capital equipment. In many bigger schools, a horrible system called star chamber exists - every department puts in a bid for new kit for the forthcoming year. They are all added up, and then as the total always exceeds the funds available, the department heads have to make a case to everyone for their project, on the basis of it's worth. So the science department need new fume cupboards, the Resistant Materials people need a computer controlled router, dance need a lay out dance floor and ballet bares, Music need a new multitrack recorder and a replacement drum kit, IT need multipurpose electronic white boards and projectors etc etc. They all make their case, and the head and Governors (well, the senior management make their recommendations, and the Governors, bless them, usually follow them and rubber stamp the paperwork) decide. Often people get given 80% of what they asked for. If they've been crafty and included a few items that could be lost without compromising the 'whole', all is well, but dance will get either barres or floor, not both!

 

For special projects, this does not mean that getting some movers will cost another department their art paper! Few schools pay any attention to longevity of equipment, as by next year somebody else gets money, and even if asked for, it may well be that after having a few grand one year, it could take time to get back up the pecking order, bids wise as the other departments have long memories. Buying rubbish and having it sitting broken is very common. My old college had a secret equipment graveyard - duff kit that was beyond economic repair (or more often beyond the skills of the technicians). All hidden away out of sight. Not written off, because that mean paperwork and questions, just retired very, very quietly.

 

No school should not be able to buy small stuff because somebody spent too much elsewhere, however, it's not uncommon to have a school or college with a £3000 lighting desk, but not have enough budget left to buy a £100 monitor for it when somebody realises it was missed off the order.

[GreatBigHippy]

I once read somewhere that you can get 90% of the way with cheap kit, its the last 10% that costs ya, how true this is.

 

I've been working as a performing arts tech for 4 years now and I have worked hard to make a case for increasing standards of kit in our school. We are very lucky to be performing arts specialist, which means that, amongst having extra money for kit, they have money to pay me.

 

I often don't have enough money to get everything I want, but normally I have enough to get everything I need.

 

For our major productions we work the same as any other production. We work out how much we are likely to make out of it and spend that. Ok, we don't have overheads like actor and musician pay but they still have to pay for my assistance, and for all the hire kit to come in. The other bonus is that a loss doesn't matter that much. The school is willing to absorb it as the cost for the number of students being involved and the kudos for the school.

 

As for speccing kit, I make sure that everything I spec will be reasonably hard wearing and do the job properly. If it is going to be accessed by all and sundry I may not spend as much as I know it will have to be replaced sooner that I would expect.

 

What "crap" kit do you have? I work with an Allen and Heath PA 16 (pretty much the cheapest in the range) as my main FoH desk running through some EV gladiators (tough as old boots, lets see them try to destroy them!) and I get some very good results from it. You are in a school, 99% of your audience will never notice the difference, and if you CAN get good results from your "crap" kit then think how good an engineer you will be when you finally do get your hands on a Midas!

[tolley1466]

I never used the stuff at school, I didnt want to be a part in it. I just use my kit for gigs e.t.c

 

I just think its wrong that schools buy in such rubbish gear!