Your Own Equipment

[cedd]

All too often it's a case of "All the gear, no idea". Not suggesting people here don't know what they are doing, but I do wonder about some of the posts.......

 

Most of the posters above are still at school. I wonder where else other than in school their equipment gets used? It would be interesting to hear what people do with their kit and what work they get from it. If they're supporting a school that won't buy its' own kit then something is seriously wrong. Whilst students loan equipment to schools, the school is arguably exploiting that young person by using their money to finance the school's work. I don't begrudge equipment to my old school, and did have a little kit while I was still attending, but the school didn't rely on my kit to make its' shows run. Nowadays they do hire my kit from me because they get a stupidly low price, they know I'm around to help out and I feel I owe them (but not enough to take time off work and give them the kit for free!).

 

What do people do about insurance and PAT testing for their equipment? How do you all transport your gear? Very understanding parents?

Rather than turning this into a long list of "I've got XYZ" let's hear a bit about what you do with your gear as well. Not a trap, simply I'm interested to hear what people who are a lot younger than I was when I started, do with all this equipment.

 

I'll make a start in answering all the above questions I've just posed.

I have my own PAT tester and am an apprentice trained electrical and electronic engineer. My kit is insured for third party as well as theft.

 

My setup (listed further up the thread) is used by local schools (including my old school), churches, theatre groups, bands and occasionally myself for DJing and when I used to sing with a band. It does generate money, however does not aim to be profit making (I'm not good enough and don't have the time!). It does, however, pay for itself after the initial investment and allows me to play with more and more gear as it slowly comes my way. I prefer second hand, quality kit to newer, cheap kit and will make or salvage from a skip, anything I can.

[Happy Jack]

JDP wins a pat on the back, bravo sir!

 

I do like the way the 'grown-up's' have taken over this thread to a point, with an enlightening dicussion about wingnut etiquette. I have taken something away from this, all joking aside. I certainly believe if you have nothing good to say, then you should say nothing at all, so I apologise for my remark.

 

I'll try again.

 

Equipment

 

A clean bill of health

A trunk full of tools

...and enough PVC tape to stretch to the moon and back.

[Killyp]

I'm pretty sure this was a 'get your d•cks out' thread though...

 

 

:(

[gareth]

younger technicians can discuss what equipment they have

Discussion isn't just making a big "my c0ck's bigger than your c0ck" list of equipment (including, bizarrely, equipment that the authors don't even appear to own!).

[smalljoshua]

Ok then. I use my equipment out of school for local theatre and live band re-inforcement.

 

I only buy the equipment I know will hire out more than once.

 

I bought my Basic 100's approx 18 months ago when I first got involved in the Dark side by my local am-dram group (Link to site in TIWBM Thread). I have been doing this with most of my equipment but also buying the obvious (Mixer, Mics, Dimmer, Lighting Desk and Cables)

 

The Am-Dram group wanted to hire some speakers from me becuase they hoped I could give them a better price than their previous provider (Stage Electrics). This is basically how I have got most of my business. When Stage Closed in Plymouth I put a Laminated business card on their warehouse door and being where I am (5 mins from Stage's old warehouse) I have now got repeat business from a few local bands and a couple of Am-Drams. I also hire to my church when they do outdoor events in the town centre.

 

I have Pat testing covered by my School in exchange for use of My kit.

 

I havn't got insurance but I do have written T&C's (ish) that state The Hirer is responsable for insurance for the kit once it leaves my care.

 

I encourage Hirers to pickup/return kit from my house but when this isn't possible, or I am doing the Sound/Lighting too, I do have very understanding parents.

 

Josh

[zac coupe]

I'll list a few bits I own refer to website for comprehensive list of what I own/can easily get hold of. you should know anyway Cookson123 I've done you that many quotes.

 

Loudspeaker Systems

2 x Turbosound TQ315

2 x Turbosound TQ310

4 x Turbosound THL 828

2 x Zeck audio Asp 12

3 x Crown XTI4000

Cables :-)

 

 

Desks

1 x Soundcraft Live 4 32 frame mk2

Soon - Allen heath 16:2 wizzy mix

 

Vehicles

1 x mk6 lwb high top 125/350 ford transit

 

www.earsproaudio.co.uk/hire (EPAS), no relation to East Anglian Radio Services

Thanks

 

Zac

[LXbydesign]

Ahh well , better get the tape measures out then boys!! Hehe

 

Actually im quite jealous about what kit teenagers have to play with nowadays, theirs or not. Certainly the rig in my school just consisted of 12 pulsar dimmers, a pulsar 12 ch. dipless xfade desk, all 5amp patch, one or 2 minuette fresnel and 2 minuette profiles and a collection of some very strange looking fresnels - god knows what make they were but of course none of them had barn doors etc!!

 

the most high tech we got was having a mirror ball.

 

So even when these young people today bleat on about they have this and they have that - even the cheap disco scans tat, thats a lot more than I ever had!

 

Mind u , I remember building a theatre out of lego - complete with fly tower and moving bars!! I even had the lego lights for LX - and I had a working revolve!!!!! The best bit was when my mum bought me the fire station and I was able to use the shutters to make a "proper" dock door!!!! hehe

[HobitLight]

Well, my setup is fairly simple:

 

Consumables:

Several rolls of LX tape*

Gaffa tape

A bag of cable ties

 

Sound:

 

A DJ mixer (asked for a mixer for Christmas... not what I expected <_< )

A Hi-Fi Sytem in my room

A radio mic (v. low quality)

A couple of mics

 

Then again... I'm more of a lighting bloke (see below...)

 

Lighting:

A Lee Filters Swatch Book

:** laughs out loud **: ;) :P :P :P :P :P :P :P

 

Other:

A couple of Sharpies

My good ol' trust Mini Maglight

 

*NOTE TO SELF: Get some more white.

[Trundle]

See CEDD's post was Much more interesting to read, This should (and I think was intended) be the purpose of this topic.

[Bobbsy]

I havn't got insurance but I do have written T&C's (ish) that state The Hirer is responsable for insurance for the kit once it leaves my care.

 

While insuring your gear against loss is a good idea, that's not the main issue. Since you depend on the kit for a bit of extra income rather than making your living, you could handle the loss with a lot of tooth gnashing but no real damage.

 

The insurance that IS important (but very difficult for a minor to get) is Public Liability Insurance. If you look through "The Office" you'll find lots of PLI discussions amongt the professionals because it IS so important. This is the insurance that covers you should any of your gear causes injury or death to anyone.

 

If your gear IS involved in such an incident, it's entirely possible for the victim to sue you (and probably, by extension, your parents) for huge amounts of money. If a person of working age is disabled in the accident, they could reasonable expect a settlement big enough to compensate them for lost earnings for the rest of their life. We're talking losing everything you and your parents own here.

 

...and that's why PLI is important if you own gear and it gets used anyplace out in public.

 

Bob

[smalljoshua]

I will look into PLI and have a read of the topics in the office. I didn't realise it extended to equipment.

 

Thanks for the Heads Up.

 

Josh

[Trundle]

I will look into PLI and have a read of the topics in the office. I didn't realise it extended to equipment.

 

Thanks for the Heads Up.

 

Josh

My current PLI Cover also covers kit Insurance and isnt alot more on top of the PLI. I also have Personal Accident Cover

[Guest lightnix]

I will look into PLI and have a read of the topics in the office. I didn't realise it extended to equipment.

I'm sure you weren't / aren't the only one <_<

 

Come on then - all you teenage owners of massive amounts of kit - how many of you have PLI to go with it?

 

And up-to-date PAT test certificates (while we're on the subject of paperwork)?

 

Well? :** laughs out loud **:

[Ken Coker]

My kit:

 

1 x Brain

1 x Assistant

1 x Contact book

 

Er....that's it it seems

 

KC

[King_Tom]

Well, I own a couple of Hk Fast monitors, A couple of mics, a nice La Audio Di box, and thats it. All PAT tested through work.

 

Apart from that, all I can say is never underestimate the power of a rental company. Shop around im sure you can get what you want for the right price.

 

Personally I stick with one guy, ive got pretty much anything I need at my finger tips, all insured, and PAT tested, I don't have to service it or anything, he brings it, I use it, he take it away again.

 

Easy.

 

Why bother with all the lugging about of heavy gear...

 

Just my opinion tho, don't get me wrong I'd love to have loads of gear, ive always got my eye out for a bargin, but storage becomes a problem pretty quickily.

 

Are the guys who are hoarding loads of gear thinking about moving in to rental at some point, are they already doing it?

 

Do any of you live in the north/west yorkshire area?

 

(always nice to know new guys hiring out gear, we usually rent a lot of gear, on a monthly (if possible) basis)

 

If you live in the area, you might of heard of us, we go by the name of Ur Mommerz Music Shack, hold events every so often, including the open air festival we held last weekend.

 

Tom

 

Tom