Compact digital console

[Stuart91]

Often "silly riders" are an attempt to get a reasonable spec of gear, or weed out inferior providers. They're not always written with the expectation that they will be followed exactly. Classic example is asking for bi-amped wedges, unless you're

many acts will be content with passive wedges of suitable quality. We have some wedges that can be bi-amped, but usually it isn't worth the bother, if I get a rider asking for it I'll usually talk to them about it, so far nobody has insisted upon it. Of course, if Disco Dave has decided to set himself up as a PA company and bought a few furry boxes from the local DJ shop, he's not going to approach that conversation with the same confidence. In the same manner, backline riders will call for DW drumkits to avoid getting a 15yr old Pearl Export with the original skins.

 

Console-wise, with the exception of acts dependent on show files, almost all the band engineers I've come across have been very accommodating. Some welcomed the chance to get a shot on a console they hadn't come across before. Generally, this sort of flexibility and confidence both in their own abilities and the provider, is what sets professionals apart from the rest of the pack.

[OllieDuff]

No love for A&H? You can pick up a GLD-80 with a flight case and a stage box for around 4.8K; I've found them pretty intuitive to use for incoming sound techs, and fairly flexible. The newest firmware also has auto mic mixing which takes a lot of hassle out of lectures and other spoken word events.

[mojo filters]

Hi,

 

Running a small temporary venue for 35 days. 250 seats. Mix content of lecture, comedy, cabaret, jazz bands & DJ's. Min 24 channels, ideally 32. Min 12 outputs, ideally 16.

 

Getting a few wrinkled noses from band engineers about the LS9-32 on FOH. Normally I'd just tell them to get on with it.. this isn't the O2.

 

BUT I've been meaning to chop in an M7 for something smaller, and with so many consoles under £10K its a hard choice. So throwing it out there.. what would you buy & why?

 

-Midas Pro 1

-Midas M32

-Yamaha QL5

-Digico S21

 

As great as they are, stuff like CL's, Pro 2's, SC48's, SD9's are just too expensive. Ideally spend about £5K ish (so I can chop in the M7 and walk away with a little change), but consider £10K - I know the QL5 & CL1 are similar money, but there's the stage box etc.

 

Cheers

 

.gh

 

Given that your LS9 has done ok up to now, why not replace it with the M7 you apparently also own? That seems like a reasonable enough upgrade to reduce the amount of nose-wrinkling from your visiting BEs ... at least to a more acceptable level!

 

For a gig with just over a month to run, it seems absurdly short-sighted to base a 5 digit long term investment decision on the most vague of perceptions ... when your best possible outcome is fewer wrinkled noses, and no extra income (apparently).

 

Given this sounds like it will become a key line item of inventory - why make a hasty and ill-informed investment now, to satisfy 35 days of business you apparently already have?

 

For the amount of money involved, it surely would be smarter to take enough time and determine what you forecast your investment will benefit you over the next three and a half years, rather than 35 days?

 

If you have to deal with further noses wrinkling at your LS9 - surely given it's fit for purpose, the worst case scenario is you offer the (presumably) valued client a slight discount - to account for any dissatisfaction with the perfectly serviceable desk you are already supplying?

 

No wonder Uli Behringer saw such a big market for the X32 and its brothers, cousins etc. If I'd known purchasing decisions were being made in such haste, and with such scant disregard for common sense - I'd have been investing heavily in digital mixing desk market futures ... assuming my target market was similarly made up of folk with more money than sense!