Wireless mics for school

[pluto]

Thanks guys all good points to consider. I have arranged a meeting with the teachers next week.

[cedd]

If you do decide to buy then Trantec prices are currently coming down in readiness for the new model they’re releasing later in the year (was on the stand at Plasa Focus) and Sennheiser G3 is likely to do the same when they stop production later this year.

I love the Trantec mics. Physically (apart from the battery door) they’re robust and small. Having a 4 pin mini xlr over a 3.5mmlocking jack is a big deal - the cheaper locking jacks on cheap headsets don’t behave as well as Sennheiser’s own plugs. Been using Trantec for 7 or 8 years (I own 24 of them) and aside from battery doors which are a bit of a weak spot, they’ve been pretty much trouble free.

[Jivemaster]

I was told some while ago that electronics has a 10% per year "service cost", with the need for annual licences, frequent mic replacements and "show per battery per mic" costs, someone needs to commit for the annual service costs as well as the initial purchase costs. These costs are a continuing commitment long after the purchase date and should certainly not rely on a school tech finding someone else's budget to rob or on some member of staff needing to put hand in pocket for repairs or batteries.

[paulears]

Teachers always spend money on their pet interests. Then that teacher leaves and they gather dust. My old college's stock of moving lights are still in the cases where I left them in 2004, while the castors have seen service on many shows because they cannot afford to buy castors from the day to day budgets. It's always the same. Clever teachers can wangle what they personally want to use, the best ones fight their cases well in the star chamber sessions, where the catering department's bid for food mixers gets rejected because one subject is declared to be the favour of the year.

 

College budgets are weirder than schools because they are much more independent. It's a dreadful system really. Much depends on the Head of Finance. Some like hire for is fiscal benefits on the balance sheet, others consider hire a waste? I don't think we have a solid base for giving advice as all schools and colleges have finite money, but spend it very differently.

[Junior8]

Hire or better still don't bother at all. It's a school show after all. There are far more important things to spend money on in schools than this kind of gear.On damage to hire gear if the staff cannot supervise back stage properly and/or put enough fear of god into the cast about damaging the gear they have no business being in the job.

[ojc123]

Hire or better still don't bother at all. It's a school show after all. There are far more important things to spend money on in schools than this kind of gear.On damage to hire gear if the staff cannot supervise back stage properly and/or put enough fear of god into the cast about damaging the gear they have no business being in the job.

I understand the viewpoint and agree with it up to a point.

 

However, it all depends on how you view the equipment. Nearly all of our kit has been bought using proceeds from shows so I'm not concerned with money going from curriculum teaching and learning.

 

I've bought quite a few moving heads and wireless mics so I can get the students used to the kit and so that we don't have a steep learning curve under pressure two days before the show when we want to be doing other stuff. When we do hire stuff in then the students are used to the principles and are aware of how to handle the kit properly and carefully.

 

My thought is that this is arguably more effective than "putting enough fear of god into the students."

 

Teachers always spend money on their pet interests. Then that teacher leaves and they gather dust.

 

I will retire in a year or three and I do worry a little about what will happen. I think the School is minded to get a replacement with some technical knowledge but who knows. There has been very little money for equipment from the public purse over the years; our kit has come from proceeds from shows. From my teaching days though I do agree about the 'flavour of the month' approach to funding.