Rental companies want to have the best wireless system, but they make little effort to analyze the sound quality/price ratio. Don't forget to train your staff in these systems, so you'll save users hassle on stage.
Juan Tamayo*
Rental companies in recent years have evolved, although not in the same proportion throughout Latin America. Some grow because they are linked to a musical group, others grow because they have a strategic plan that makes the business grow. But no matter the type of rental company, they all want the best for the services they offer, and of course, that it is economical.
Starting from the basis that everyone seeks evolution in their systems, for example, and almost all rental companies offer Line Array systems of all sizes and powers available, the best audio processors, the most modern consoles, the best lighting, there are even some dedicated to the Backline that offer the best instruments, the question that arises is why do we not see an evolution in the offer of microphones for the stage? Why in the contra riders we still have the same 4 microphone options? I'm not saying it's bad, but on the market there are various microphone solutions that can easily satisfy any rider of any band. But what happens in the Latin American market?
Making an unfair comparison, because I can not compare apples with pears, a company would rather invest $ 50,000 in a console than have a second option of microphones for a fifth of the value of the console. And it is with the justification that the console asks for it in the best riders in the world.
Now, how many of these companies investigate what is the second option of the rider in microphones? Very few. Worse, many companies buy the new equipment, invest a lot of money in processing and power, but do not invest in changing the work wiring, or in using $4 connectors because they are very expensive.
This article is not critical of companies in how they spend their money, because as the grandparents say, it is their money. But we do have to question how to make smart investments. Here are some tips that can make your company evolve or, at least, improve the services offered.
In the variety is pleasure
I'm not saying that they have all the brands of equipment, that they have the 5 consoles of different brands, but at least offer on stage two work options to the mixing engineer, who can choose between two brands of microphones, between two consoles. If there is no budget, do not worry, start with the wired microphones, you will be able to observe a pleasant change in the engineer.
Properly store items
Microphones are like your ears, they are the ones that hear the sound pressure generated by instruments or voices and convert it into electrical signals. It is sad to see how microphones treat in some rental companies, as if they were nothing because their economic value is lower than other elements, and they do not realize that it is the most important since that is where everything begins. Design and implement a good storage system for your microphones that allows you to extend the life of your microphones.
Renovation and maintenance
Just as the console needs cleaning and the speakers need to change the elements, the microphones also need care. Basic maintenance is to clean the grids (on the vowels), check the clamps on all and, of course, check the status of them.
Analyze the second option
Generally the first choice of the rider always has the same brand, because it is usually all over the continent. But many technical producers have decided to place their preferred microphones in the second option. Read the second option and check if you have it in your inventory. If you see in the second option constantly the same microphones, hesitate to buy them.
Education to your company's operators and employees
Most of the work in a rental company is physical work. Moving boxes, loading items, unpacking and packing is the daily bread of an event, but it can't be an excuse to let employees educate. Offer them a course on how to choose the right microphone for the solution or instrument, how to locate it for optimal performance, what the gain settings should look like in the processes of conducting electrical signals on the path traveled between the microphone and the speaker.
Possibly not everyone is able to understand the information that is given to them, but at least one will be able to have it and it will make their work better, and who knows, become their technical support.
In wireless technology, sound quality also matters
All rental companies want to have the best wireless system, but they make little effort to analyze the sound quality / price ratio. In the market there are very good wireless systems with excellent sound quality. Try these systems, they will possibly achieve the desired goal and at a lower price. Do not forget to train your staff in analysis and tuning in wireless systems, these trainings save hassle to users on stage.
*Juan Tamayo is a senior application engineer for Audio-Technica Latin America, with more than 10 years of experience carrying out audiovisual projects as a designer, integrator, consultant among other functions. Any questions or comments can be written to [email protected]
