FRONT OF HOUSE
THE TRUTH ABOUT GEAR | Kent Morris
The gear we use to connect people is essential to our role as techs and engineers . Without it we ’ re just bad vocalists wearing black . But with it , we can change any event , primarily in a louder manner . Our kinship with musicians is based on gear and provides a common bond to explore important matters , such as picks . And , like our musician friends , we tend to gravitate toward certain products and brands and away from others based on questionable rationale . With all the brands out there and recent consolidation in the industry , how do you know what you ’ re getting ? Here are some guidelines :
BRANDS ARE SELDOM CONNECTED TO THEIR ORIGINS . Famous guitar makers , console manufacturers , and speaker companies may have been through seven iterations with the same name applied to wildly different products , with quality from excellent to fair over their lifespan . Venture capital firms , banks , and real estate companies now own many MI / pro audio brands . In fact , there are probably only one or two halfcentury old brands with the founder still in the saddle . These rare firms have true “ point-topoint ” beginning-to-now wiring in their gear . While some tribal knowledge can filter down through ownership changes , most is lost to the ethos . This does not mean the current crop of products from a maker is poor ; it means the person whose name is on the box isn ’ t there anymore .
BRAND LOYALTY NEEDS TO BE BASED ON PERFORMANCE , NOT PERCEPTION . The Beatles used certain gear because that ’ s what was available to them at that time and place . It may or may not meet your needs today . Artists endorse gear for many reasons , from love of the product to love of the endorsement check . Chinese firms with no connection to our industry now own many brands that went into bankruptcy during the Great Recession . If the CEO can ’ t use the product they make , look elsewhere . This is an industry based on passion , not logic ; so go with companies who share your passion for gear . Select equipment based on your specific needs and budget .
On the positive side , it ’ s hard for any brand today to remain in business making terrible equipment .
BEWARE THE BOUTIQUE MONSTER . Every few months a new tube amp will come along that is “ amazing beyond belief .” A guy in his basement who has unlocked the ancient code of tube secrets hidden for centuries in Mayan tombs is making them and they are only $ 4200 plus shipping and handling . You can be certain this person has no Underwriters Laboratories safety certification , which runs about $ 10,000 per model to have tested , no distribution network , and no plans beyond the current run of 25 . It may be a great amp , but it may also be wired in a dangerous manner . Plus , in a couple years , it will be passé and you won ’ t get $ 500 for it on Reverb .
THERE IS NO MAGIC . This one is hard for us to accept because we all want to believe in magic . There is no hermit who winds pick-ups by the light of a full moon with wire soaked in swamp water for three months . It ’ s all done by robots and factory workers in China on an industrial scale using the least expensive parts that meet the design requirements . Many brands share the same factories in China , and sometimes it ’ s the same exact product regardless of the perceived halo of the badge on the front .
On the positive side , it ’ s hard for any brand today to remain in business making terrible equipment . There are simply too many choices available to the consumer today for the bad ones to stay around . So , most any product will function as intended and do so safely . The question is : What is the difference you are getting with brand A over brand B ? Does it have additional features , a better build quality , superior after-service support and service ? These are the things that make selecting one product over another a rational decision .
Brands of gear are just like brands of cars , coffee , clothes , and any other purchased item . As customers , our desire is to receive equitable performance for monetary outlay . The best way to do that with audio equipment is to listen to it and use it as intended prior to purchase . Get in there with it and see if it does what all those ads say it does . Only then will you know you are getting what you are paying for .
Kent Morris 35 year veteran of the worship technology arena with a passion for excellence balanced by the knowledge digital is a temporary state .
106 September 2018 WorshipMusician . com