| To sell or not to sell? [message #319662] |
Mon, 05 May 2008 13:21  |
 Tom Bourke
Messages: 340
Registered: April 2004
Location: Wisconsin |
Has No Life |
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I use to have a very small sound co that during the economy crunch after 9-11 went away. I sold off much of the old equipment years ago but still have a few items kiking around. I have a mint Soundcraft Spirit8-32 (very early unit that saw a very cushy life mostly in storage in its case for the last 5 years.) One PLX3402, 4 home brew 15" subs that have some road rash and 2 Bagend TA12 cabinets in good shape. 1 16x4 100ft snake and a hand full of microphones (6 sm57, 3 sm58, 3 PCC160) and a home brew 50A distro with just enough cable to flesh out a stage nicely)
All this gets used once a year on a paying gig with the subs going out a few times a year to augment a friends rig or to be used at my day job in a school. I am guessing that I get enough money from the yearly gig to cover maybe 25 to 35% of what I could sell the stuff for. Unfortunately the friend has no interest in buying any of it due to he only needing it a few times a year as well.
The way things are going I do not see my self getting back into running a company like this any time soon and if I did get back into running sound with my own rig I would want a small digital board with some powered speakers. So what do you guys think? Should I sell it and use the money for other interests or keep storing it for that 1 or 2 gigs a year?
I have a mild form of Dyslexia that affects my ability to spell. I do use spell checking to help but it does not always work. My form of Dyslexia does not affect my reading. Dyslexics of the world untie! http://incertclevername.com
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| Re: To sell or not to sell? [message #319679 is a reply to message #319662 ] |
Mon, 05 May 2008 14:11  |
Mike {AB} Butler
Messages: 1796
Registered: April 2004
Location: Lynchburg, VA |
Has No Life |
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Tom,
Obviously, you know that there are several factors:
- Resale value of equipment? If higher, then the incentive to unload is high.
- Storage? Is the gear taking up space to a point that is detrimental?
- Is sitting on it till it rots a bad thing?
- Finding more shows a year to justify it's existence would make more sense.
- Keeping the items you know you will ALWAYS use.. no matter what. I sold off my first sound business 21 years ago.. but kept all my adapters, couple of amps, and bought a mixer with a smaller footprint (maybe getting a MixWiz or a Yammi 01V96 would be a hard-to-resist investment), and just kept briefcasing.. until I started the new venture up.
- Last, Do you want to get out of the biz altogether.. or just the provider biz?
HTH,
Mike Butler
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| Re: To sell or not to sell? [message #319722 is a reply to message #319679 ] |
Mon, 05 May 2008 15:54 |
Tom Bourke
Messages: 340
Registered: April 2004
Location: Wisconsin |
Has No Life |
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| Mike {AB} Butler wrote on Mon, 05 May 2008 14:11 |
....
- Finding more shows a year to justify it's existence would make more sense.
- Keeping the items you know you will ALWAYS use.. no matter what. I sold off my first sound business 21 years ago.. but kept all my adapters, couple of amps, and bought a mixer with a smaller footprint (maybe getting a MixWiz or a Yammi 01V96 would be a hard-to-resist investment), and just kept briefcasing.. until I started the new venture up.
- Last, Do you want to get out of the biz altogether.. or just the provider biz?
HTH,
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I think that this is the core of the decision I need to make.
Some more back ground, I have a day job that once the day is done I still have more work to do. It is a school and I spend the days doing AV for needy teachers, then would spend the nights working with needy directors. Not bad people just the nature of the gig. Once I was good natured and would bend over backwards for any of them and loved spending time in the theater. I have now hit a point where even simple gigs are a drag and keeping the helpful friendly part up is hard. I would rather be home. Classic burn out! I am taking steps to alleviate the excessive work load. I just hope it is not too late.
So even gigging with the sound rig sounds unappealing to me. But giving up production completely is also not very attractive. One reason to sell the stuff is to use the money to buy some other non sound equipment. My wife and I have a balanced budget at home so we are not doing bad. Just not enough disposable income for other business ideas. I would love to ditch the school as a daily gig and just work for them on the events where they need me, on more my terms (graduation is one example.) IF I were to restart my sound co it would be with a pile of EV SXa100s and an o1v96. Dry rent speakers on sticks as the main biz.
One thing I have though of is getting a nice prosumer video cam and a computer with proper editing software and making educational films. Working at a school has given me some ideas there. Selling all my equipment that would be not used for video would almost cover a decent setup.
Sorry for the venting, I figure LAB is the only group of people I know who understand this disease we call production work.
I have a mild form of Dyslexia that affects my ability to spell. I do use spell checking to help but it does not always work. My form of Dyslexia does not affect my reading. Dyslexics of the world untie! http://incertclevername.com
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| Re: To sell or not to sell? [message #319869 is a reply to message #319662 ] |
Mon, 05 May 2008 22:17 |
Tom Bourke
Messages: 340
Registered: April 2004
Location: Wisconsin |
Has No Life |
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Another reason to keep the console is that if I do get back into it I can use a smaller digital (o1v96) combined with the 32 ch SC for the bigger gigs with high CH count. Any gig I have ever had I was mixing and I dont see that changing around here.
I have a mild form of Dyslexia that affects my ability to spell. I do use spell checking to help but it does not always work. My form of Dyslexia does not affect my reading. Dyslexics of the world untie! http://incertclevername.com
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| Re: To sell or not to sell? [message #319947 is a reply to message #319869 ] |
Tue, 06 May 2008 04:10 |
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Toby Mills
Messages: 495
Registered: January 2007
Location: New Zealand |
Has No Life |
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Tom
There is a cure for your burn out.
I went through a similar disdain last winter.
My cure was going on a two week tour with a crazy band with recent fame, too much spare cash for their own good, a 60 grand digital console, way too much pa for what was needed playing to packed houses of entirely inappropriately dressed females.
I seriously think those two weeks cured my burn out for the next five years and when i finally stop smiling I'll realise I had actually burnt out in 2002.
Deep down inside somewhere locked away. The gear junkie lives.
It just needs the right stimulation.
Find it Tom, find it.
[Updated on: Tue, 06 May 2008 04:34]
noise productions ltd
www.np.co.nz
"can you please turn down the shit knob"
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| Re: To sell or not to sell? [message #319972 is a reply to message #319722 ] |
Tue, 06 May 2008 07:43 |
Mike {AB} Butler
Messages: 1796
Registered: April 2004
Location: Lynchburg, VA |
Has No Life |
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Tom,
You say burnout.. have you identified what you DON'T like about live work? I do hear you say you like production work.. what does that look like to you?
Let's face it, most of us do this because we either are good at it, like doing it, or have a gear complex. Otherwise, it's just another thankless job that exists in this world.
I know the things that make it worthwhile for me. Having a show that just goes perfectly, where the artists, audience, and production are all diggin' and groovin' along. Things click, and it's a near perfect night. What floats your boat, Tom? What do you hate having to deal with?
If the "pain factor" in doing all this is great, then definitely get out and detox.. as I did. When you decide you're ready to come back.. you will be happier, and if not you will be happier.
Last, most gear seems to fetch pennies on the dollar, such as speakers, cables, and support gear. Your console will take a major hit, and even the PLX (just look on ebay with a watch.. you'll see about what they sell for. However, if you look, and they seen to be fetching good money, strike while the iron is hot!
Regards,
Mike Butler
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| Re: To sell or not to sell? [message #320010 is a reply to message #319972 ] |
Tue, 06 May 2008 08:56 |
Tom Bourke
Messages: 340
Registered: April 2004
Location: Wisconsin |
Has No Life |
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Right now the burn out is with people. I get a constant barrage of demands from people I work with. The burn out is with the day job, not so much with running live sound.
The problem with live sound is it can't replace the income of the day job with it. From reading here there is little or no money to be made in live sound. That seems especially true around here.
So between the crunch of the economy and the stress of the day job I don't really know where to go. Moving to a better area has also come up between the wife and I. So we are looking at that right now too. Too bad we would get squat for our house due to location/ economy.
The suggestions here are good. I won't sell the mics or cables. The amp and speakers can go to a really nice home theater (that gear junkie thing, good thing the wife likes rockin music) And the distro will kik around the garage/shop for extra power. That leaves the console and some limited outboard. I like mixing on that spirit 8, I think that is part of the problem. It is nice to mix on.
I have a mild form of Dyslexia that affects my ability to spell. I do use spell checking to help but it does not always work. My form of Dyslexia does not affect my reading. Dyslexics of the world untie! http://incertclevername.com
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| Re: To sell or not to sell? [message #320047 is a reply to message #320010 ] |
Tue, 06 May 2008 11:25 |
Tom Bourke
Messages: 340
Registered: April 2004
Location: Wisconsin |
Has No Life |
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Example of whats burning me out:
We have a substitute teacher that when ever he is here (several times a week) I have to go "fix" the VCR. Every day its the same thing, he moved the cables.
I have a mild form of Dyslexia that affects my ability to spell. I do use spell checking to help but it does not always work. My form of Dyslexia does not affect my reading. Dyslexics of the world untie! http://incertclevername.com
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| Re: To sell or not to sell? [message #320055 is a reply to message #320047 ] |
Tue, 06 May 2008 11:58 |
Mike {AB} Butler
Messages: 1796
Registered: April 2004
Location: Lynchburg, VA |
Has No Life |
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.. and let me guess.. you have no way to stop that person from doing that. And you "must" service them.. or risk a reprimand?
You know, a good portion of what we deal with daily on this forum everyday is directly related to the subject of technical gaffes and stupidity on the part of others.. where we have NO CONTROL to decide who lives and who dies. I'm surprised you haven't been able to contact this teacher "offline", and try to explain what the proper cabling is.. or at least, say it's already properly cabled when you get the unit, what is causing issues = so you can prevent future callbacks for the same problem?
When I started in the sound biz, a very wise young person (only a couple of years older than me) said, the sound business is all about dealing with people toward a successful resolution of issues as they come up. He also said my tech skills were great, but that I needed to develop my people skills.
I'm not saying that you aren't justified in your burnout. I took off for a while when I started blowing my stack over every little issue that would come up. I lost a very good friend because I came unglued.. when they probably didn't deserve it.
When you get tired of dealing with "stupid".. that can be a danger sign - either need a break.. or find a way to heal and revamp yourself while on the run..
Tom, I would hate to think of losing your tech skills forever. The world needs more of us than ever before, not fewer..
Best Regards,
Mike Butler
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| Re: To sell or not to sell? [message #323575 is a reply to message #319947 ] |
Fri, 16 May 2008 21:24 |
Tom Bourke
Messages: 340
Registered: April 2004
Location: Wisconsin |
Has No Life |
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| Toby Mills wrote on Tue, 06 May 2008 04:10 |
Tom
There is a cure for your burn out.
I went through a similar disdain last winter.
My cure was going on a two week tour with a crazy band with recent fame, too much spare cash for their own good, a 60 grand digital console, way too much pa for what was needed playing to packed houses of entirely inappropriately dressed females.
I seriously think those two weeks cured my burn out for the next five years and when i finally stop smiling I'll realise I had actually burnt out in 2002.
Deep down inside somewhere locked away. The gear junkie lives.
It just needs the right stimulation.
Find it Tom, find it.
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I took your advice and posted an add in the market place for a "fun" gig.
I also tried to "take more joy" out of the events I have left at the school this year. One was a jazz show, we built a full set and I had fun mixing again.
I have an end of year fun day coming up at school, one of the events is basically a big jam session. I plan on having fun with that too. I normally bring my rig in just for the fun of it.
I have a mild form of Dyslexia that affects my ability to spell. I do use spell checking to help but it does not always work. My form of Dyslexia does not affect my reading. Dyslexics of the world untie! http://incertclevername.com
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