audio-engineering-nw

How to Tell Your CFO That "Cheap Audio" Costs More Than Premium Audio

Wed, 20 May 2026 05:27:13 GMT

You need $100K for audio. Finance says $60K is enough. You know the $60K will fail. But you need to prove it. You need language that speaks to ROI, not technical specs.

You know the CFO doesn't care about "frequency response." They care about risk, reputation, and revenue. You need to translate technical needs into business value.

We've helped producers defend budgets for years. We provide the data, the guarantees, the language you need to win the argument.

The Plan:

Risk Quantification: We show you the cost of failure versus the cost of prevention.
Visual Proof: We provide computer models that show exactly how the system will perform.
Performance Guarantees: We put our fee on the line. If we fail, you don't pay.

The Win: The CFO approves the budget. The event succeeds. You're the producer who understands the bottom line.

The Loss: The CFO cuts the budget. The event fails. You're the producer who couldn't make the case.

Arm yourself with data.

Request our "Executive Audio Briefing" kit.

Your Event Will Have a Crisis. Are You Ready?

Wed, 20 May 2026 05:24:54 GMT

The Truth? Something will go wrong. Power will flicker. Internet will drop. A cable will fail. The question isn't if—it's when. And when it happens, the audience will notice. Your boss will notice. You'll be the one who has to explain why.

You know the difference between a producer who handles crises and one who doesn't. The first one gets promoted. The second one gets replaced.

We plan for the worst so you can enjoy the best. We build redundancy into every layer. We train our crews to fix issues without the audience knowing.

The Plan:

Redundant Systems: Backup power, backup signal paths, backup audio engines.
Crisis Drills: We run "what-if" scenarios before the event.
Silent Recovery: Our engineers fix issues without the audience noticing.

Option A: A crisis happens. We fix it. The audience never knows. You're the producer who stayed calm.

Option B: A crisis happens. You panic. The audience notices. You're the producer who lost control.

Don't wait for a crisis.

Build your safety net with our crisis contingency planning.

Your Global Event Has 3 Time Zones. Your Audio Should Too.

Wed, 20 May 2026 05:21:14 GMT

You're hosting a town hall in Seattle, London, and Singapore. The CEO speaks once. The feeds must sync perfectly. If the audio lags in London, the Singapore team thinks the connection is broken. If the feedback loops in Singapore, the Seattle team hears it. You're managing chaos across three continents.

You know the IT team will blame you if the audio fails. You know the regional leaders will complain if they can't hear. You know the CEO will notice if the feeds aren't synced.

We've managed global events for Fortune 500 companies. We know the latency, the bandwidth, the coordination. We don't just set up local systems—we orchestrate a global network.

The Plan:

Central Command: We establish a master control hub to monitor all sites.
Latency Testing: We test the network before the event to ensure sync.
Local Teams: We deploy certified teams at every site, backed by our central command.

Success: The CEO speaks once. Everyone hears perfectly. The feeds are synced. You're the producer who made global feel local.

Failure: The feeds lag. The audio echoes. The CEO looks confused. You're the producer who couldn't manage the complexity.

Don't let geography break your event.

Book our global event coordination service.

Your Product Launch Could Move Stock Prices. Don't Let Bad Audio Tank It.

Fri, 01 May 2026 15:46:40 GMT

You're not just launching a product. You're launching a narrative that could move shares up 3% or trigger a 5% drop. The analyst calls, the press pool, the investor deck—all of it hinges on one moment. And if the audio cuts out during the CEO's reveal, that narrative dies before it begins.

You've seen it happen. A competitor's launch went viral for the wrong reason—a feedback squeal, a dead mic, a video that wouldn't play. The memes lasted longer than the product announcement. You're terrified that your event becomes that cautionary tale.

We've stood in the control booth during earnings-season launches. We know what happens when the audio fails at 2 PM on a Tuesday. We don't just bring gear—we bring the discipline of a team that's been through the fire and knows exactly what to do when the pressure spikes.

Pre-Event Stress Testing: We simulate failures before you arrive. If our backup doesn't kick in automatically, we fix it before you ever see it.
Executive-Level Briefing: We brief your leadership team on exactly what to expect, so they're not blindsided by technical cues.
Real-Time Command Center: Our lead engineer has direct access to you during the event. No middlemen. No delays.

Imagine this: The CEO walks out. The lights hit the product. The room goes silent. The message lands. Analysts tweet positively. Your stock holds steady. You get the email from the VP saying, "Perfect execution." You go home knowing you protected the company's market position.

Instead of This: The mic dies. The CEO stammers. The press writes about the "glitchy launch." Your VP asks why you didn't vet the vendor better. You spend the next quarter rebuilding trust.

Your launch is too important to gamble.

 Schedule a pre-launch technical audit with our team. We'll show you exactly where the risks are—and how we eliminate them.

Your Town Hall Could Cost You Your Job. Here's How to Protect Yourself.

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:38:15 GMT

You're hosting 5,000 employees. The CEO is announcing layoffs, restructuring, or a merger. The room is tense. Every word matters. And if the audio in the back row is muffled, 2,000 people will leave thinking the company is hiding something.

You know what happens when employees can't hear. They assume the worst. They start rumors. Slack channels light up. HR gets flooded. And somehow, you're the one who gets asked, "Why didn't you make sure everyone could hear?"

We've managed town halls during crises. We know that audio isn't just technical—it's political. When people can't hear, they don't trust. We engineer trust through sound.

The Plan:

Coverage Mapping: We map every seat in your venue. If someone can't hear, we move speakers until they can.
Hearing Accessibility: We ensure compliance with ADA requirements and hearing assist systems. No one gets left out.
Post-Event Audit: We provide a report showing exactly how many seats had optimal coverage. You have proof for your stakeholders.

Success looks like: The CEO speaks. Every employee hears every word. The Q&A flows. The internal survey shows 95% satisfaction. Leadership thanks you for "making this happen smoothly." You're the producer who delivered during a tough moment.

Failure looks like: Employees complain they couldn't hear. Rumors spread. Leadership questions why the event felt "disorganized." You're on the defensive for weeks.

Don't let audio become the story.

Book a venue walk through with our team. We'll show you the coverage map before you commit.

The $50K "Save" That Cost Someone Their Promotion.

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:04:21 GMT

Finance approved a $200K budget. A vendor came in at $150K. Your boss says, "Great, save us $50K." You sign the contract. Two weeks later, the system fails. The "save" becomes a $100K emergency fix plus reputational damage.

You know the math. The cheap vendor cuts corners on cables, crew experience, and testing. When it fails, you're the one who recommended them. Your boss doesn't remember the $50K saved. They remember the $100K spent fixing it.

We've seen this movie before. We've sat in the debrief meetings where the producer explains why the "budget" choice became a career-limiting move. We help you make the case for quality before the contract is signed.

The Plan:

Line-Item Transparency: We show you exactly what's included and what's excluded. No surprises.
Crew Credentials: We provide bios of the exact technicians who will be on-site. You know who you're hiring.
Performance Bond: We put our fee on the line. If we don't deliver, you don't pay.

You Love: The event runs flawlessly. Your boss sees the value. You get the budget increase for next quarter. You're promoted because you proved that quality drives results.

You Hate: The system fails. You're in the post-mortem explaining why you chose the cheaper option. Your next promotion goes to someone else.

Stop gambling with your career.

Request our "Budget vs. Value" comparison sheet. We'll show you the real cost of cheap AV.

The 3 Seconds That Can End Your Event (And Your Credibility)

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 22:35:41 GMT

The CEO walks to the podium. The mic is dead. Three seconds of silence. Then the engineer taps the mic. Then another tap. The CEO waits. The audience shifts. Those three seconds become three minutes of awkwardness. And you're the one who has to explain why it happened.

You've been in that room. You know how fast trust evaporates. The audience doesn't blame the vendor. They blame you. And your boss remembers every time you've had to apologize for a technical failure.

We don't just bring microphones. We bring RF coordination, frequency scanning, and redundant systems that make failure impossible. We've guaranteed zero dropouts for Fortune 500 events for five years.

The Plan:

RF Spectrum Scan: We scan the venue 48 hours before and again on-site. We find interference before it finds you.
Dual-Channel Redundancy: Every critical mic has a backup channel ready to switch instantly.
Battery Protocol: We change batteries every 90 minutes, regardless of life remaining. No surprises.

You win: The CEO speaks for 45 minutes. Not a single dropout. The audience never notices the technology. You're the producer who made it look easy.

You Loose: The mic dies. The audience laughs. The CEO loses their rhythm. You spend the rest of the event apologizing.

Three seconds can ruin everything.

 Lock in our Zero Dropout Guarantee for your next event.

Your Speaker's Message Is Worth Millions. Is Your Audio Worth the Same?

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 15:51:28 GMT

You booked a $200K speaker. The content is gold. The slides are perfect. But if the audio is muddy, the message dies. Research shows 60% of audience retention is lost with poor audio. You're burning $120K of speaker value on bad sound.

You know the speaker's reputation is tied to your event. If they leave saying, "That was the worst sound I've ever had," they won't come back. And your boss will ask why you didn't invest in better audio.

We treat speaker audio like a broadcast. Every frequency is tuned. Every level is calibrated. We don't just make it loud—we make it clear.

The Plan:

Speaker-Specific Tuning: We tune the system to the speaker's voice type before they arrive.
Real-Time Mixing: Our engineer adjusts levels as the speaker moves, ensuring consistent volume.
Post-Event Report: We provide audio quality metrics you can share with leadership.

You love: The speaker leaves impressed. They recommend you to their agency. Your boss sees the ROI. You're the producer who gets the best talent.

You hate: The speaker complains. They don't return. Your boss questions your vendor choices.

Don't waste your speaker investment.

Book our speaker audio optimization service.

How do I Interpret an AV Quote

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 21:33:41 GMT

Pro Tip:

So you’ve got an event coming up and you need AV. You reach out to several places and the quotes have finally come back. (Why that took so long you have no idea, but I digress. Lol)

To your dismay, there is no order or synergy between them. With some it’s just a bunch of line items of stuff that looks more like a shopping list or recipe than a solution, others are beautiful proposals but the prices are all wildly different. What gives?

How do you make sense of it?
Which one is the correct price?
Which one is too high and which one is too low?
How do you know if your getting what you need or being overcharged or going to come up short on show day?

You don’t want to over pay, but you also don’t want to be embarrassed. Well, you’re in luck. Let’s dive in and I’ll show you how to interpret all of this.

Step 1 - The absolute first thing to look at is the people. The people will make or break your event.

Sometimes called labor or crew, sometimes called technicians. Sometimes they just say, A1, A2, A3, LD, General AV Tech, whatever.

First question is how many are there?

You’re going to need to think of the scope of your event. If you have a small 10 or 15 person meeting and the stakes aren’t terribly high, there might only be one person and that’s probably just fine. If that same meeting is 10 or 15 fortune 100 CEOs, you might want more and better people (But if you’re doing that event, you already knew that. Thanks for trusting us again this year! See you next year!).

While assessing the people, think about them like different departments or even different companies because often they are.

Audio
Video
Lighting
Power
Rigging
Staging
Scenic
Creative
Etc

Each one of those is a different skill set. An entirely different trade. If we were to relate it to home services since that’s something most of us can relate to easily. You could break this down into:

Electrician
Plumber
Flooring
Painter
Roofer
Landscaper
Carpenter
Handyman
Etc.

Now, to tie them together; a general AV tech is similar to a handyman. (Think In-House AV here) They can kind of do a little bit of everything but don’t necessarily specialize in one thing or do anything exceptionally well. Depending on the scope, it can be just fine, honestly. Need a lightbulb changed or an outlet swapped out? Easy. Some light drywall patching from the soccer ball that hit the wall? It all turns out fine-ish. But, when you go to re-do the electrical panel or re-roof the house, you don’t call your handyman. You call a specialist. Someone with years or decades of experience in that one specific thing that is super important for the integrity of the house. A leaky roof or a mis-wired electrical panel, can spell disaster. A drywall patch that didn’t hold? Not as critical…. See where I’m going here?

Our event industry works exactly the same way. An AV company is just the general contractor.

Each specialty is a subcontractor. Audio is a subcontractor, Lighting is a subcontractor. Video is a subcontractor, etc. Each with their own set of obsessed specialists that have forgotten more about their topic of expertise in the last 5 min than most General AV Techs will ever know.

Now, some companies house these all under one roof and try to do them all. (AV Companies) Some even do a pretty good job at most of them. But the absolute best? They do one thing exceptionally well and are able to source other exceptional subcontractors for you to create a team of superheroes that make you look like a Golden God to your client. They find the other companies or departments that also pack a bunch of “yeses“ into their proposal. That way when you get on site and things change, they can say yes to the additional requests.
I know, I know, things have never changed on site for a show ever……..��

Now that we have lifted the curtain on the hierarchy or the framework that we are asking for bids on. Along with the companies and people were dealing with, we can start to dig into some pricing to see if we’re getting a fair shake.

Again with the people, I would look at what they’re charging to see if that aligns with what other skilled trades typically go for in your area. Again a plumber or an electrician, etc. If the hourly or daily rate (typically they are billed on a 10 hour day) is approximately what it would cost for a plumber or electrician or other skilled trade in that area that’s about right. If it’s significantly lower than that, buyer beware. That is not a very experienced operator and may cause challenges on your show. If it’s a super simple show with a super tight budget, maybe it’s OK. If there’s any type of complexity with cues and stingers and walk on and playoffs, I might be looking for somebody a little more experienced. If they are charging several times what that would look like for other skilled technicians in the area, that would be excessive in my opinion.

Now I would look to see if there are enough people and if there are specialist in each seat or department. This will again depend on the scope of your event.

Let’s Make a event scenario for our discussion today so we can have some actionable data. We have the three basic departments of Audio, Video and Lighting, in a hotel ballroom for several hundred people. I would expect there to be multiple technicians in each of those departments. That might look something like:

A1
A2

LD or L1
L2 or Master Electrician (not to be confused with the master electrician that will be handling the event power more on that later)

V1 or TD
LED or Video Tech
And possibly one or two more people in each department, depending on the complexity of our couple hundred person ballroom event.

Now you can put together a reasonable scope and starting price.

Here on the West Coast of the United States, all of those trades are north of $100 per hour. Electricians, plumbers, auto mechanic, Audio Engineer, Lighting Designer. Skilled trades are roughly the same cost across industries.

So, for easy math let’s say there are two people per department, three departments operating on a 10 hour day. That’s going to be a base cost of $6000 to crew the event. Assuming there is no overtime or double time. (You ARE minding your business right?) Don’t let your schedule or scope creep too much or it will cost you big money.

Now, you can factor in logistics, trucking, delivery whatever they call it, which is again going to be another person driving probably an hour or more each way in a box truck. That probably ranges from several hundred to maybe $1000 round-trip in town.

Great $7K baseline cost for our event so far. Simple enough.

Step 2 - Onto the gear or equipment. Which, if I’m being candid is the least exciting and in my opinion, far less important than the people operating it. But, having the correct tools for your people to do their jobs is important. No necessarily in brand name, but in type and scope.

Since we’re an audio company, I can talk specifically about that. But, there will be similarities with other departments.

Ask each of the people that submitted a quote or proposal to also send along their PA design.

We have the ability to computer model the speakers in the room you’re going to be in at the proposal phase. Kinda like Amazon’s “view in your room” feature, but not as slick for the customer since we are not Amazon. Haha They should be able to send you a PDF or JPEG picture of their design from their software though. If they cannot do that, they are simply guessing as to how your show might go or what it might sound like. I’d move on if I were in your shoes. You’re reputation and career are on the line and leaving it up to a strangers guess doesn’t seem like a reasonable gamble.

Before you freak and worry about the “Tech Stuff”, You don’t actually need to understand how to read it in depth, the first step is just sorting out the people that aren’t going to do a good job for you and cannot do this first basic step of Event Audio. Which is, see if what I’m selling my client is actually going to work for my client! Pretty straightforward, right? You pay them to do a job and they do that job to the best of their ability? It’s not rocket science. ��

Great, so now you’ve disqualified one or more potential vendors or partners or whatever the cute current term is. I bet those remaining quotes are much closer in price than the initial batch you got aren’t they?

The whole time you’re going through this process you’re constantly keeping in mind. What is the scope of my event and how important is this in my event. If the AV is absolutely mission critical, treat it as such and budget for it. If it’s a side note, or a background or maybe nobody really cares, again treat it as such and budget for that. No need to buy a Bentley when a Kia will do type of thing…..Now, I would speculate that the quotes/proposals that are left look more alike than different. The brand names of speakers will be different, but we already determined usually we don’t care about that. What we do care about is what type of speakers they are. Eg, Compact Line Array, 12” Point source speaker etc. THAT will have a very different use case, outcome and budget for you.

Here’s a real world example for our few hundred person ballroom event:

Company A has spec’d 4 boxes of a premium brand 12” point source speaker (This might look like x12, 12xt, X40, UPJ, M4 etc) for this event as L/R mains and L/R outfits on standard 6’ tall tripod stands to cover our ballroom. So, these premium speakers are actually only going to cover 30% of our attendees and the other 70% are saying they can’t hear. Not good!

Company B has spec’d 6 boxes of a middle of the road compact line array as 3/Side on tripod stands, but these stands could also go up to 10’ tall…. (This might look like HDL6a, HDL26A, T4) This allows them to design a 1Far/2Mid/3Close approach to the speakers and get them above the heads of the attendees. Now the design you requested from them looks VERY even and covers 100% of your audience. No complaints, nobody getting BLASTED in the front row so the back row can hear. Perfect!

And the price to you is roughly the same. Which would you choose?

THAT is why we need the PA design, it’s a pretty picture that describes the ingredients list of a quote that most AV companies sent.

Here are the 2 PA predictions so you can see what I’m on about. Fig1 is Company A, Fig2 is Company B. The more red, the better.

Convenience Is the Enemy of Excellence. Here's Why.

sean@audioengineersnw.com (Sean Walker) — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 06:28:57 GMT

Do you use "One Stop Shops" Thinking they are easier for your events?

Here's the Reality, y ou want one call to handle everything. It's tempting. But when the audio fails, the video fails, and the lighting fails, you're stuck with one vendor who can't fix any of them. You're trading convenience for competence.

You know the generalist can't specialize. They can't be experts in everything. And when the stakes are high, you need experts, not generalists.

We're specialists. We focus on audio. That means we know more about audio than anyone who tries to do everything. You get depth, not breadth.

The Plan:

Specialized Crews: Our technicians only do audio. They're better at it than generalists.
Deep Equipment Knowledge: We know every piece of gear inside and out.
Vendor Coordination: We handle the other vendors so you don't have to.

You want: The audio is perfect. The other vendors are coordinated. You look like a hero.

You don't want: The audio is mediocre. The other vendors are mismanaged. You're stuck cleaning up.

Choose excellence over convenience.

 Partner with a specialist. Contact us today.

The 5 Questions That Separate Real Partners from Vendors

sean@audioengineersnw.com (Sean Walker) — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 05:55:02 GMT

Choosing a Corporate Audio Partner can be hard. Here's how to make it easy!

Here's the reality, You've been burned before. The vendor promised perfection. The event was a mess. You're looking for a partner, not a vendor. But how do you tell the difference before signing the contract?

You know the wrong choice will cost you more than money. It will cost you credibility. Your boss trusts you to find the right team. One mistake and that trust is gone.

We've been the partner that saved events. We've also been the vendor that got replaced. We know the difference because we've lived both sides.

The Plan:

Ask for Prediction Files: If they can't show you a computer model of your venue, they're guessing.
Ask for Crew Bios: If they won't tell you who's on-site, they're hiding something.
Ask for the Guarantee: If they won't put their fee on the line, they don't believe in their work.

You Win: You hire the right partner. The event runs perfectly. You get repeat business. You're the producer who knows how to find talent.

You loose: You hire the wrong vendor. The event fails. You're the producer who made a bad call.

Don't guess.

Download our vendor vetting checklist. We'll show you exactly what to ask.

Your RFP Process Is Costing You Better Events. Here's the Alternative.

sean@audioengineersnw.com (Sean Walker) — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 05:17:07 GMT

We have all seen these documents shared as the "Right" way to get quotes for your audio.

You send out an RFP. Five vendors respond. You pick the lowest bid. The event is mediocre. You wonder why the process didn't work. The truth: RFPs reward price, not quality. And you're paying the price.

You know the best vendors don't compete on price. They compete on value. But your procurement process forces them into a race to the bottom. You're stuck choosing between quality and compliance.

We've worked with Fortune 500 companies to bypass the RFP trap. We help you build relationships with vendors who understand that quality isn't negotiable.

The Plan:

Collaborative Design: We meet before the RFP to understand your vision.
Value-Based Proposals: We show you the ROI of quality, not just the cost.
Executive Alignment: We help you present the case to procurement and finance.

It's a win when you get the quality you need. Procurement approves the budget. The event is a success. You're the producer who found a better way.

It's a total loss when you stick with the RFP. You get the lowest bid. The event is mediocre. You're stuck in the cycle.

Break the cycle.

Schedule a pre-RFP consultation. We'll help you build a better process.

Most companies talk about their speaker brand. Do I care?

sean@audioengineersnw.com (Sean Walker) — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 23:56:52 GMT

Kara, Panther, GSL, KSL, XSL, HDL, Leopard Oh My!

So often when you talk to audio companies, they are OBSESSED with whatever brand of speaker they happen to have purchased. All claiming it's the best and that the others aren't as good. Well, you know what? They are right! Well, kinda. Almost all speakers made today from any brand that you have heard of are just fine. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, NONE of them are perfect. Also, there is SOOOOOO much more that goes into making your show sound good than just the speakers.

But for some reason all they want to talk about is their speakers. Well what about you? What about your event? Do you or you attendees care what name is on the speakers? NO! Not even a little. What you care about is that the show is flawless and that you look like a super star to your client or boss.

So, when you are getting bids from audio companies, don't let them get you excited about the new speakers they just bought and need to pay for. You make them get on board with customer service. Do they have a prediction file for your room/venue? Can they work with your budget? Do they have any experience with the type of event you are doing? All FAR more important questions than make and model of speaker.

The Best Audio Company in Seattle!

sean@audioengineersnw.com (Sean Walker) — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 23:56:27 GMT

The Best Seattle Audio Companies!

You need audio for your event and a quick google search has turned up several options, but how do you know if they are any good? Are they a good fit for my event? Do they understand my specific needs? How about some insider information to help you?

Here is our top Seattle area Audio companies in each category .

Large Concerts/Arenas - Carlson Audio - Seattle, WA

https://www.carlson-audio.com/

Carlson does an exceptional job with large scale concerts, Large scale music festivals, etc. If you need a rock show for 20K people these are your guys.

Graduations/Academic/Installs - Morgan Sound - Lynnwood, WA

https://www.morgansound.com/

Morgan Sound are the kings of graduations. They have it down to a science! If you need that at any scale, they will do an excellent job! They also have a pretty good install department if you need something more permanent.

Coms/Wireless - Guerrilla Audio - Mount Lake Terrace, WA

https://www.guerillaudio.com/

Guerrilla have forgotten more about COM's and Wireless in the last 5 minuets than most other vendors will ever know! If you have a very complicated COM or Wireless challenge, they are the only game in town.

How much does Corporate AV Cost?

sean@audioengineersnw.com (Sean Walker) — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 23:55:47 GMT

What does corporate AV costs?

What drives corporate AV costs up?

In corporate AV there are a few major things that dramatically affect the overall price of your event. Here are the top 2 things that will get you every time.

1 - Venue Selection & Size

If you are used to small shows of 100-200 people and are planning your first medium show of 500-1000 people you may be shocked by the jump in AV quotes/proposals you receive. Wait till you do your first 10,000 person show........The reason for that is because in AV, the venue size has a DRAMATIC effect on the amount of PA/Lighting, LED or Screens sizes needed for even coverage of the space. Speakers are like flashlights, they are bright up close and get darker as you get farther away. So, if you want a large space to sound the same everywhere (which you should! Nobody want's complaints that attendee's can't hear) you need a LOT more PA to accomplish that task. Same with lights and Video Wall......Small room small screen, large room large screen...

Typically speaking the speakers on tripod stands that are so common on smaller shows are effective out to about 50' or so from the speaker. So, if you have a 100, 150, 200' deep room, you need more speakers. Now, you can't just go slapping speakers on stands every 50' in the middle of your ballroom, your client will freak out! Out come the line array's and rigging to fly the appropriate amount of speakers and possible delay systems to maintain even coverage of the space so all attendee's have the same experience.

Now with properly deployed line arrays (We'll get there too!) you have effectively doubled your even coverage distance to about 100'. Nice! Most hotel ballrooms are in the 100 - 150' range and 20+' of that is used up for backstage A2 land (where the presenters get mic'd up) and the stage itself. You can typically get even coverage without needing delays in a room that size. But, those line arrays are going to be hangs of 6-8 boxes each to accomplish that, hence the higher price.

2 - Schedule!

AV companies bill based on a 10 hour day.........10 hours and 1 minuet from good morning how are you, that tech is in OT which is typically 1.5x time. That adds up quick, especially as there are more techs on the show! At the 12 hour mark they are in double time. Obviously it's 2x their hourly rate. Holy cow that adds up SUPER fast!

So, when you are making you master production schedule (You ARE making a master production schedule aren't you?) keep this in mind and save you and the client thousands!

What drives corporate AV costs down?

Same 2 things that drive them up! Venue selection and schedule. Pick a smaller or easier venue and shorten the schedule each day to fit in the 10 hours per day limit.

What makes some companies so expensive?

Quality

Not all AV quotes or proposals are apples to apples! How do you tell the good from the bad other than price?

One key thing you can do to ensure success is to ask for their prediction files and designs ! You don't need to know how to read them or understand them. What you are trying to discover here is does this person or company know what they are doing? This is a pass/fail question. If they don't have a prediction file for the show, they are winging it. Plain and simple. ALL audio systems made today that are worth a darn allow us to computer model the room or space it's going to be in and predict the outcome! How cool!!!! If a potential AV company doesn't have that or says they don't need it, RUN! RUN as fast and as far as you can! Anything they deploy will be a guess at best and you deserve better than a guess! If they do have a prediction file, ask them for a low variance design. This means you want the same sound in the whole venue. NOT stunning loud in the front and quiet in the back. I know this is new and seems like some nerd tech stuff, but SAY THAT WITH CONFIDENCE on your next call or email! We AV companies will sit up straight in our chairs and know we are talking to someone who knows what time it is! The higher quotes will usually have it and also be able to send it to you in PDF overlay-ed to your room so you can see what your results will be before you even step foot on site!

"Prep" & Pre-Production

The best companies "Prep" everything in the warehouse before it goes onto your show. All consoles programmed, all networks tested and functioning, all wireless coordinated for drop out free operation, EVERYTHING pre-built in the warehouse to ensure a flawless execution come show day. No surprises. That way when they arrive on site, it all clicks together like hi-tech legos in a few hours. The more pre pro you can do with the vendor after you have selected them, the happier everyone will be. Here is the place to go over the production schedule and try to save on OT and DT costs, ask about how many hands they need for the in and the out. Potentially saving you thousands in unforeseen costs or wasted expenses. For example if the vendor needs 4 hands for the in and the out but you ordered 8, you wasted money that could have been saved with a simple pre pro call.

What makes some companies so cheap?

The opposite of the expensive companies. No prep, hoping it will all work OK at the event. Often old and dated equipment. Less experienced techs that have never seen the gear before it's on site and have to try and "Make it work". No real plan and definitely no design or prediction to know how it's going to sound. They are guessing that it will be OK.

Where do our prices fall?

We are costly. Every show is unique, but our prices start at $10K USD for a small show and escalate quickly. This is intentional on our part. We don't like getting yelled at. We prefer having fun and being creative. Executing with precision gets us hot and bothered in a good way! Bring us your challenging, unique and crazy ideas and we will embrace you with open arms to deliver something incredible!

Is it really worth it?

Only you can answer that, because it's event specific and ultimately every event has a budget limit.

Here are some thoughts from some of the different types of events:

If the CEO steps out on stage and the mic doesn't work, everybody is likely fired. No matter how much money you saved on AV.

It's pretty hard to raise money for a non profit if the slides don't work or bidders can't hear the auctioneer to know when to raise their paddle.

With Great AV, the technology disappears and the impact, emotion and message are the focus of the event. With poor AV the AV "technical difficulties" are the focus of the event......

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Livestreaming Your Event

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 19:34:53 GMT

Poor Gain Structure and Failing to Monitor Audio Levels

Step 1 of making sure you are optimized for success is to ask the production team to calibrate their rigs to each other. To do this, the Audio Engineer will send a 1K sine tone at -18 DBFS to the video team. Don't worry if you have no idea what I'm saying, THEY DO! That should be adjusted on their end so that it is ALSO -18 DBFS on the video rig. The number of times that this has NOT been the case is all of them. lol. If this step is not completed properly it's akin to driving down the freeway in your car at full throttle with the brakes on to try and slow down to a regular speed. Madness! Continuously monitor audio levels throughout your event. Adjust as needed to maintain consistent sound quality.

Overlooking Soundcheck

Never skip soundcheck. Soundcheck is when you and the tech team get to test all equipment thoroughly under show conditions before going live. This helps identify and fix any issues before it's go time, ensuring everything runs smoothly during the event.

Poor Microphone Placement and Gain Structure

Microphone placement and gain structure is crucial. Same idea as above, but no tone this time. Position mics close enough to capture clear audio with as little background noise as possible, but far enough to avoid distortion. Test different placements during your soundcheck if need be, and be sure your speakers know where the microphones are so they stay on point come show time.

Neglecting Backup Plans

We cannot stress this enough, always have a backup plan for your event. Is the internet and or hosting service redundant? Is the redundant line with the same provider as the primary? If so, it's NOT redundant!

Trying to Wear too Many Hats

There is a limit of what you can ask of your tech team and have flawless results. Be sure to ask them if they have enough crew for the level of complication for the event.