Introduction, Modus Operandi & Background
Limitations on Audio Resources
Locations We Service
Public Address Equipment Hire
Tape Recorder Hire
Audio Operator Services
Post-Recording Services
Cassette Duplication
Consultation & Training
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We call ourselves 'mobile' because we go and help the client at his situation. We get in the car or van and go to you with our expertise. We have been doing this for more than 30 years learning more and more how to best help you, the cient, in your variety of situations.
It works something like this. Unless the client knows exactly what equipment or book resources/facilities he wants, we listen to his/her needs, we evaluate the situation and we propose and discuss the options. Finally, as the needs dictate, we arrange to visit or communicate with the venue of choice well in advance of the function to further assess facilities in place and refine the best option. An agreement is worked out with the client and, unless further developments we arrive at the appropriate date and time to set up and operate the system as agreed.
Initially intended to provide recording services to conventions, conferences, seminars, retreats, concerts & church services we soon found that organisers often became very interested in the supplementary PA we sometimes coupled in to facilitate recording. Bypassing a poor in-house system, with its clicks, pops, buzzes and reverberation problems meant we had better control of the quality of recording, and the audience received the benefit of the clearer, higher quality sound. Organisers with limited budgets, interested in such PA support were made aware of its affordability by the possibility of offsetting costs by their bulk purchase of tapes recorded at the function and selling them at a retail price of their choosing. The more tapes they sold, the less the extra PA cost them. With sufficient promotion of tapes, some ended up with a big smile on their faces as they found that tape sales had completely covered their costs and still had a surplus to offset a shortfall in other areas. It is primarily because of our ability to offer on-the-spot duplication, labelling and packaging facilities that we are open to such flexibility when negotiating agreements. This is particular significance to organisers when tape sales per head are high. Call us. We are only too happy to talk with you about ways to achieve your goals in the most economical way.
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For PA services, we have the resources to handle functions requiring no more than 24 microphones/inputs and a audience capacity of up to 1500-2000 persons. Because we have a 3000W 240V petrol-powered generator we provide outdoor as well as indoor functions.
The limitations on recording/duplication services, which, however, are primarily two-fold:
(1) Recording is conducted in DIGITAL format to fit in with our on-the-spot copying facilities and
(2) Maximum length of CDs that we accept for duplication is 74mins; for cassette tapes maximum time is 90min.
(3) We can provide on-site stock of cassette blanks of length C-10, C-30, C-40, C-50, C-60, C-75 & C-90. Others lengths are special orders.
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Currently, most of our jobs have been from church-related groups with very limited budgets, so we often integrate our equipment with the in-house facilities available in the chosen venue which is usually in Sydney city & suburban areas. Although many functions are held in church halls, schools or retreat & conference centres, they have involved larger venues such as St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney Town Hall, The State Sports Centre (Homebush), St Josephs College Hunters Hill(Emilien Hall), The Morley Centre (Westmead), Sir John Clancy Auditorium & the Roundhouse (UNSW) and St Ignatius College Riverview (Ramsey Hall). (Click here for list of locations we have serviced)
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Our range of equipment reflects our specialty of servicing small to medium-sized venues. Often, in venues with good basic PA facilities, one may only want to increase the number of microphones or instrument inputs into the house system. Rather than hire another full PA system, one might only need the following-
(1) mixer/preamp (with the appropriate number of extra inputs),
(2) the extra microphones or instrument DIs
(3) the mic stands and cables and,
(4) MOST CRUCIALLY, a quality DI box (preferably, the 'active' type) as the means of connecting it all to the house system.
The big 'plusses' are-
(a) not having to access/fiddle/'interfere' with house system, (a GREAT comfort to system managers/church ministers),
(b) saving on the hire costs of amps, speakers & associated signal processing equipment,
(c) less setting up expertise, no loudspeaker location problems, minimal complaints about excessive loudness,
(d) much fewer cables and less load on that often-stressed fusebox.
This exemplifies the kind of options we can offer to meet your needs. Call us. (Click here for Equipment Rental Rates)
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While you can offer you good recording equipment, that does not mean that you will make a good recording. Of course, if you have recording expertise AND familiarity with the components we offer, you should get a good master with good levels, low tape hiss, minimal handling & background noise, and no dropouts- one that gives great copies to sell. However, if you have doubts at all, and the recording is crucial, consider calling on our 21 years of recording expertise. We are proud (and jealous) of our solid reputation. (Click here for Tape Recorder hire rates)
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As well as being able to provide portable audio equipment for use at these functions, we can also take away the worry of correct setup, care and operation by providing a friendly, responsible & cooperative operator to man the equipment and make any adjustments to suit your needs should you wish to alter the conference environment as the event proceeds. Such person is self-sufficient with ability to assess any failure and make simple on-the-spot repairs or arrange the ready replacement of unsatisfactory equipment. As well as for time on the job, operator rates would include transport, meals & accommodation as needed, although it is cheaper (and more sensible from the security perspective) for the operator to eat & sleep on-site near the equipment. (Click here for Personnel Service Details)
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Often, prior to duplication, a client may want to insert an introductory dub, a copyright warning or additional material/sounds on the original master ('crude' master); or he/she may wish to delete/modify/refine certain sections of the recording. Depending on the complexity of the alteration, this might be done on the spot or, more likely, back in a controlled, less-distracting environment with access to more specialised processing equipment e.g. equalisers, gates, digital delays, samplers & enhancers. While one is paying for the engineer's time, this would not be as costly in time, money and frustration of hiring the equipment/studio and having an inexperienced person, unfamiliar with the equipment, attempt the job. If we feel that we cannot guarantee a good quality master, that will produce good copies, we will not undertake the job!
NOTE: Most of our clients do not want any tampering with the speech content of their presentation; for legal reasons, they want the original recording to retain the original sequence and context so that they may not be misrepresented/misquoted by other parties. Our policy is that UNLESS DIRECTLY REQUESTED BY THE AUTHOR, the presentation recorded will be preserved unaltered. (Click here for Personnel Service Details)
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We copy analogue audio cassettes in real-time mode or high speed at up to 16x, although 8x is the norm. Prices are quantity dependant as well as whether stereo or mono is required. We only use premium/mastering quality tape/CDs as this gives the highest technical quality of product. While some clients prefer to keep their costs down by supplying their own budget blank tapes/CDs with their order we discourage such practice as the product cannot be guaranteed, and, cheaper tapes tend to be far more abrasive to the heads of our copiers.
It should also be noted that a copy is only as good as the master, and a poor master tape will result in poorer copies. We always conduct a preliminary hearing test on any masters submitted to ensure they meet a minimum criterion of clarity, volume and freedom from dropouts. If it fails and we feel it might be improved by post-recording processing, we may suggest such to the client (without guarantee) providing he/she is prepared to cover the cost of such efforts. However, any duplication will only be at the customer's insistence. (Click here for Cassette Duplication rates)
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IT IS AMAZING HOW POORLY MANY ORGANISERS RATE THE AUDIO NEEDS OF THEIR CONFERENCES & EVENTS!!! Surely it should be a primary consideration if they have paid hundreds or, perhaps, thousands of dollars to hire keynote speakers and then do not take the trouble to ensure that the audience will comfortably hear the message/presentation that they are there to deliver. Sometimes one get the impression that it is the job of the audience to ensure that they can hear the speaker in those thin-walled, poorly PA-equipped halls and venues often located next to a major road. Unfortunately, it isn't: it's not just the organiser's job, it's his/her RESPONSIBILITY!!. And simply raising the volume output level may not solve the problem. In fact, it can generate others.
Our engineer is available to help you plan the integration of adequate audio needs into your event. Don't take the risk of having people walk out early or complaining to you or their friends or colleagues afterwards because they could not hear the speaker(s) clearly or sound was intolerable. If you want the message heard, if you want it to have effect, if you want it to bring results to the listener as well as to those you represent, get your audio right! Seek out the professionals at the planning stage, not when its too late!
While we can provide an operator to setup and man the equipment during your event, if this event is a regular one, it may be of more benefit to you in the short term as well as the long, to train one of your staff in the basics of PA setup and operation. He/she may not become an accredited audio engineer, but he/she should certainly be capable of handling the day-to-day operation of your facilities. The minimal training period may only need to be a few hours if the interest and enthusiasm there. Otherwise, it may need to be stretched out somewhat to ensure that they have the 'feel' and confidence of what to do. (Click here for Personnel Service Details)
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