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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => The Basement => Topic started by: Chris Poynter on March 12, 2018, 10:36:35 PM
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Silly newbie question here. I see people sometimes using the phrase "MI gear." What does "MI" stand for?
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Silly newbie question here. I see people sometimes using the phrase "MI gear." What does "MI" stand for?
Gear that can be bought in a musical instrument store. Doesn't mean it can't be good gear, but definitely the potential to not be good.
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Gear that can be bought in a musical instrument store. Doesn't mean it can't be good gear, but definitely the potential to not be good.
Thanks for the reply! :)
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Silly newbie question here. I see people sometimes using the phrase "MI gear." What does "MI" stand for?
You can search for this because we answer it every couple of years. (hint)
David A's explanation is pretty gut level but essentially it's a marketing channel distinction that's gotten blurrier over the last 20 years.
There are a lot of Yamaha products you'll find in your local BanjoMart or locally owned music emporia but you won't usually find a PM-series mixer there, for example. They are separate lines from the keyboards, guitar amps, drum kits, and "PA in a box" of a music store.
Like David said, "MI" covers a pretty big swath; with JBL that's everything from the lowest EON or JRX to the pro-sumer SRX800sp. It's the SRX of the last 10 years that has helped blur the line between MI products and professional uses. The SRX728 is great example - similar enough to the VerTec 4880 sub that there were a whole bunch of VerTec 4888 (mid size tops) rigs with SRX728 subs because that combo was acceptable at that level of gig.
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Gear that can be bought in a musical instrument store. Doesn't mean it can't be good gear, but definitely the potential to not be good.
To expand a bit - generalization/separation of gear between "DJ" (cheapest crap possible), "consumer" (home stereo), "MI" (pro-sumer), "Pro" (used to earn money), and "mobile" (automotive/marine). Pro and MI can be separated a bit more between production/touring and install. Another loose category is "commercial", think background music and paging systems.
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You can search for this because we answer it every couple of years. (hint)
David A's explanation is pretty gut level but essentially it's a marketing channel distinction that's gotten blurrier over the last 20 years.
There are a lot of Yamaha products you'll find in your local BanjoMart or locally owned music emporia but you won't usually find a PM-series mixer there, for example. They are separate lines from the keyboards, guitar amps, drum kits, and "PA in a box" of a music store.
Like David said, "MI" covers a pretty big swath; with JBL that's everything from the lowest EON or JRX to the pro-sumer SRX800sp. It's the SRX of the last 10 years that has helped blur the line between MI products and professional uses. The SRX728 is great example - similar enough to the VerTec 4880 sub that there were a whole bunch of VerTec 4888 (mid size tops) rigs with SRX728 subs because that combo was acceptable at that level of gig.
What Tim says. Another fact. MI was at one time used by JBL to denote the guitar speakers of the day, which were designed to take a much worse beating than speakers for strictly PA or high end audio use. In other words MI was definitive of higher quality and tougher parts.
Moving forward in time MI was associated with hardware bought at the music dealer, and eventually connected to cheaper gear as low cost crap became commonly associated with most music stores in an effort to improve sales. It's a poorly used term and one with little or no meaning at this point.
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To expand a bit - generalization/separation of gear between "DJ" (cheapest crap possible), "consumer" (home stereo), "MI" (pro-sumer), "Pro" (used to earn money), and "mobile" (automotive/marine). Pro and MI can be separated a bit more between production/touring and install. Another loose category is "commercial", think background music and paging systems.
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Hey, lol, not all of us DJs buy the cheapest crap possible (although I know what you mean). I use the JBL SRX815p speakers and just bought a couple SRX 818sp subs. In Canadian money, that's a $10,000 DJ sound system. :)
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Hey, lol, not all of us DJs buy the cheapest crap possible (although I know what you mean). I use the JBL SRX815p speakers and just bought a couple SRX 818sp subs. In Canadian money, that's a $10,000 DJ sound system. :)
;D ;D ;D
Be glad you didn't ask about DJ equipment. ::)
MI literally stands for "musical instrument" and was a dealer/distribution segmentation predating modern low cost electronics. Over time MI evolved to mean lower cost/lower feature content for less demanding (musician) customers.
Modern electronic design and offshore manufacturing has narrowed the gap between professional and non-professional gear, while in the extremes there are still significant differences.
JR
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Be glad you didn't ask about DJ equipment. ::)
I would never dare in here, haha. That's what the Facebook groups are for! ;)
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Everyone wants their gear to be appreciated and "cool" but the reality is that the best gear sold to the people who operate out of a garage and van is going to be inappropriate for the people who operate out of warehouses and semi-trailers.
The gear that is best for the warehouses and semis folk is beyond an acceptable price for the garage and van folks.
MI is a bit of a slur on the bottom end of town by the top end of town. But it does reflect a reality that the garage and van gear has limits that make it unsuitable for large gigs.
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Hey, lol, not all of us DJs buy the cheapest crap possible (although I know what you mean). I use the JBL SRX815p speakers and just bought a couple SRX 818sp subs. In Canadian money, that's a $10,000 DJ sound system. :)
It's all good, I know there are exceptions to the rule. I once helped a DJ set up his own gear - Nexo. He was great, system sounded great - and he was booked solid into the future.
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