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[Rog Mogale]

I wouldn’t say that speakerplans.com is full of disco orientated people. Yes it has its fair share of people that make a living from making your wedding night less boring, but it also has something that no other pro audio forum has, and that’s a large group of people whose soul intent is to provide enjoyment for other people. Speakerplans is almost the opposite of the LAB as it tends to deal with matters right at the start of the chain. Most members are not interested in how do I work this new piece of equipment I’ve just bought type questions. They are more concerned with how sound works and what they can do to improve the equipment end users really on. Someone who spends all their time doing FOH mixes on tour doesn’t need to know or should care about the small details that go into making the system. In fact it gets in the way if they know too many of the small details as their concentration is divided.

As to the recent vote. It means far more to me to have a larger number of people vote for my products on speakerplans than any other forum I know. The LAB forum is for end users. Take a look at the questions. They are mostly about how to get the best from the equipment you have at hand, or are mix related with questions on why you would want to run subs off an aux send etc. Very few here are interested from getting the buzz that comes from making your own system as it doesn’t make any business sense to do that and I can understand why. I’m not saying that owning a system for business use is bad as any man that denies another a living is a ****, but we have to remember that we serve the audience not the equipment or ourselves and that the financial reward comes from giving people a really good time and different experience. That’s how it should work in an ideal world, with everyone happy to receive their reward from how well they managed to please the audience, but for some its always going to be just business. Nothing wrong with that if you’re selling a can of beans, but unwise when you are dealing with people’s emotions. Speakerplans also has it fair share of business first pro audio users that just want a logistical solution that makes a sound, but many of the speakerplans forum members are willing to lose financially as they gain so much in other ways. Its these people that are voting for Void and if the truth be known its these people that most pro audio manufacturers have the greatest respect for, as while it may not be good for a your image or finance department, its very good for your soul.      

It means more to me that someone who shares the passion wants my products than a business outfit. It’s like a person who just buys works of art as an investment. It means nothing to the artist to have an investor come up to him at an exhibition and tell him how moved he is by a particular piece. That’s taking the piss to be honest and the artist will see though that straight away. The greatest reward comes from the admiration of like minded people and your peers. You really have no idea how humbled and honoured I feel from viewing the results of the poll. It’s the beginning of a new era and the poll to me reflects the new direction we have to take. Lets face it, what we have done and the way we have done it has not worked. The world is practically on the edge of collapse and everything we once knew will have to become different if we are to continue. The logistical solution that just makes a sound will not be enough soon. People are fed up with there expectations being drowned by the need of others greed. Take a look out of the window right now and you will see many of the people who have lied or used marketing to fund there greed fall like flies. The uprising has begun and those who funded their greed by deception have no place in the new order. I feel so lucky to have enough awareness to be able to see and move with the changes that have to take place. But change can bring contempt, unless you are part of the new direction and dictate its path.      

[Mac Kerr]

I usually quote the message I am responding to, but I just don't know where to start.

Your point about the passion of people who build their own speakers may be true, many of the members here have built systems, a few still do. Building your own speakers however is a hobby. These forums were started by and for working professionals in the touring concert world. As recently as a couple of years ago discussions about DJs were not allowed on these forums. As the forums have grown over the years the audience and membership has grown and broadened, but the core of the members here are people who earn part, if not all, of their income by making audiences and artists happy on a day to day basis. We have found that it is not financial viable to spend our time trying to develop products that others have already developed. It may be a lot of fun to get into the shop and make sawdust building speakers, but it won't put your kids through college unless you want to make your living building speakers, not working with artists, in front of live audiences.

The bulk of the members here are concerned about how to get the most out of their new investment because that is what businesses have to do. The financial world is in a state of flux, that may go on for a while. It may also come to be that we all have to learn to do more with less. In that case it will be even more important to learn from your peers, in forums like this, what is working for them. I believe those who have committed to their passion to work in this industry will continue to find a way to do it.

For me, and I assume for a lot of others here, the satisfaction comes from a job well done, and the excitement of the audience. The fact that in our off hours we discuss how better to accomplish that with manufactured gear instead of Ohmbru is irrelevant.

Mac

[Adam Norton]

Quote:

It may be a lot of fun to get into the shop and make sawdust building speakers, but it won't put your kids through college unless you want to make your living building speakers, not working with artists, in front of live audiences.

Thats odd, because when i used to frequent the board more often, I'm sure I used to read threads by a number of pro-audio suppliers who'd gone with the Lab-sub design as their sub of choice.  I'm sure they weren't doing it just for the fun of it.

Why is it that Danley's home brew sub is taken more seriously than other designers I wonder?

Quote:

As recently as a couple of years ago discussions about DJs were not allowed on these forums.

I think you've lost out there.  I realise that in the US you tend to have 'live' and then 'DJ's' as 2 distinct groups, with nothing else, but its unfortunate that you tend to group all of the very knowledgable people who tend to be rig owners into the 'DJ' section (and then disregard them as second class people, it seems, to the 'live' group).  I've posted years ago here about the sound system culture in UK and Europe and I think there is such a divide culturally (or at least with the membership of this board) that it may never be fully understood.

It's interesting to hear people comments about speakerplans as a forum, esp. the bit about the noise.  I think it's still doing what its always done then, which heartens me (and the noise is character building!).  It's certainly never going to be (or intended to be) another PSW, and hopefully it still (sometimes) reflects what Rog intended it to be.

norty303 [resident] Speakerplans admin

P.S. sorry that seems to have taken the thread a little OT, its the regular company I keep...  

[Mike Maki]

Mac,

I don't know why you took such exception to Rog's post, he essentially made the same points you did.

I, for one, think you have your head up your ass. I have been a member of the Lab since it started as a mailing list and you certainly don't speak for me. I like to create. It is part of what I do and it gives me both income and satisfaction. And I will put my daughter through college (but you'll have to wait about 15 years for the proof)

 What have you created lately Mac?

Mike

[Mac Kerr]

Mike  Maki wrote on Sun, 18 January 2009 12:00

What have you created lately Mac?

What do you mean by this? Are you asking what speakers I've built? That's not what I do. I don't think it is viable in a pro situation as I said in the message you are responding to. What I do is design and optimize sound systems that will provide the best result for the event, whether it is a band, or a corporate event. While I work with a limited palette of gear so that I can stay familiar with it, the layout is unique to each event. When I get the opportunity to try something new I take it because it may be better than what I have been using. The likelihood of me trying a home brew design that I am not going to be able to reuse is pretty slim. In order to be able to specify systems I am confident will meet my expectations anywhere in the world I need to rely on products that are available anywhere in the world. My clients rely on me to provide that consistency of performance. So far, I've been able to provide it.

Feel free to disagree.

Mac

[Mikael Holm]

Charlie Jeal wrote on Thu, 01 January 2009 03:01

the Void branded amps and dsp are chinese made oem stuff which can be found for a lot less cash if you shop around.

Actually it's OEM Xilica they use as their DSP. DLP-4080A (Livedrive Plus) and DCP-3060 (Digidrive Plus) to be exact. DLP is canadian and DCP chinese made.

[ProSoundWeb Community]