# Wasup! Yet another young Highschooler Techie.....



## The_Terg (Dec 4, 2003)

Hey! I just somehow found this board, read a few topics and realized that this is exactly what iv'e been looking for!

I am a Sophmore in highschool, and I am the student head of tech (our advisor doesnt do anything..... as usual..). Primarily, ive been a sound guy from birth  but ive ended up running lights for entire shows because of some wacky policies and needs..... :? 

Our school is decently equipped, but is starting to get old. I will post again later the specifications, just to dig for some opinions (but were leaving on a schoolwide trip today, so when I get home maybe I will). Basically, we have approximately 15 working Altman Fresnel lights streun over 2 electrics directly above stage. We have 2 torums of 6 Shakespears each. but many need repair. FInally, we have 3 sets of strip lights in the back on the third electric for fill and sometimes a lighted backdrop, and 4 shakespears on the front of the balcony.

Sound..... Yes.....
Standard Mackie 24X8 mixing board (now becoming absolutely decrepid. THe main mix is starting to intermittantly short, and channel 2 has absolutely gone from the board......) One of our amplifiers (some older Yamaha 2 channel total 300W amp) out of 4 amps has died due to fan failure and overheating.

Our standard assortment of mics that is actually 'OURS' are 3 Shure Electret-condenser floor/foot mics (I do not remember the model.... Ill get it.....) and 4 Shure electret-condenser hanging mics (again, not in memory.) We have been having massive problems achieving sufficient gain-beofre-feedback, especially on shows with performers in the middle school. Some of the smarter directors have given us money to buy Lavs for the entire cast, but that's not happening as often. 

Atleast we are fortunate to have a seperate light booth at the Very top of the auditorium, which gets blisteringly hot, but what else is new? The sound board sits at the front row of the balcony, so I can get a pretty good sense of how everything sounds, although we are surrounded by audience.

I'll post back later with some specifics, but im just glad to have found a nice little community of techies


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## dvsDave (Dec 4, 2003)

*welcome aboard*

Welcome aboard!! I am dvsDave, your webmaster, and I just wanted to welcome you on behalf of ControlBooth.com!! 

The_Terg said:


> I just somehow found this board, read a few topics and realized that this is exactly what iv'e been looking for!


That is music to my ears  Exactly what I want to happen for every visitor to the site!! 

Check out the forums often, and post any questions you may have!! Or answer any questions you know the answer to  And above all else, _spread the word_ about this site!! 

If you don't mind me asking, where are you going to high school?


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## The_Terg (Dec 4, 2003)

Hastings High School, NY


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## Patches (Dec 4, 2003)

I'm from salem, it bites. my school has poor funding that bites too. our lighting system is blowing up. big gite. we had a td last year, but he got a real job... how do i sustain? lots of ramen, and occasional techies outings...i.e. breakfast on early saturday tech days....

god i love my life.


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## The_Terg (Dec 4, 2003)

food
WE all have our ways dont we? Normally, I break into the cafeteria and get some poptarts. But this year they got rid of them (some health thing...... ARRRRG!).

Actually, its not that my school has poor funding. Its just that miscommunication is the apitamy of our school. Money is spent on 4,000$ unused editing stations, but not on $200 worth of CRITICAL bulb replacements....... Its downright frustrating.

Breakfast on saturday........ hmmm........ MnM's stolen from cafeteria, most likely..... I only have ramen at home..... and Yes, id say its a good asumption that our entire auditorium is gonna spontaneously combust (The light board overheats, and we are SEVERLY overloading an amp.....)


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## zac850 (Dec 4, 2003)

my school is the worst with funding. we have 12, count then 12 lights!!! 500watts, so they will sort of cover the stage, but the middle section gets COMPLEATLY washed out. oh, yea, that reminds me, WE DON'T HAVE A THEATER. we share the gym, and will put up our temp stage. and we are only just now getting an accutal booth. we have an old bord with 16 avalbile circuts (sp?), but only 2 dimmer packs, so we can only use 8 of them...
sound, don't get me started....

count your blessings!!!


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## wemeck (Dec 5, 2003)

zac850 said:


> count your blessings!!!



Trust me I do!


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## Nephilim (Jan 11, 2004)

Your 24x8 needs a ribbon cable replacement, it's a HUGE problem with all 8bus models manufactured before a certain date. My previous school's 24x8 was brand new as of, oh, mid 2001 and also had your problems, whilst not as bad as a dead channel, we had off-center aux returns, crackly sends, and so on. The part is cheap but the labor is daunting. Reading descriptions of hardy techs dismantling their 8buses (almost a thousand philips head screws alone...) on the mackie.com boards is quite scary. Track down your nearest service center and beg for a cheap deal since you're an underfunded school.

You probably have Beta 91 or SM 91 PCC mics (are they small rectangular 'squashed pyramids' with a mini 3 pin connector in the back and a seperate mini 3 pin to XLR unit?) - these suck for almost all stage micing. Lavs are better as you've seen, but sometimes cheap lavs are worse than no lavs. PCCs are good meeting mics and have their use as stage mics, but not as main pickups for high school talent (they never friggin project, right?) - about the only use you'll get from them is as an audience pickup for recording and as kick drum mics. That said, you can set-mount these puppies quite easily, and they are good, if you can get them *close*.

Oh, and hi!


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## Vanessa (Mar 23, 2004)

Hi!

I understand your lack of funding woes! We don't even have a proper stage, and I'm sure that half the money for the actual set comes out of my pocket! We water down our paint, scavenge cardboard and beg the occasional $3 for a roll of duct tape. It certainly makes for a challenge and inspires creativity. And recycling- everything gets re-used! If you hadn't guessed, I'm a set designer, it must be a heck of a lot worse to be in lighting and have no funding. Although our lighting department gets some money, so nothing is exploding yet!


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