Question:
What's the difference if I hire you with your gear or supply you with an audio package?
On ocassion the person hiring me may not understand the value of hiring a sound recordist with
their own gear.
Answer:
The difference is I use my gear everyday so I can keep track of its history, condition, and functions. If
I am using supplied gear, I have to quickly educate myself to its present condition. Is everything working? Is anything
missing? Is the gear set up right, Is that strange hum only in the headphones, or is it going to tape, etc.
An audio system is made of multiple cables and multiple components, there are dozens, maybe even hundreds
of points where there can be a problem in the system. Unless the operator is personally familiar with the
specific gear, it's going to be harder to troubleshoot these points in a quick manner. And it is rare that an audio operator
using provided gear can diagnose every possible operating malfunction and function reconfiguration in the short
amount of time they have before the first take.
Please keep in mind I am not saying that gear provided to me will cause certain problems.
What I am saying is that the value of familiarity between operator and gear should not be underestimated.
If you like to play odds, your best odds are hiring a sound recordist using their own gear for
smoother running production.
