Systems

A whole new world opened up the other day. Actually three. It happened on a a trip to get a keyboard amplifier for Lori. It was my first trip beyond the guitar areas of Guitar Center.

They have spaces dedicated to sound systems, lighting systems and control systems. The world just got a bit more complicated. A cursory check says it's going to get a lot more expensive too. Bugger...

Somehow, all the noise this band makes has got to be tucked into a rather cryptic electronic space, get spun into gold and be sent wafting into an audiences ear. Preferably without causing any bleeding or broken glass.

Then we have to have some lighting. And lasers. Don't forget the lasers. There were several cool "little" toys that look like fun. A quick scan of the www led to some nifty things. The big question here would be size and intensity. Blinding people goes right up there with making ears bleed. It would be frowned upon. The other extreme of having to turn off all the lights to see if they're working would be a major disappointment. 

Note from the author: Lighting is my desire. I'd like Pink Floyds Pulse light show but... Somewhere between that and flashlights will work.

Finally, controlling the whole beast. Letting everyone have their own volumn controls might imply the need for a third party intervention. Especially me. I'm still looking for that amp volumn control that goes up to 11. Balancing the sound will be needed. 

This is tricky business. There are a lot of things that have to happen to make a good, high fidelity, sound. Adding the control of lighting make the "engineer" position all that more viable.

Making a mistake in selecting a piece of equipment can quickly make what seemed an intellegent decision into the choice of a fool. This may take camping out in the showroom trying stuff out or finding a rental company with choices.

Finding the right questions will also be a key. Lori got a nice amp. But getting a programmable amp didn't cross my mind until yesterday...