Blew It Bigtime

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Guest

Guest
So, was there ever a time that you blew it big time?

I'll rat on myself first...

A few years ago a client wanted to know if we could run wireless speakers. I figured that it wouldn't be too difficult but told them we've never done it before and they would be the guinea pig.

So, I go cheap. I hit Radio Shack and pick up one of their cheap UHF wireless sets that has a 1/4 plug on the transmitter and receiver. I try it out in the house and it sounds OK. But, of course I don't try it in the field.

So, we get to the venue, get it all set up and it sounds like chit! Static, drop outs. The mic sounds lousy. Just a bad situation.

To make it worse, I try to make it work. Guests start arriving and I just am being hardheaded. But, it sounds like chit and the guests start asking me to turn off those speakers.

Finally, I get my head outta my arse, move the speakers to where I can wire them, and get it fixed. But this was half way through the reception.

A few days afterward I get a nastygram from the FOB. He wants his money back. I gave it back.

Now I use an AudioTechnica wireless guitar mic that would plug right into the guitar. It has worked flawlessly since I put in service. The only thing is I have to change the batteries about three times for a six hour event. But, it is VHF and works great.
 
I got lucky once.. I booked a Karaoke show for a 4th of July family reunion.... I load the van up with all the road cases needed and drive the 45 min to the gig,,,, easy set up,,, I always set my lights first, then the sound, and I open up the road case with the Karaoke system and oops,,, it has my wedding system in it!!

They are both in the same road cases.....

The gig is to start in a in tad more than a hour,,, so I stand there for about 10 mins wondering what the heck to do... do I tell the client oops, sorry, we will just have dance music, or do I go home and get the gear?

I put the cd player onto mix mode, put two cd's in and fly my arce home,,,, knowing this will make me get back to the venue at least 45 min late. I tell the person in charge what happend, they were like no worries, go ahead.

I get back and only about 10 people had showed up so far, no worries,,, I drove so fast I ws lucky not to get pulled over...

what did I learn? Open up the road cases and make sure the gear is correct!
 
I arrive at a venue 45 miniutes away with a set of Cerwin Vega speakers a collegue of mine is trying to sell me. I get there with about 1:15 to spare and setup. Go to plug the speakers in and they are Neutrix connectors:sqerr: . Theres no 1/4 inch connectors and thats all I have

I rush back to my buddys dance and frantically dig through his wire case for a set of cables. I rush back and get going about 25 miniutes late

The people involved were really cool about it and the place rocked the rest of the night. I gave them the extra time on the other end and offered a full refund for my mistake. They didnt take me up on the offer and they still refer me to this day. We have a good laugh about it now

Lesson learned: Always check the gear before using

BTW it was a 25th anniversary
 
Several years ago, Did a Teen birthday party on a friday night. Next afternoon Diana is to do a reception with the same system, as I had a different reception (luckily it was in the same town)
She get's set up and calls my cell. "Scott! Somethings not right"..."It doesn't work."
I fly over to where she is and find that one of the woofers is completely blown and the other doesn't sound too healthy. I scramble all over town to rent a pair (before I had backups for backups for backups. :) )

I rush in the side door as guests start walking in the front door.
Everything went off fine after that but........SHEEEEESH!!!