travelling with gear

general questions, comments and ideas about recording, audio, music, etc.
Locked
User avatar
nick_a
buyin' gear
Posts: 508
Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2003 2:10 pm
Location: arlington VA
Contact:

travelling with gear

Post by nick_a » Sat Feb 12, 2005 9:02 pm

hey all~

i may be flying across the country soon to mix a record in SF. I will need to take my 4-space rack of stuff, as well as the 2" masters and enough 1/2" to mix down to with me. Do you guys have suggestions on getting this, along with 4 days' worth of clothes across the country safely?

thanks!

hollywood_steve
alignin' 24-trk
Posts: 73
Joined: Sun May 25, 2003 1:39 am
Location: Hollywood / Burbank
Contact:

Re: travelling with gear

Post by hollywood_steve » Sat Feb 12, 2005 9:30 pm

Do you guys have suggestions on getting this, along with 4 days' worth of clothes across the country safely?

Yeah, don't do it.

The 2" masters go with you in your hand. YOu open the box for security and never let them out of your hands. But WTF are you thinking about with the 1/2" blank tape? Do you think its unavailable in SF? Make a phone call before you leave and have a few reels waiting for you when you arrive at the studio.

Now the rack depends on whats in there. Unless you have some top secret custom built gear that is the secret to your success, leave it home. If its the typical rack with a VariMu, PCM91, Avalon 2055 EQ, or anything similar, you'll be surprised how easy it is (and how reasonably priced) to rent exactly what you need. Again, it helps to call before you leave and have it waiting for you when you arrive.

I really doubt that they will let you bring a 4 space rack in the cabin with you. It will be too heavy for the overhead bin and too big for under the seat. That means it will go with checked luggage and you can expect to receive a rack full of broken shit upon arrival. Wouldn't you rather cruise through the airport with nothing in your hands except a couple of reels of 2" tape? The alternative is a horror show waiting to happen.

The only way I would consider bringing the rack would be if it was a top of the line 2" shock rack, and those start at around $400 for one that's worth buying. And even then, it only makes sense if you are going someplace where you can't have the gear delivered in one hour or less by a rental house. And SF has plenty of places ready to deliver anything from a Fairchild 670 to the newest converters from Weiss, EMM, Lavry, etc.
Steve
Lexington 125 - High Resolution Location Recording

lex125@pacbell.net
www.lexington125.com

User avatar
nick_a
buyin' gear
Posts: 508
Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2003 2:10 pm
Location: arlington VA
Contact:

Re: travelling with gear

Post by nick_a » Sat Feb 12, 2005 9:40 pm

steve.

you're very right about the 1/2". I'm an idiot. But what about getting it BACK when i come home?

hollywood_steve
alignin' 24-trk
Posts: 73
Joined: Sun May 25, 2003 1:39 am
Location: Hollywood / Burbank
Contact:

Re: travelling with gear

Post by hollywood_steve » Sat Feb 12, 2005 10:21 pm

SAme as with the 2"; keep it in your hands, open the boxes for security and never let it out of your sight. Thats another reason to leave the rack at home; you'll need both hands to carry / protect all of that tape.
Steve
Lexington 125 - High Resolution Location Recording

lex125@pacbell.net
www.lexington125.com

joel hamilton
zen recordist
Posts: 8876
Joined: Mon May 19, 2003 12:10 pm
Location: NYC/Brooklyn
Contact:

Re: travelling with gear

Post by joel hamilton » Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:18 am

I carry a few mics, and if I have a rack to bring, I will even check it maybe.

Or, I dont do it at all. Flying with my microphones SUCKS, because they look like pipe bombs so of coure they are gone through like crazy...

Rental gear.

User avatar
JohnDavisNYC
ghost haunting audio students
Posts: 3035
Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2003 2:43 pm
Location: crooklyn, ny
Contact:

Re: travelling with gear

Post by JohnDavisNYC » Sun Feb 13, 2005 12:46 am

4 days clothes in the studio = 1 pair jeans. one shirt. one (maybe two, if you're posh) pair underwear. two pair (i'm posh) socks. 1 pair shoes.


john
i like to make music with music and stuff and things.

http://www.thebunkerstudio.com/

permanent hearing damage
re-cappin' neve
Posts: 654
Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2003 3:55 pm
Location: philly
Contact:

Re: travelling with gear

Post by permanent hearing damage » Sun Feb 13, 2005 8:20 am

i've never done any travelling w/studio gear but i have flown many, many times with drums, guitars, basses, amps, etc and the baggage "handlers" always seem to dent or break something. i'd try to carry on whatever you need. i hear there is a clause in airline regulations where if it is a musical instrument, they do not have to make you check it. there may be something similar for studio gear?

joel hamilton
zen recordist
Posts: 8876
Joined: Mon May 19, 2003 12:10 pm
Location: NYC/Brooklyn
Contact:

Re: travelling with gear

Post by joel hamilton » Sun Feb 13, 2005 8:26 am

I actually caried a copy of the fax that the musicians union sent out about a "symphony seat" so I could get a half price (roughly) ticket for my "instrument" which happened to be microphones in a case. They just let you check a bigger thing. I have also convinced stewardesses to let me put my guitar in the suit closet in first class. I had a soft case with a hook on it for exactly that.
You can also convince the people at check in sometimes to put a first class sticker on the rack that you are checking, and gate check it for minimum bumping around. The other way to do it is have some type of cartage service ship the rack if it is big, and you must have it. The client should pay for that.

It really is a pain in the ass....

User avatar
Ronan
gettin' sounds
Posts: 121
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2004 11:16 pm

Re: travelling with gear

Post by Ronan » Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:02 am

I bring gear all over the world, always a dicey proposition but I hate the thought of life without my distressor....

The two best ways to go:

1) Get an really nice ATA approved shock mount case. Downside with that is that they are expensive and heavy so you can often get nicked for heavy baggage fees. I have a mesa boogie one that has wheels and a handle.

2) Get a rectangualr rolling carry on bag like you see flight attendants pulling around the airport. They actually fit most pieces of rack gear as long as they are not too deep. You can cary them on and they store in the overhead compartment. Allow extra time for security clearance and bring manuals with you in the same bag incase security people have not clue what a "vari mu" is.

User avatar
soundguy
ghost haunting audio students
Posts: 3182
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 12:50 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

Re: travelling with gear

Post by soundguy » Sun Feb 13, 2005 11:13 am

Im forced with traveling with gear all the time, for the hassle that airports have become combined with my loathe fo airports from before they became even more of a hassle, I fedex everything. If you dont want to fedex your gear, put it in a carryon suitcase that will fit in an overhead and fedex your clothes, Ive done that before. I try to avoid bringing master tapes to airports, usually fedex those as well. Before you go through the hassle of lugging shit, you should at the very least check into renting locally since you'll only be there for a short time and not two months. Its always good to look at rental fees as a type of insurance against your gear, meaning it might seem expensive to rent $400 worrth of gear if you already own it, but if you take the worst case scenario of your shit getting damaged, lost or stolen during transport, it almost always costs more than what you'll spend to rent to repair a serious problem, replace the lost item or pay the insurance deductive if you file a claim. If you travel with gear alot, you'll get all burnt out about it like I am, and you'll also develop a new outlook on "gear" which is ultimately, replaceable. Id reccomend renting if you can afford it, its just such the better thing to do for a 4 day job, when you get home, after the job, all your gear will be there and you'll be able to go right back to work with no problem. If you are working with a reputable studio the rental company might deliver or you can have a runner pick it up so when you get there, the gear will be there. Worth the money if you can rent for the right price. You can also rent something for the right price which maybe you cant afford to buy, something else to consider...

dave
http://www.glideonfade.com
one hundred percent discrete transistor recording with style and care.

User avatar
nick_a
buyin' gear
Posts: 508
Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2003 2:10 pm
Location: arlington VA
Contact:

Re: travelling with gear

Post by nick_a » Sun Feb 13, 2005 2:23 pm

i can't believe it. Both of my posts have been responded to by the two coolest dudes.


After thinking about it, there's no reason to bring my rack of shit. It's nothing hugely special, and since the studio has really cool shit i'd just be wanting to bring it to stroke my own gear ego.

Something that i'm worried about is electromagnetic freak-outs that i need to avoid when either travelling with, or shipping, the tapes. Are the x-ray machines at the airport something to worry about? should i insist on opening the boxes up? or what? Are there special labels you can put on FedEx boxes? Like "sensitive magnetic material inside" or something?

thanks everyone.

User avatar
soundguy
ghost haunting audio students
Posts: 3182
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 12:50 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

Re: travelling with gear

Post by soundguy » Sun Feb 13, 2005 2:25 pm

metal detectors are magnetic, so you should xray. the alternative is unspooling your reel on the floor...

dave
http://www.glideonfade.com
one hundred percent discrete transistor recording with style and care.

neve1073
audio school graduate
Posts: 19
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2005 1:13 am
Location: San Francisco

Re: travelling with gear

Post by neve1073 » Sun Feb 13, 2005 2:43 pm

Gear is shipped all over, all the time. If I wanted to spend the money, I could rent a fairchild 660 on the east coast and have it next day here in SF.

My point is: pack it professionally and ship the gear fully insured to the studio via UPS. Or you get a really serious road rack with shocks, and wrap that in bubble, peanuts and another box and check it in with you. But I would use UPS.
I'm not anonymous. I'm discrete.

ctmsound
george martin
Posts: 1259
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2003 10:43 pm
Location: Sacramento, CA

Re: travelling with gear

Post by ctmsound » Sun Feb 13, 2005 3:14 pm

Cutting Ege Audio
Leo's Pro Audio

Both in Sf. I don't know if they do gear rentals, but you can check. Get your tape there too.

Locked

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 19 guests