Posted by Steve Guidry on 12/06/06 18:14

OK. Good ! 9 years is a long time to regret not doing it that way.

Here's one more bit of advice :

Plan and buy your playout mechanism first - - even if it means shorting some
other area.

Here's why :

It's always easier to get additional grants or gifts down the road for
things the users/the public/donors CAN see like cameras, editors, etc.,
than it will be to get that same money for infrastructure they CAN'T see
like servers, tape decks, controllers, etc.

Having outfitted a number of studios, including one good-sized Public Access
setup, here's how I'd prioritize things :

1. Playout gear. make sure it's scalable, with more than twice the
forecasted room you'll ned to grow. (take your forecast and then double
that)
2 Editing gear. make sure it will interface with the playout scheme. If
that's a server, then make sure the edit computers can dalk to the server
directly, because you don't want to have to re-capture dozens of tapes into
the server just to do the playout.
3. Studio gear. Don't go overboard, but spend more on studio lights and
get a number of different kinds of mics. Spend less on cameras. Most ANY
modern camera will do a good job in controlled conditions like studio use.
Buy 2 cameras instead of the usual 3. Then say "we ran out of money. Would
you like to underwrite the purchase of a studio camera" ?
4. GOOD tripods. NO BOGENS. Vinten, Cartoni, sachtler, etc.
5. Field lighting. Get durable, name-brand stuff. Lowell, Desisti,
Colortran, etc.
6. Field audio. Emphasis on sturdy. SM58's. Audiotechnica Lavs.
7. Everything else.
7. Field cameras. Community access producers will likely want to use their
own cameras. And these are the easiest to get additional money down the
road for.

You haven't even asked about ongoing maintenance, but plan to budget about
6-8% of the gear value per year after the warranty runs out. Maybe a bit
less in teh early years. less if the useage is light. More later on, or if
the useage gets heavier.

More later . . .

Steve

<blackburst@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1165331832.751576.224260@f1g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> Steve Guidry wrote:
>> You really need to be asking these questions to your systems integrator.
>>
>> Larry advised you earlier in the thread to get one, but knowing video
>> guys
>> like I do, you're probably thinking that you can do it yourself.
>
> Yes. I have designed/built several studios and other facilities. If
> this were a project using standard def analog technology, it would be a
> snap, and I could design, purchase and build it myself. The
> complicating factors are digital, hi-def and the fact that I have a
> million other things to do as the CEO. So, read on...!
>
>>
>> Do yourself a favor, and don't to that. Get an _independent_ systems
>> integrator, and spend 5 - 8% of your budget getting the best advice you
>> can
>> get - - NOT just this half-assed advice you get here. Sure, there are
>> knowledgeable people here - - Bruce, Dennis, Larry, Bill, etc. Any one
>> of
>> us has done this a number of times, and could design a killer setup for
>> you.
>> But no one is going to do al the research necessary to answer all your
>> questions without getting paid to do it. By independent, I mean someone
>> who
>> DOESN'T sell the gear he recommends. Then take his specs and bid it
>> out.
>> This is the only way I know of to make sure you're getting good advice.
>>
>> Your project is too big and too important to screw up. And you'll be
>> living
>> with these decisions for 9 years, I think you said.
>>
>> Just my $.25 . . . which I'm sure you'll ignore . . .
>
> Wrong, TV breath...(just kidding). After due consideration, I have
> decided to commit a sum (which I won't divulge) to hring a consultant
> to help research and choose equipment, and to help on the installation
> (the tedious stuff, like wiring patch bays). I'll do the racking, etc.
> I'm not going to throw money away, but I am going to delegate to the
> right person, and I know a few.
>
> I figure between me, the paid consultant and my usual vendor (nice,
> fairly knowledgable, but a little ditzy), we can get the best stuff for
> the long term, and put together a whole
> studio/truck/edit/acquisition/playout/dub buying plan. Beyond freeing
> up a lot of my time, it will prevent me from waking up in a cold sweat
> at 4am, worrying if I chose the right stuff. I figure I can blame any
> mistakes on the consultant...
>
> So, I was just picking your collective brains for the best
> studio-capable HD solution, but yes, your advice has fallen on
> receptive ears. You done good.
>
>>
>> Steve
>>
>

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