Remote Recording Gear Rental Rates in your Area

[AdamJay]

I'm curious what are you folks in other cities are paying to rent various remote gear ?

Splitters, live mics, etc.

In Indianapolis, I'm paying about...
$20/week for a simple 20ch. splitter (no transformers)
$120/week for a big 30ch. 1x2 transformer isolated splitter.
$7.50/week for a 1ch. 1x2 transformer isolated splitter

Beta 57's and 58's are running about $20/week each.

I think rental rates can really make or break the bottom line for alot of guys recording live shows.
My live packages start at $250 and with that i typically just rent the non-isolated splitter, my own Metric Halo 2882/Swissonic AD and a couple great phoenix preamps and my own mics. So after my rental this usually bills out to around $50/hour. If i need more than 10 channels i borrow a buddy's 2882 that i sold him a couple years ago and rent a few extra mics. For the higher end projects i just add on the cost of the better splitter and about 20% of the averaged hourly.

I'd like to have my own splitter some day, not so much for eating the rental cost because i think $20/$120 is fantastic, but the time needed to go and pick it up and with the place not taking credit/debit cards... can be an added hassle.

[Jimbo]

The MH Console software can take a while to get used to, and I assume your customers are recording to the Console's Record Panel.

How do you explain this to them? Has it ever been a deal-breaker?

Thanks.

[AdamJay]

Originally Posted by Jimbo

The MH Console software can take a while to get used to, and I assume your customers are recording to the Console's Record Panel.

How do you explain this to them? Has it ever been a deal-breaker?

Thanks.

I'm confused... i'm talking about what we are paying for renting equipment. Not what we are charging to rent it out to others...

[Jimbo]

Originally Posted by AdamJay

I'm confused... i'm talking about what we are paying for renting equipment. Not what we are charging to rent it out to others...

I misunderstood. Sorry.

[Remoteness]

IMO, it’s all about real estate…

In certain cities the rental rates are at a premium and yet other smaller markets rental houses cannot give the gear away.

Your splitter and live mic rental price list sounds like the daily rental card of any major market, except for the fact that SM57s and SM58s usually go for about $10.00 per day.

You’re right, rental rates can make or break your bottom line and that is why we own most of the gear we use for our location recording projects. I feel, you have to have all the small stuff; the ancillary gear and accoutrements that connect and interface your normal set-up. If there’s that “flavor of the month” expensive piece of gear the client “must” have, well rent it. That’s what rental houses are used for. If it’s a special piece that’s a bit pricey, but you know it’s going to last and make you plenty of bread in the meantime (even if you cannot afford it upfront) I say, "go for it and buyor lease it." It will pay for its self quick enough.

I’m not sure why you don’t build or buy your own non-isolated (or isolated for that matter) splitter?
It will pay for its self in the long run.

Folks should consider always adding on the cost of the rental stuff at any quality.
The simple set-up should be part of the main rate, but extra stuff should always be an additional cost to the client. There is nothing wrong with line items that can be added and removed from your bid proposal.

You’re right; it’s not just the rental cost, it’s the additional time you have to put into picking up and returning that equipment and all the other problems that may occur. What is that worth to you?

[AdamJay]

Originally Posted by Remoteness

I’m not sure why you don’t build or buy your own non-isolated (or isolated for that matter) splitter?
It will pay for its self in the long run.

I realize it will but for now i can put the money i would spend on a splitter towards other things considering how cheap it is for me to rent one. And sometimes when bookings are good i can stretch that 1-week rental over two and even three gigs.

My plan is to keep renting and eventually pay for a proper isolated splitter. The ability to rent for now and still have what i need in order to create revenue is very important to me.

I'd rather not spend money on a y-splitter now, and save that towards an isolated splitter of 18 or 20 channels.

FYI, there are a few local rental places here in Indy. My favorite is basically a large scale live event sound and light company that also sells custom cables, bulbs, and various accessories, and rents out stages and most everything else. Cash or check and mon-fri only but so affordable. Honestly, if it weren't for them i would probably eat the cost and buy alot of the stuff that i rent... even the stuff i rarely use. And that was kind of the point of the initial post. How rental rates effect what we're able to offer.

[Remoteness]

Cool enough.

Keep in mind that if you design the splitter box with future XFMRs in mind, you could build a non-isolated splitter today and drop the XFMRs in tomorrow.

So, you could build a 24 channel box and drop in trannies as you can afford them.

[AdamJay]

Originally Posted by Remoteness

Cool enough.

Keep in mind that if you design the splitter box with future XFMRs in mind, you could build a non-isolated splitter today and drop the XFMRs in tomorrow.

So, you could build a 24 channel box and drop in trannies as you can afford them.

Good advice! Thank You!

I'm not as electronically minded as my technician but could you point me in the right direction with regards to some hardware or chassis that would allow for this type of expansion?
I've contemplated getting these: MST-412
and just swapping the transformers 2 at a time with better transformers as i can afford to.

[Remoteness]

Well, I never heard the XFMRs in the MST-412, so I'm not sure if the inexpensive price of the unit is worth it or not.

There are plenty of options for building your own box.
Send me a PM with your contact information and I will ring you up.