Help in Africa

[Noise10]

I have a job coming up in August of 2010 that will require me to rent a mobile truck in or near Zimbabwe. There is a HEALTHY budget. I'll need at least 24 tracks of hard disc recording (I'd love for it to be Pro Tools based, but I'm very open minded), a splitter snake, and all the usual equipment. It's for a live album being cut at a church in Zimbabwe (not exactly sure where yet).

Does anyone know of anything?

[huub]

There are No audio trucks in Africa...
In South africa there is some equipment to hire (basically higher quality PA stuff) But if you need serious mobile recording, fly in your own/ stuff you rent.. That's what I did for the Mtv africa awards in Nairobi. The year before The Mtv africa awards were in Nigeria, and the guy doing the music then flew in equipment from a south african company ( an Innovason console with ethersound to stage)

Expect your power to die every once in a while..


Huub

[Noise10]

Thanks! That's what I thought after a quick Google search, just wanted to be sure. Thanks for the info!

[BopHunter]

Hi There,

PM Me, I have a 48 input, 24 analogue out Protools Rig, HD3 system.

Regards

[RobF]

Originally Posted by huub

There are No audio trucks in Africa...
In South africa there is some equipment to hire (basically higher quality PA stuff)

Expect your power to die every once in a while..

Huub

South Africa is not Nigeria. There are various fully equipped audio and OB vans in SA. The 2,700+ miles of mostly really bad roads between SA and Lagos is what leads to gear being flown up that far North, though pretty much anything you need/want is available here.

The distance between Zim and SA easily facilitates hiring a truck. Sound Stylists had a great van, though I haven't used it in a few years, Matrix Sound - I think they were the company working MTV Nigeria, Soundharmonics have an Innovason - those are just a few of the companies that can handle outside recording. Or speak to Neelan (BopHunter)

Though you're right about the power....

[gehauser]

I was in SA and Zimbabwe in 1995. SA is a modern country, but Zimbabwe is rugged and rough and third-world. I would make some calls to pro-audio places if you can find them in Johannesburg and Pretoria and ask how they recommend handling transit of recording equipment to Zimbabwe.

The roads can be very bad in Zimbabwe and services are bad to non-existent in many places - we toured around the country a good bit. Not a good place to have a flat tire or run out of gas with expensive equipment in the truck. My gut says you would want to fly in to Zim, then hire a truck for a shorter transport to the church, if possible. However, even the plane ride in a small plane from SA to Zim can be an adventure - they don't pay a lot of attention to flight schedules. Sometimes changes in departures are announced quickly over a shabby intercom in a language you don't know, so you miss your plane and the next one won't be until tomorrow - or next week.

Plan for Murphy's law in a big way. Our helicopter in Lesotho kept having to land due to a red light in the cockpit - the pilot would land, then jump up on top with a big wrench and bang on the rotor, then we would take off again. White knuckles the whole flight. Our big jeep broke down in the middle of Hwange Game Park in Zimbabwe, and we had to walk several miles out of the park. We got false-charged by elephants along the way, but it could have been worse. Our canoes on the Zambezi River were charged by hippos, and two or three British and German tourists almost drowned on our raft trip down the Zambezi (below Vic Falls). All the raft guides said they had witnessed drownings on the river (not to mention the crocodiles that bask in the sun along the banks). The crocs would snap at anything dangling from our rafts.

Beware of the small time money changers on the street in Zim - they will walk right up to you with a giant wad of bills and want to trade you Zim $ for US $. Do that kind of exchange at a bank, as the Zim government frowns on the street changers and you can get in big trouble interacting with them. Also, a pocket full of US $ translates into literally suitcases full of Zim $, so if you need to pay local help, try to pay them in US $ rather than walk around with all that Zim cash.

You will need a local interpreter - many S Africans speak English but not in Zimbabwe, just folks like hotel owners. There are something like 5 different languages spoken commonly in SA alone, about the same in Zim.

Good thing is they loved US $ in Zimbabwe - some hotels there won't even take Zim dollars as they were next to worthless! Keep us posted - I would like to hear about your project there - it should be a fun adventure.

[huub]

I stand corrected...

I have worked in south africa with SA equipment (SABC and Dimensions)
But was not aware of a SA audiotruck existing..
I researched possibilities for last years mtv awards and decided to bring in equipment from europe..

The innovason with ethernet cables to stage I would not seriously consider to use personally..

Originally Posted by RobF

South Africa is not Nigeria. There are various fully equipped audio and OB vans in SA. The 2,700+ miles of mostly really bad roads between SA and Lagos is what leads to gear being flown up that far North, though pretty much anything you need/want is available here.

The distance between Zim and SA easily facilitates hiring a truck. Sound Stylists had a great van, though I haven't used it in a few years, Matrix Sound - I think they were the company working MTV Nigeria, Soundharmonics have an Innovason - those are just a few of the companies that can handle outside recording. Or speak to Neelan (BopHunter)

Though you're right about the power....