Sound

It's been a month of little issues and fixes, and for some buying. Mic cable No.4 was replaced, longer power cords for the monitor speakers were needed, a black extension cord for the console simplifies the set up, some new hardware bits for the mic stands to replace worn out and stripped items were purchased from the manufacturer's distributor, a new Shure SM58 microphone was bought to replace one of the oldest in the collection which went bad, new Koss headphones to replace the broken set were purchased, various connectors and so on. Last year when the G&A discussions were being formed, I had asked that The Minstrel be assessed $10 per show, and that The Getaway be assessed @ $50 to cover incidental wear and tear, the result of which would be a budget of $600 per year to use if needed for such incidentals. I've been picking up the costs of these incidentals, which I don't mind doing, but the Sound Reinforcement committee would like a budget to keep the sound system in good shape and to prioritize and plan for the future.

Minstrel in Exile

As we talked about last month, The Minstrel is pretty certainly moving to the Presbyterian Church of Chatham Township (PCCT) this summer and possibly into the fall season during MUF construction. We'll move the retired Sanctuary console over to old Sanctuary console box so that any member of the Sound Squad can use it there. We'll possibly also move the stage monitors to PCCT since they're easier to set up than The Sanctuary monitors and it will keep the set up consistent. We will invite all of the active soundies to the first couple of shows to familiarize them with the set up and clean up. Since at least a couple of the shows -- especially The Birthday Show -- will be in the larger Sanctuary, it's good that there is crossover between the Folk Project and Sanctuary sound crews.

Mix-Master training sessions

These Open Stage training sessions are going very well. At the March 11th open stage, Alicia Weimer and John Mahon worked well on their own. We have more trainees in the wings and will continue the program.

Permanent MUF Sound

We've been informed that the installation begins Monday, April 4th, and that the new system will be complete by Friday, April 8th. That day will wrap up with an orientation for the MUF and FP people who will use the system. The Sound Reinforcement committee wanted to keep this orientation to just one or two people who can then train the rest of the team at their own pace. We'll likely continue to use the FP system until the team is comfortable with the new system. Those coming to the initial oriention have been informed, and we're certainly looking forward to seeing and working with it. The planned installation includes the removal of the sound panels, so by Friday we should see quite a difference in the room. Since Friday is the Open Stage, we won't be using the new system until the 4/15 show with the Shockenaw Mountain Boys, who usually bring Alison Goessling for sound. But as a pro she'll take to it quickly.

Mike Del Vecchio