Dave Gabree
Lake Worth, FL USA
CR1604
Howdy from the Southeast Florida region. I'm Superdave. I just did my first paid live soundman gig last Friday, 5-29-09. I arrived up with a pair of SRM-350's for monitors, and SRM-450's for mains, enhanced by a SWA-1801z sub. My board is a Mackie CR1604VLZ. I got off work early from AT&T (yep, I'm the phone man), got home, and loaded up my stuff. I have an F-150 SuperCrew, and my SRMs filled up the back seat, so the mix rack rode outside. The heavens opened up (right after I fastened it to the bed with a tarp with numerous holes over it) and rained hard for 45 minutes. I arrived at the gig, set up, and the right channel was nothing but pink noise at the sound check. Oh crap! The band leader approached me and said we were late, we had to go on now, and it would dry out because it's a Mackie. This was my first appearance ever as a paid soundman, and I was super nervous. They went on, crackle and all, and played a short 5 song set. Right then, the noise just quit; and snap, crackle, and pop never came back! The third song into the second set I had everyone dialed in, and I could tell the band (Sea Rat) was really happy with their monitor mix and sound. They really laid down a serious groove. Especially helpful was feeling the thump of the kick drum and bass through the amazing 1801z set at 30% power. 20 people came up to me and asked me what kind of gear I was using, it was the best live band in a bar sound they had ever heard. I told them the core of my sound is all Mackie,which I will always use. There is nothing more reliable. I renamed my sound company that night to WOW! Sound and I call my Mackie rig the "Earthquake Ensemble."
