I need multi

Hey everyone, I just discovered this forum and I think its pretty great. Anyways, in the summertime I am the ME at Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn, NY and next year I am hoping to implement a rep circuiting plan on our hellish FOH positions which currently take up a lot of time during each of our short changeovers to rehang and recircuit for every show. What I want to do is run multi with staggered breakouts along each position so that I have a circuit every 18", thus eliminating the need to constantly move the multi based on each plot. What I need to do this is 22 75' lengths of 6 ckt multi (a few could be 50' or a few could be 100' if need be), the staggered breakouts (stagepin), and also 6' stagepin break-ins. So here is the question- do any of you work at a University or other theatre that is dark in the summertime that a) has this much multi that typically sits around all summer and b) might be willing to either rent it to a nice guy like me or trade for equip. in the other seasons when we are dark. I would love to find a University to set up a trade with. We have lots of nice things to offer to a theatre willing to lend us this amount of multi. Our season runs from mid May to early Oct, so when we are dark we could lend you some combination of Source Fours, Scrollers, Cable, or if you are lucky, maybe a VL1000 or two. This is a real shot in the dark but maybe someone here has some idea of how I can acquire this much multi for a summer without paying the rental quotes I have gotten ranging from $7,000 to $19,000 for the summer- way out of our budget right now. Thanks in advance.
 
Your rental quotes sound a bit excessive.

A staggered 6 circuit breakout can be purchased new for under $ 200.00

12 gauge 6 circuit X 75' cables can be had new for around $ 500.00

You could buy all 22 sets for that high rental number.
 
You might consider buying used here. But only until 11/19/07.

I like your idea of a "seasonal trade." Good luck on that. Unfortunately, colleges don't generally deal with such stuff often, and almost all the pro rental shops disposed of their 12ckt Pyle-National 12/37 a while ago.

One final thing, mbroughton02 , stop by the New Member Board and start a thread introducing yourself. We like to know to whom we're talking. That and we're nosy. Tell us who you are, where you are, what you've done, what you'd like to do. No longer required is that you answer questions regarding pirates and the metric system. Currently, we want to know what type of pizza you prefer.
 
You might want to consider "Tray Cable" for your longer runs. (Example- http://www.delcowireus.com/tray_cable.php ) It is very effective except in cold weather, which does not sound like a factor for you. Its UL approved at 600 volts and comes in 14, 12, and 10 AWG Depending on the gauge, they are available with up to 60 conductors (#14, nineteen conductors for the #10) The casing is pretty tough and even the rock and roll roadies never cut one up on me. (Its even rated for direct burial.) Where you need cold flexibility, you could use SDN (Example- http://www.calvert-wire.com/show_product.php?id=235 )

In all cases, it sounds like buying your own is the best bet.
 
First welcome to the booth and stop by the new member board to introduce yourself.

Second I'll think you find most state colleges are not allowed to loan or rent out gear. At least in my state, it's state property and the laws are very tricky about such things. I'm working on trying to be given permission to loan to other state institutions, but even that is questionable. State law makes it clear we are not in the rental/loan business.

Your rental price does sound nuts. What about spending a couple grand a year on a few cables and building up slowly?
 
We (PTC) are part of a state college, and we rent things out all the time, from costumes to drops to lighting gear (if I can spare it). I would love to help you, but unfortunately my season starts in September, so I would need gear back before you were done. I think most colleges start before you are done, which would create issues. You are pretty close to both Ithaca College and Cornell University though, you might give them a call just to explore the options.
 
I agree with $7K being excessive. I did a tour last summer with 12 cyberlights, 12 Mac2K, hazer, multi, distro, and it came out to about $15K for 8 weeks.

I'd make a detailed list and check with Bill to get you a purchase price. I'll bet he can sell you for about the price of the rental. Or less.
 
I'll lay odds that I can name at least one of the firms, extortionists and dangerous installers.
Well the $19,000 joke of a quote came from one that starts with a P and ends with a RG. Hope I'm not giving them away:mrgreen: Even the $7000 I really can't afford this year because I have to buy two followspots.
Thanks everyone for the good suggestions so far. If the swapping/loaning thing doesn't work out then I will try to buy some used multi each year for the next few years. I am still being hopeful about getting this rep circuiting thing up this coming summer because we are doing several really big shows, but maybe I will just do the worst of the worst positions first. Well I'm off to my favorite hemphouse in Brooklyn now, keep the ideas coming.
Thanks
 
Merry-Go-Round Play house huh, My current SM was part of the electrics crew there last summer, Im up in Potsdam NY and we have a decent amount of 12 cir multi, the only thing is we dont have is break ins, we usually just go right to our dimmer rack, which is a touring rack, if thatll work. Ill have to see what my TD thinks of this cause it would be nice to get a swapping thing going, especially cause our mainstage shows fall outside of your season.
 
Sorry and this is a sort of grey area but this post still falls into an area of discussion this forum was not indented to fall within. Sales and similar type things don’t get discussed here publically other than by way of PM or E-Mail, and posts centered on such things are not to be posted directly about.

Not going to end the post as it were, but I would advise any interested directly in this offer other than in advice given which made it a valid topic for discussion and advice in general, to contact mbroughton02 directly by PM in which Control Booth.com would have nothing further to do with your discussions or deals made off the public part of the forum. I’m sure it’s easily seen given the forum why this website does not want public business matters.

Sorry but that’s my opinion by way of publically looking for such a deal within the concept of the forum rules. Hope it’s not a problem and that you find someone to make this deal with or have found better advice I agree with to shop around, look for used gear, look for alternate gear and or contact those local to you. Still while grey are, not a concept to be discussed on the forum publically at this point. Post of interst in offered solutions for when one gets into problems such as yours and of use I would think to all. But still in such a situation, if interested in the deal in response or more important as posted make such an offer, take it off line. Bit of editing and word choice difference in post would help no doubt been better in not being direct sale/deal, more point for discussion will have fit within the post better.

Back to the discussion - again grey area - take it off line for direct offers but as a concept it's a good one for general advice. And properly put persay in not direct link to anyone on the bid for that price in directly slamming them. Hope it helps. Way too bad KK Clamp Soco is discontinued. Still enough makers sell them, perhaps feasible for your production to make another version of these fan-outs. This if not cable.


Hey everyone, I just discovered this forum and I think its pretty great. Anyways, in the summertime I am the ME at Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn, NY and next year I am hoping to implement a rep circuiting plan on our hellish FOH positions which currently take up a lot of time during each of our short changeovers to rehang and recircuit for every show. What I want to do is run multi with staggered breakouts along each position so that I have a circuit every 18", thus eliminating the need to constantly move the multi based on each plot. What I need to do this is 22 75' lengths of 6 ckt multi (a few could be 50' or a few could be 100' if need be), the staggered breakouts (stagepin), and also 6' stagepin break-ins. So here is the question- do any of you work at a University or other theatre that is dark in the summertime that a) has this much multi that typically sits around all summer and b) might be willing to either rent it to a nice guy like me or trade for equip. in the other seasons when we are dark. I would love to find a University to set up a trade with. We have lots of nice things to offer to a theatre willing to lend us this amount of multi. Our season runs from mid May to early Oct, so when we are dark we could lend you some combination of Source Fours, Scrollers, Cable, or if you are lucky, maybe a VL1000 or two. This is a real shot in the dark but maybe someone here has some idea of how I can acquire this much multi for a summer without paying the rental quotes I have gotten ranging from $7,000 to $19,000 for the summer- way out of our budget right now. Thanks in advance.
 
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...Way too bad KK Clamp Soco is discontinued. Still enough makers sell them, perhaps feasible for your production to make another version of these fan-outs. This if not cable.

Ship, what is/was "KK Clamp Soco"? I've never heard that term.
 
Discontinued item from ITT/Litton/Veam. #VSCCM-KK

Style of breakout strain relief that allows for six 12/3 type SJ cables to come out of the 19Pin Socapex style VSC plug without problems in strain relief or damage over time. Best solution to doing this ever invented and once that design of pattent is done, it should again become the norm for all breakouts / fan-outs or punts/fan-ins to the soco style plug.

Veam does not make this plug any longer but where available it's admittedly by all that make their own versions the best ever invented for doing this. Worst in my opinion, the two screw strain relief and FGA 42 strain relief each with six cables within. The two screw breaks at the two ears that hold the strain relief or it's clamp plus cuts into the cable at the clamp, the FGA 42 breaks at the plastic strain relief nut, and has it's little strain relief fingers cutting into the cable. There is other concepts on the market that have individual holes for the wires in the rubber strain relief on the market at this time as with other concepts even better yet available. Each circuit/cable thru a seperate hole in the strain relief is a good thing - my opinion.
 
Sorry. The reason I posted here is because it seemed like it was a forum that a lot of MEs and TDs from colleges and universities were looking at and those are the people I was looking to talk to about getting the equipment I need, since my other options like renting or buying were proving to be too expensive.
 
Yeah, we've got multi, but not nearly 22 sets. I think we have something like 12 sets, ranging from 25' to 100'. We have breakins/outs for both stagepin and the old style, 125/250V twistlock. We also start back up at the end of August, so we would need it back before then. Although we could use more VL1000's ;)

I don't know that the quote you got is all that unreasonable for almost five months of rental. If you're going to be using it a lot, just buy some since it will pay for itself in only a couple years.
 

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