Need help writing a proposal to purchase a new soundboard

FACTplayers

Active Member
Our existing soundboard is terrible and we have to rent one for each production. I work with a small high school, so the budget is king. I would like a digital soundboard like the X32, but I'm not sure beginner techs will be able to pick it up quick enough, and on top of that, the board gets used for graduation and faculty meetings. This means the district administrator may need to walk in and get a mic running. Having a tech for every meeting is NOT an option, please don't suggest it. Here is what I have so far. I've never written a proposal before so I'm not sure if I'm going about this the right way.




Proposal to Replace Existing Soundboard


The average life of a soundboard in a high school setting ten years. The existing soundboard has served faithfully for more than the past ten years; however, the reliability of the soundboard has diminished and cannot be relied on for plays, musicals, graduation, and concerts.
At least one quarter of the channels are either not functioning or function intermittently. The school has also outgrown the limitations of the existing 16 channels of the soundboard. A soundboard must be rented for each production to keep up with the demands of the growing theatre program. Each production in the last four years has required a minimum of twenty channels to accommodate for the microphones for the actors and inputs for the band.
I proposed to replace the existing soundboard with a much more up-to-date soundboard. Digital soundboards have greatly come down in price and offer a much higher quality sound. The PreSonus StudioLive soundboard is an excellent option for the High School. It is very simple to learn and extremely durable. The proposed soundboard will be an excellent fit for our theatre program.
Repairing the existing soundboard will not solve the existing issues of the inactive channels and space requirements. The productions will still have to pay to rent a soundboard for all of their productions. The existing soundboard has been repaired numerous times; however, the repairs have never lasted more than a few months. The cost of continuing repairs on the existing soundboard will quickly exceed the cost of purchasing a new PreSonus StudioLive soundboard.
 
I do a lot of this type of thing for my school, and you seem to have included good information. Who is getting the proposal?

My only suggestion might be to keep the numbers instead of writing them out, particularly the "20" channels required, which an accountant will hone in on quickly.

I was also looking presonus from an older 16 ch board for an almost identical situation to what you describe. I ended up talking them into a yamaha LS9 32 channel, which I thought would be plenty of channels 2 years ago, but in this year we had an additional 10 wireless mics donated - now 20 total and with a channel each for iPod/av, 2 permanent recording mics installed, choir mics, boundary mics, well, she's full. We are now looking at adding stage racks for additional channels when our new speakers are hung.

Not that I love behringer, but I quickly found multiple vendors on-line that say they can ship an x32 tomorrow.

You can add a power sequencer that will automatically turn on your gear with the turn of a key or single switch. That would give your administrator an easy mic on, assuming you have a preset for this on a digital board. You might have this set up already, but don't forget any new gear should integrate with the school P.A. and fire alarm systems.

Good luck! I can't wait to hear how it works out for you!
 
My only suggestion might be to keep the numbers instead of writing them out, particularly the "20" channels required, which an accountant will hone in on quickly.
If you want to be formal the correct way is both, e.g. twenty (20) channels. Less chance of misinterpretation and better chance to have any typos be apparent.

If you want to really help your case, present a business case or cost/benefit analysis. What would it cost to repair what you have and/or to rent consoles? And what is the cost of what you propose? Either you should already know that or someone can easily discredit your argument on that aspect and make the entire recommendation suspect.

You might also want to do some of what you did for us, present the problems faced functionally, how what you have falls short in that regard and how what you propose addresses those points. Probably a lot better to base your request on how what you have is insufficient and what you propose will better serve the school than simply on it being more up-to-date.

Related to that, I see nothing that actually appears to offer any justification for a digital console. I'm not saying there is no justification, just that it doesn't seem to be identified. Similar with why the StudioLive is recommended. I have had much better luck with school boards and administrators when we show them that we did 'due diligence' by looking at multiple options before making any specific recommendation.
 
First of all, you said the word "soundboard" exactly 15 times. :p There are some grammatical mistakes as well. The first sentence has no verb in it. Brad had some good suggestions and I would reiterate the need for details and specifics. What's the average cost (and/or range) for the repairs already made? How much are you asking for and how many repairs will be the equivalent to buying a new "soundboard?" How long will this take, approximately, to reach the break even point of new vs. repairs? I agree that you should spend more time addressing the shortcomings of the old mixer and also point out the benefits of a new one. Why wouldn't you replace what you have with another one of the same (or current if it's no longer made) model? I think that having a janitor there to get a microphone working is reason enough to go analog. Or you could use a small analog mixer for that "one mic" and go digital for your main console. The Studiolive is "just" analog enough for a layman to push up a fader but I think the X32 has a lot more features and some things (such as graphic EQ) are much easier to access on the X32. Just curious, what are you using now?
 
The average life of a soundboard in a high school setting ten years.

Where did you get this statistic from? Did you survey area schools or did you make it up? If you throw out numbers, be ready to back them up.

Also, you missed an "is" after "setting".

And I would call it an "audio mixer", not a "sound board".
 
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Are you requesting new monies, or are you trying to justify spending your current budget on this expenditure?
 
If you want to really help your case, present a business case or cost/benefit analysis. What would it cost to repair what you have and/or to rent consoles? And what is the cost of what you propose? Either you should already know that or someone can easily discredit your argument on that aspect and make the entire recommendation suspect.

I was planning on creating a cost/benefit analysis, but I'm glad you brought it up.


First of all, you said the word "soundboard" exactly 15 times. :p There are some grammatical mistakes as well. The first sentence has no verb in it. Or you could use a small analog mixer for that "one mic" and go digital for your main console. The Studiolive is "just" analog enough for a layman to push up a fader but I think the X32 has a lot more features and some things (such as graphic EQ) are much easier to access on the X32. Just curious, what are you using now?

Thanks for pointing out my error in the very first sentence! This is a first draft, so I know I need to reduce the number of times I use the word soundboard or the like. I would really like to use a mixer for a "one mic" approach, but the mixer is on top of a portable rack that contains the amps, power conditioner, processor, and two wireless mic receivers. It's ideal for the school because they can wheel it down to the gym for graduation. It's also ideal for theatre because.... I'll get back to you on that one. I agree, the X32 is a much nicer board for roughly the same price; however, it just doesn't fit our needs and I'm afraid that the new school techs won't be able to use it. They are high school kids. Plus, the motorized faders are a concern. I don't want to see them being broken or damaged. While the X32 is awesome, it's just not right for this application. Right now the school owns a 16 channel Soundcraft board and a 12 channel Behringer. I'm not sure of the exact models of either. I really like the Behringer board. I hate the Soundcraft one, always have.


Where did you get this statistic from? Did you survey area schools or did you make it up? If you throw out numbers, be ready to back them up.

Yes, I know I need to back all numbers up. This is just a placeholder. I was hoping the CB community would have some input on how long an analogue mixer lasts in your environment.



Are you requesting new monies, or are you trying to justify spending your current budget on this expenditure?

I'm requesting additional funds. If our budget was high enough I could easily buy a new mixer, but that isn't the case. If you look, I call it a "Lecture Hall" and not "theatre" for a reason. That's the official name or "Little Theater". To tell you the truth, I am expecting this proposal to be shot down the first couple times I submit it. However, it will be in the back of their mind and I'm hoping in a few years they will finally approve my request.
 
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If there's already a mixer in place that even remotely works then the only question that they'll ask is, "Can you get by for now with the dying one?" And if you're honest, the answer will probably be "yes." Now, if somehow your current mixer gets damaged beyond repair then they will either have to buy a new one or not have any events in the space. For legal reasons I am not suggesting you pour water on it, drop it from the roof, and/or have someone steal it. ;)
 
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... For legal reasons I am not suggesting you pour water on it, drop it from the room, and/or have someone steal it. ;)

Heaven forbid anyone spills any sugar sweetened cola product in it! That would be disastrous! :oops:
 
If there's already a mixer in place that even remotely works then the only question that they'll ask is, "Can you get by for now with the dying one?" And if you're honest, the answer will probably be "yes." Now, if somehow your current mixer gets damaged beyond repair then they will either have to buy a new one or not have any events in the space. For legal reasons I am not suggesting you pour water on it, drop it from the roof, and/or have someone steal it. ;)

If that happened I wouldn't be allowed near the new one... per my own rules.
 
A few suggestions from my past expierence.

I ran the backstage for my almamater until the director and I had a falling out a few months ago. It is a private Catholic high school and the theatre budget is a joke. I spend more in an order for expendables for 6 months at my current venue then I spent in an entire year at the school. The set up was similar to what you described the performance space was used for most campus events that did not require the entire school in attendance.

But in that time we updated the lighting rig, dimmers, audio console, amp rack and speakers.

I do agree that it is hard to justify digital at first, but when you option an analog console out with just a few goodies it becomes apparant that digital is the way to go this is what you have to prove to them.

The way I did it was, I put together a basic reliable set up that would last for 10+ years.
This was the set up I preposed
Mackie ONYX 32-4 @ 2100.
DBX 1231 Eq @ 359.95
2 Dbx 166xs Comp/limiter/gate @ 240/each
a Lexicon Mx200 Effects Processor @ 200
DBX 223xs @ 180
Plus some other odds and ends that needed r&r
the total came out to $3800 before shiping and tax

But then I got turned on to the x32, studio live and the SI3.
I called around and ended up getting quoted 2500 out the door on an x32 and Studiolive 24.4.2 and SI3 at 5k
Dont be afraid to call and ask for educational discounts, even some of the big box stores will give them if the manager is nice.
But the defining point for the preposal was the cost vs benifit. The way I wrote it was that i broke down the general features of the X32 vs the cost of the same amount of gear in the analog world, e.g. eq, gate, limiter, comp, recorder, phantom power on individual channels, etc.
That was the point that swayed them, quanity as well as quality. Also the X32 is remarkably simple to use if you have a dedicated scene to an event like a single mic lecture it becomes boot up and bring the master up, very simple.

Also I got alot of my money from grants, donations, the ppo, and we even got a donation from the Ahmanson Foundation. We even got gear dontaed from other venues, the local road house, and even the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion donated our lightboard, again its amazing the lenghts people will go to further education. Hit the pavement, knock on doors and ring phones, and it will come together.
 
But the defining point for the preposal was the cost vs benifit. The way I wrote it was that i broke down the general features of the X32 vs the cost of the same amount of gear in the analog world, e.g. eq, gate, limiter, comp, recorder, phantom power on individual channels, etc.
This can be very effective, however many administrators, and also many users, may not clearly understand the benefits. I also often have to remind people that having something is not really a benefit unless it is something you actually use to your benefit. It's sort of ironic to see people present having a gate, comp/limiter, etc. on every channel as a benefit and then once they get the console see them having to ask how they use them. So I suggest maybe keeping anything you present as a potential benefit to those things where you can sufficiently explain to either a technical or non-technical person why they are a benefit.
 
Our existing soundboard is terrible and we have to rent one for each production. I work with a small high school, so the budget is king. I would like a digital soundboard like the X32, but I'm not sure beginner techs will be able to pick it up quick enough, and on top of that, the board gets used for graduation and faculty meetings. This means the district administrator may need to walk in and get a mic running. Having a tech for every meeting is NOT an option, please don't suggest it. Here is what I have so far. I've never written a proposal before so I'm not sure if I'm going about this the right way.




Proposal to Replace Existing Soundboard


The average life of a soundboard in a high school setting ten years. The existing soundboard has served faithfully for more than the past ten years; however, the reliability of the soundboard has diminished and cannot be relied on for plays, musicals, graduation, and concerts.
At least one quarter of the channels are either not functioning or function intermittently. The school has also outgrown the limitations of the existing 16 channels of the soundboard. A soundboard must be rented for each production to keep up with the demands of the growing theatre program. Each production in the last four years has required a minimum of twenty channels to accommodate for the microphones for the actors and inputs for the band.
I proposed to replace the existing soundboard with a much more up-to-date soundboard. Digital soundboards have greatly come down in price and offer a much higher quality sound. The PreSonus StudioLive soundboard is an excellent option for the High School. It is very simple to learn and extremely durable. The proposed soundboard will be an excellent fit for our theatre program.
Repairing the existing soundboard will not solve the existing issues of the inactive channels and space requirements. The productions will still have to pay to rent a soundboard for all of their productions. The existing soundboard has been repaired numerous times; however, the repairs have never lasted more than a few months. The cost of continuing repairs on the existing soundboard will quickly exceed the cost of purchasing a new PreSonus StudioLive soundboard.

I have worked with schools in the past with this kind of stuff. You most definitely will want to get a digital mixer, believe it or not, but the x32 is easier to learn then the other digital boards. Anyways, regarding your needs for a novice user to turn on a couple of mics, I would just put a rack mount mixer like the Sure SM268. Set aside like 2 of your wireless mics and run to the main board with XLR and run to the rackmounted mixer with TRS. That way, they can just open the rack and hit one button and get mics working. I did this in a school about a year ago

Cheers! And Good Luck!
 
I have worked with schools in the past with this kind of stuff. You most definitely will want to get a digital mixer, believe it or not, but the x32 is easier to learn then the other digital boards. Anyways, regarding your needs for a novice user to turn on a couple of mics, I would just put a rack mount mixer like the Sure SM268. Set aside like 2 of your wireless mics and run to the main board with XLR and run to the rackmounted mixer with TRS. That way, they can just open the rack and hit one button and get mics working. I did this in a school about a year ago

Cheers! And Good Luck!

All solid advice, but since the original post was back in 2013, I'm HOPING he's worked it all out by now. But then again, purchasing departments DO move kinda slow...
 
I will concur; I've worked, now, with an x32, an LS9, a QU-16, and I've read the manuals for the SQ-6.

The x32 is in fact easier to use, assuming it's not your first digital board, and it's ahead in both features and capacity.

And mostly, it's cheaper now.

And it's easier to pre-set for non-technical users, too, I suspect. At least at parity.
 
Actually I think this happens to be a good topic to revisit every few years, especially since digital technology is exploding in the sound industry. I imagine the same would apply for lighting designers with the introduction of LED lights.
 

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