Cultural Equipment
sample application
PROJECT SUMMARY
Project Title
Hi-Liners Inc
The Purchase Of Portable Sound Equipment
Short Description
Purchasing a digital soundboard and mixer snake to create a fully mobile amplification system, ensuring a consistent high-quality sound for all performances at various venues.
NARRATIVE
Project Description
We are looking to upgrade our sound system by purchasing a digital soundboard and mixing snake. This will allow us to 1) complete a mobile sound system that can be taken from rental theater to rental theater to ensure consistent, quality sound capabilities between performances and different venues, 2) overcome deficiency in equipment at various venues, 3) reduce time spent setting up in a rental space by being able to pre-program a digital mixing console and configure our own equipment in order to make the most of the time in rehearsal, 4) reduce the need to borrow or rent sound equipment, and 5) ensure a professional experience for our audience.
We are fully committed to this goal of a mobile sound system. In the past year, we have invested $11,000 to replace 5 wireless microphones that were going to made obsolete, purchased an antenna distribution center to improve reception where many frequencies are being used (i.e. near the airport/Boeing Field), and to replace aging speakers. This additional equipment will be the final stage in creating a mobile system, allowing us to amplify all of our performances, regardless of location or size (something we have never been able to achieve before). The equipment will be utilized immediately in our rehearsal space once purchased from Guitar Center Pro Audio (under advisement from our sound designer and Board member, Lisa Finkral) and then implemented during our first performance thereafter.
Project Impact
Each year, The Hi-Liners bring together over 300 students (ages 3-22) to develop and produce 5 different productions that reach over 6,000 community members in the Seattle area. Without a home theater, we are able to mobilize our teaching and education efforts, bringing musical theater to where it otherwise might be difficult. This flexibility in location makes it challenging to ensure that sound remains consistent between rental spaces. We have dealt with this conundrum by hiring a sound engineer (who has since joined our Board) to borrow or rent the proper equipment and this has greatly enhanced the quality of our productions. However, we are not always able to amplify our smaller shows because of the expense and complication involved. Purchasing a digital soundboard and mixing snake would enable us to amplify all our shows, regardless of location or size, creating a better, more equitable experience for both our performers and our audience.
We believe that our students can present themselves professionally long before they enter the professional world. Our goal is not to produce the next Broadway star—our goal is to produce stellar citizens who enrich the community through their teamwork and commitment to one another within the process of producing a fantastic show. This production is then performed for the very community that supports the students--a high quality, mobile sound system will allow us to give our students a powerful, memorable onstage experience they can feel more than proud of.
Relevant Expertise / Experience / Accomplishments
The Hi-Liners have been navigating the complexities of performance spaces in the South Seattle area for the past 10 years. While the need for mobile sound equipment has long been known, it wasn't until we hired Lisa Finkral as our sound designer a few years ago that the solution became approachable. From the start, Lisa used her expertise from working in venues such as Village Theatre and The Triple Door to upgrade our wireless microphones in order to avoid obsolescence, program borrowed soundboards in order to optimize sound quality and cue performance, and has mentored young sound technicians eager to gain experience in the field. When Lisa joined our Board this past fall, she doubled down on her commitment to make our sound the best it can be. Working with Guitar Center Pro Audio, from whom we previously purchased our wireless microphones, Lisa was able to identify the exact digital soundboard and mixer snake we would need to complement our existing equipment. Furthermore, Guitar Center Pro Audio guarantees comparability between all equipment purchased from their store, ensuring that our upgrade could occur flawlessly.
We need to purchase a digital mixing console that is capable of supporting 15 wireless microphones, mic a full pit orchestra, as well as provide internal processing effects. Since we perform in multiple locations, in order to protect the console from damage in transport we need a travel case (when not in use, all sound equipment is stored in a locked cabinet at the Burien Annex, our main rehearsal space). Many of the venues in which we perform do not have their own sound snakes, or adequate microphone inputs in the necessary locations when live bands and orchestras are used. A digital sound snake would allow us to quickly and easily put microphones and monitors where they are needed.
Project Implementation
The equipment will be used immediately in rehearsals and is not dependent on other projects, staffing, or needed expertise.
If only awarded partial funding we would scale the size of our sound upgrade, prioritizing the digital sound mixer for impact, and working to get the other components piece by piece over the next three to five years through additional fundraising efforts.
PROJECT BUDGET
Project Expenses
- Equipment/Fixtures - $3,010
- TOTAL - $3,010
Project Income
- 4Culture Request - $3,010
- TOTAL - $3,010
SUPPLEMENTAL ITEMS
Activities
DownStage Center Productions (education focused, lower tech)
4 annual productions
- Mary Poppins - 45 participants - Total attendance 1325, including 5 regular performances and two student performances
- Cinderella - 46 participants - Total Attendance 1345, including 5 regular performances and one student performance
- Madagascar Jr - 28 Participants - Total Attendance 550, including 4 regular performances
- Urinetown - 17 Participants - total attendance, 270 including 2 performances
MainStage Production (Full scale, professional-like experience)
1 annual production
Little Mermaid - 45 participants - total attendance 2710 - 6 regular performances and 2 student performances
Outreach Productions (Director, music director and choreographer go into a school to help them put on their own production)
St. Francis of Asisi - Lion King Jr. - Cast 67
St. Bernadette Parish School - Aladdin KIDS - Cast 28
Marvista - Lion King KIDS - 30
Glenridge Elementary - Jungle Book KIDS - 30
Outreach Clubs (teacher goes in to teach a club afterschool)
Marvista Elementary
St. Frances of Assisi
Renton Home School Co-op
Classes/Camps (all annual; number offered depends on demand)
Summer 2017 - 15 Camps - 192 Participants
Fall 2017 - 11 Classes - 107 participants
Spring 2018 - 12 Classes - 132 participants
Board
Gerry Gilbert, 24 years, Credit Manager
Jesse Northrup, 6 months, Recruiter
Nanette Feeney, 3 years, Marketing Manager Boeing
Allison Gobat, 3 years, Teacher
Lynn Root, 7 years, Engineer
Lisa Finkral, 6 months, Lawyer and Sound Designer/engineer
Sandy Heinrich, 15 years, Boeing Employee
Diane Kennish, 20 years, Flight Attendant
Penny Reagin, 4 years,Sales Rep
Nancy Becker, 4 years, Teacher
Michael Walsh, 3 months, Lawyer
Equipment
Quoted from Guitar Center Pro Audio:
BEHRINGER X32 32CH DIGI MIXER X32 - $1,698
GATOR GTOUR X32 TOUR STYLE ATA CASE W/DOGHOUSE FOR BEH - $279
BEHRINGER SD16 16X8 DIGITAL MIXER SNAKE - $649
RAPCO HORIZON Z230636-100F 100FT ETHERCON/ETHERCON CAT5 - $109.99
Estimated Tax: $273.60