Several years ago we visited France for the first time. I was a bit younger and had more hair back then, but c’est la vie.
I was commissioned to build a recording studio in Cannes for one of my clients, so we packed up the bags and flew to Paris. Truthfully, it wasn’t quite that easy. A tremendous amount of planning went into the trip, both in terms of how to build a studio in another country, as well as setting aside some time for sightseeing with the family. It was our first trip abroad, so I wanted to make sure we handled all of the details. OK, that’s not quite true either. You see, I get very focused on one thing, and rely heavily on Deb to handle the travel details.
Let me start from the beginning. My client already had a studio that I had previously built for him in Los Angeles, so it was vital that the two rooms function in the same way, so he could bring songs back and forth as he was working on them. Working overseas brings many unique challenges to the forefront. For example, there were voltage differences to consider (France is 230 volts and 50 cycles – the US is 115 volts and 60 cycles), plus I was going to be working in a place where running to the local electronic supply was not really an easy option. After much consideration, we agreed that the best way for this to project to take place as efficiently as possible was for me to build the studio in my shop in California, test it thoroughly, then crate it all up and ship it to Cannes for installation.
Meantime Deb went to work checking every flight, train and hotel. We had just three girls at the time ages 7, 5 and 2, so there were many logistics involved. (Before I go on, you are asking yourself about the sanity of bringing 3 young girls to France, right? I could not recommend it highly enough. We had a blast, and the girls fell in love with international travel. We were treated like family everywhere we went and have memories and photos that still make us laugh.) The plan was to spend a week in Cannes, with me installing my crated up studio while the girls played on the beach of the Mediterranean, then jump on the TGV to Paris and bang around the Louvre and Monet’s Garden for a week.
With the plan in place, I ordered all the equipment for the studio, and began assembly in my shop in California. After it was functioning to my satisfaction, I hauled a band in to cut some tracks. It is not hard to find a band wanting to record when you have a free studio to test. They were patient as I made wiring changes and fine tuned the system, and were quite happy with the final product. The studio worked great, and was ready for packing. Oh, for those of you paying attention, the key to making it work in France was a really cool battery-based power inverter made by Toshiba that converts everything from ranging from coal, whale oil, lumber, even European electricity into good old American 115 volts. Amazing device! (OK, I made the part up about whale oil.)
The studio was shipped to Cannes, made it through Customs, and we boarded our flight a few days later. The next seven days were a blur of long days, late nights, unpacking boxes, wiring, building, soldering upside down, testing, eating croissants and drinking lots of coffee. But the pieces all came together beautifully.
My client treated us very well, and had even arranged that we all have dinner together one night on the beach in front of the Carlton Hotel, for the annual 4th of July Celebration. Yes, you heard me correctly. In response to the large American population and tourist trade in Cannes, the city presents an awe-inspiring fireworks show on the Mediterranean.
I put on a clean shirt and we dined in the warm salt air at sunset. As the evening got darker, the crowds continued to fill the beach. The sidewalk along the beach was peppered with speakers, playing classical music to accompany the fireworks. It was a magical night we will never forget.
After one final all-night session of training and testing every microphone, patch point and outboard device in the studio, we jumped on the train and “flew” to Paris at something like a view-blurring 170 mph. I slept the entire trip. But this was when Deb’s pre-planning really came into play. Our apartment-hotel was perfect, and once I caught up on a bit of sleep we were all over the City of Lights. There really is no place like Paris, and we have returned a few times since that first trip.
So how does a trip to France to build a studio relate to my company and benefit you? Two words: planning and experience. There is no shortage of fast talking salespeople in my industry, ranging from superstores to high-end showrooms, trying to sell you any and everything. But there needs to be a plan in place. Your job is not to become an expert on the latest technology available, or to buy something you don’t understand because someone is telling you how great it is. Your job is find someone you can trust, who will listen to you and design and system that fits your needs and budget.
I suppose if I were to boil down to one sentence, it would be that if I can build a recording studio on another continent and have the pieces come together like a puzzle, I would be honored to have you consider BSUN Media Systems for your home or commercial entertainment needs, large or small.
We not only help you plan a system that matches your budget, but we even have many key products that we can bring into your home and let you try for a few days, to truly see if it is the right system for you. Is there a better place to demo a system than with your family in your own home?
So while I do not have any recording studios in Europe booked in the coming weeks, you never know what’s around the corner. That’s what keeps life interesting.
I may share more travel stories with you in the coming months, as travel is such a passion of ours, both professionally and for pleasure. Every successful journey starts with a good plan and an experienced guide. We are in the process of finishing a project for a large restaurant on the Gulf Coast (more on that in our next issue) that started with a plan, which I am proud to share with you below. If you or someone you know is ready for home entertainment system beyond the ordinary, we are ready for the challenge. It’s going to be a great year, with a little planning!
