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This ever happen to you "older" guys ?


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I've been providing sound services now for closing on 9-10 years. I'm 55 now and I swear someone keeps adding weight to my gear because I can't be getting weaker..................right ?

NOW after all this time, work offers seem non-stop. Just when I'm looking at shutting down in a few more years (60th birthday gift?) I could probably justify buying a lot more gear and training some more help. Seeing this all work out is great but the timing is bitter-sweet.

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So what about mentoring "the next generation" and being the money man to front the assets? Once up to speed you could stop sweating the small gigs altogether much sooner and just be on site for the higher profile affairs. Do the back office stuff, which has much easier hours, a comfy chair and you're pushing keys instead of cases :D2

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At this point in my life, experience is my biggest asset as an audio engineer. I have the classic 4k dip in my hearing so I prefer to let others handle the mixing (when there are competent people around) but I can still do it, keeping in mind the 4k dip.

 

I'm grateful for the new technology, particularly the distribution of the mass of the power amplifiers, and for my yoga practice. I actually feel like it is easier for me to lug gear now than it was 30 years ago.

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Yes I am 56yrs and my boxes all weigh 160lbs a piece on average.

My hearing is still ok. It is something I love and basically I only do gigs

in the summer now. Loading up when it is below zero and driving through the night

is the stuff I got sick of.

Hang in there old timer :)

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Yea, it happened to me too. Just as we were getting show offers at high level shows I got old. I stuck it out for a few years, but the old road dog was tired. I shut down the company at 60 years old, 63 now. I don't do shows any more but the part I always liked anyway was configuring systems, and the tech side of things. My new role has been to be the guy other sound men call when they have a system issue or over their head in technology. I only work my choice of hours and jobs. I keep my toe in it, but I don't have to swim with the sharks anymore. Just walked in now from being at a friends rehearsal hall where they had some system issues, but mainly lighting issues. Spent a couple of hours having fun, and came home when I felt like it. I like the change. I finally have to admit I am older than I was once. ;-)

 

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That's kind of where I am with it too. Leave the stuff that others can do to the others but designing and troubleshooting are skills that improve with experience. Sometimes, just being on site to offer suggestions when needed is a worthy contribution.

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I've been providing sound services now for closing on 9-10 years. I'm 55 now and I swear someone keeps adding weight to my gear because I can't be getting weaker..................right ?

NOW after all this time, work offers seem non-stop. Just when I'm looking at shutting down in a few more years (60th birthday gift?) I could probably justify buying a lot more gear and training some more help. Seeing this all work out is great but the timing is bitter-sweet.

 

I'll be turning 60 in approx. 20 days. Mass does seem to be gaining weight, but then I seem to be improving my tool usage abilities... employing easier ways to get as good or better results.

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Most definitely the gear I move is getting heavier. The place I work for laid off all the young bucks and kept the experienced few on board. The problem with that is it's wearing us out. We have new owners (the second new owners in 2 years). These guys SEEM to be entertainment oriented and there's talk of remodeling our theatre. They own several other properties that book some pretty big names so my fingers are crossed :). Hope springs eternal (or until you die ;).

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I just turned 61 and can brag about it from a health and toning perspective. But, I won't. I will say that technology has reduced the burden. I went from an 80 pound amp to a 29 pound amp with twice-plus the output. As far as busy goes, yea, I could put up a laundry list of honey-do's at home complemented by a longer list at work.

 

I remember when my pop retired. When he was working all the odious chores got done quickly. When he retired none of them did. He'd drag them out and he even seemed totally drain overnight. A mindset is an odd creature.

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Yup, I got tired swimming with the sharks as well, down to 23 event days and 30 on-site work days this year. I used to be out of the shop 150 days, I do like the new schedule though sometimes have dreams about the good times.

 

It's funny, I have gotten several calls the past couple of months from pro audio guys I know who asked me how I was able to get out of the rat race. Guys I know from either the touring world or the service world, all my age (57) or a couple years older, and all trying to find a good way to exit before they get too beat up to enjoy what's left. I'm lucky as I have always been involved in the design (manufacturing) side of the business too, that's what I am doing mostly these days at Mesa Boogie... the hard core engineering stuff. Way easier on the back for sure, and much like the good guys I worked with on the road.

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Yep I've slid into sixty, but it's still hard for me to figure out where all the years went. Last year, things had picked up again and I was still doing four or five gigs a month, which was more than enough. Now with most gigs switching to house systems, I really only need a neat and tidy small system that can double as my solo, duo or trio PA. If I need something bigger I can rent it. As I mentioned in another post, I've got my Unity U15's parked at a house gig, and am trying to purge most of my stuff. Unfortunately, I still have to hoist my 80 lb U15's onto stands by myself, but at least I'm using crank stands - and I'm not loading them in and out of my vehicle, over and over.

 

.I did two "large" full production gigs in December and I realized that I don't find sound as thrilling as I once did. Or at least the loading part. In fact, last month, I returned two Yorkville PS12P's and bought a guitar instead!

 

I'm also keeping an eye on selling the homestead some day and moving downtown. Won't have room for all my PA toys (as limited as they are). Might even have to sell a few guitars - hmmmm maybe moving isn't such a good idea.

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I will be 56 this summer and not doing shows like you guys that need a box truck. Working with just one band now and they only thing that bothers me is I'm sleepy by 1am. Usually home by 2am or so but I wake up automatically at 6am because of the day job.

 

 

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Turn 60 in a few weeks. Got burnt out and stopped doing regular gigs last year. Hooked up with some old friends doing a few shows a year of music that we all love for whoever cares to show up ….so it's fun again.

Biggest challenge now is recovering from a ruptured quad tendon I did just before Christmas. Sitting in a softcast for 10 weeks did the rest of my body no favors. I found that my old self doesn't bounce back quite as fast as my young self did. I'm also sure someone is hiding bricks in my speaker cabs.

 

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I'll be turning 64 in two weeks but don't have to haul much -- majority of my gigs are at my normal venue with an installed system. What's extra nice is music there goes from 7:00 to 10:00. What is really killing me is the late hours when I take gigs other places. Getting to bed at 2 or 3 AM is simply not healthy.

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Just 57 - so what is it with everyone posting here being between 55 and 65 ?

I'm 38. I wasn't posting because I'm not "older" and I got no plans to quit. :D I just barely hit a point on the "being competent" curve where I can get more work than I need or want (I mostly do web development and play one or two gigs a week).

 

FWIW, one band I play with is mostly "older" dudes. One of them used to play drums in the 13th Floor Elevators. He was about twice as old as I was when I started playing with him. It's given me a much different (and more useful) perspective on how long I might around doing stuff.

 

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I'm 38. I wasn't posting because I'm not "older" and I got no plans to quit. :D I just barely hit a point on the "being competent" curve where I can get more work than I need or want (I mostly do web development and play one or two gigs a week).

 

FWIW, one band I play with is mostly "older" dudes. One of them used to play drums in the 13th Floor Elevators. He was about twice as old as I was when I started playing with him. It's given me a much different (and more useful) perspective on how long I might around doing stuff.

 

Wow....haven't heard that bands name in a while. How may bands could boast having an "electric jug" ?

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