Brand dormancy

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Starchild
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Brand dormancy

#1 Post by Starchild »

Hi guys, I have not been vocal on this forum for a while but I felt the need to raise this now.
After years of research I found Mr. Fitzmaurices' designs to be a cut above and simply "different" to what is customary and accepted in my region, after heavy conversations with the guys here I was motivated to build an entire BFM sound system of my own. As a result I have built 1 T48 ( 1 of 8 ) with 4 Dr280 (80% completed) and 2 Dr250 (50% completed). After months of searching for new reviews via youtube and other sites I noticed the last BFM demo video is dated about 3 years ago, why is this? It's kind of demoralising because plain talk if it's great then why not "show it off?"
I see plenty vids from danley sounds labs dated as recent as 5 months ago, as a matter of fact you name the company and they are out there promoting their Brand. Come on guys if you know your BFM system rivals the so called big brands out there then show them what you got. Give credit where good credit is due, I was a member for about 3 years on this forum before I built the T48 and I have no regrets but it is disheartening to not share it with the world....


Just had to get that off my chest.
Ps: notice I did not use Caps on the big name brand
... subliminal message.
Last edited by Starchild on Sun Apr 28, 2019 9:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Bruce Weldy
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Re: Brand dormancy

#2 Post by Bruce Weldy »

You make a good point.

I've posted a lot of videos of my BFM rig, but the focus was the performance, not the PA. Thus, you won't find them by searching for BFM.

I did post one years ago on the clarity of the melded array when you are way off-axis that a friend recorded....

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BrentEvans
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Re: Brand dormancy

#3 Post by BrentEvans »

Most people around here probably realize that you can't tell squat from a YouTube video. I made one way back when, it still gets a comment here and there (just had one the other day). It never did the rig justice.

The reality is that most people make videos of their audio gear to show off how much they spent, not how great it sounds. It's the very definition of gear snobbery. That type of person isn't the type of person building a BF rig.

More power to you if you want to take the time to make videos... but I don't get paid for making videos of my gear (and no, YouTube monetization does not matter to that effect because you really can't monetize anything with music in it). With three kids to care for and a business to run... whipping out the camera to video a show is only going to happen if I'm being paid to do it... and then the camera mic isn't going to be the audio on the video.

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Charles Jenkinson
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Re: Brand dormancy

#4 Post by Charles Jenkinson »

You can't tell anyone anything, and that applies as much to sound reproduction as anything else. Only if people are in a phase of emergence and open to suggestion can you help them.

I certainly applaud the BF spirit of not exploiting a market for brand growth, but sticking to technical excellence as the value transferred.

For any punter, the principle of having to search out something of value which is not simply in proportion to the amount paid for it, is available here.
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ACUA
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Re: Brand dormancy

#5 Post by ACUA »

This is going to sound bad but this stuff is not exactly user friendly. Diy pro audio is not for a snowflake. You have to be a semi skilled maverick mechanic already to even build these loud speakers let alone operate them successfully(subjective). I admit I would like to see a clean unbiased mass comparison of these bfm designs against the competition but my research suggests sound logic and philosophy here that generally satisfy is me.

Certainly these by standers were fully immersed in the bfm culture, and by immersed I mean shaken and stirred!!!!
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ACUA
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Re: Brand dormancy

#6 Post by ACUA »

A smart friend of mine and member of this forum said something to me that stuck with me and I think the concept applies well here.

He defined a loud speaker as a tool of sorts. Like a hammer or saw or knife or something, and that in the hands of a skilled craftsman a simple tool can achieve great work. By contrast, A high precision complex tool in the hands of a novice is likely to produce junk. I look at it like one brand of tool to another, just because a hammer is made by a particular manufacturer does not mean it will sink every nail in one swing every time. However certain hammers are made better than others. Some have rubber grips, some have knurled heads. Some have claws on the back. If you need to drive nails you don’t even need a hammer a rock will potentially get the job done.

Knowing how a tool is supposed to be used is important to use it to its potential. Having the tool best suited for the job is going to increase the effectiveness of the tool. Knowing the limitations can prevent damage or failure of tool or work being done.
If a loudspeaker is categorized as a tool it is not enough to say that a particular manufacturer of loud speaker will make all of your wildest dreams come true.

What it takes to understand and use correctly the tools that Bill markets, is not fully realized by doing shootouts with competitor products. It is more complicated than that and perhaps that is the point!!!
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Bruce Weldy
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Re: Brand dormancy

#7 Post by Bruce Weldy »

ACUA wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2019 3:31 pm
He defined a loud speaker as a tool of sorts. Like a hammer or saw or knife or something, and that in the hands of a skilled craftsman a simple tool can achieve great work. By contrast, A high precision complex tool in the hands of a novice is likely to produce junk.


What it takes to understand and use correctly the tools that Bill markets, is not fully realized by doing shootouts with competitor products. It is more complicated than that and perhaps that is the point!!!
I think you are correct and I would add..... the best thing you get from this site isn't speakers. Face it, you can buy good speakers from a lot of different sources. The best thing the novice and even the professional gets here is knowledge. I've learned more about how sound works in the last 9 years of being involved with this forum than the first 30 years in the industry.

My signature line below states pretty much what you said above. I've run all kinds of systems with great success - some sound better than others, but if you understand how sound works you can get the most out of what's in front of you.

By happenstance, I ended up mixing on identical QSC systems this weekend at two different venues. One had the KLA line arrays flown and the other they were pole mounted over the subs. Both are excellent and sound great.

What Bill brings to the table other than knowledge is a way for someone to achieve excellent results with a very small investment compared to the big boys. The cost for the 4 tops and 4 subs I mixed on last night would run you about $17k.....they sounded very good, but no better than my BFM rig.

But, if you think replacing your JBL, QSC, or brand X speakers with BFM is going to fix everything - it won't.....unless you know what you are doing. The knowledge amassed here here will help with everything you mix on - regardless of the brand.

I knew quite a bit before coming here, but now I know WHY things happen...not just that they do....and that makes it a lot easier to recognize and address no matter what you are mixing on.

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
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2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

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Tom Smit
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Re: Brand dormancy

#8 Post by Tom Smit »

Amen Bruce.
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Strange Kevin
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Re: Brand dormancy

#9 Post by Strange Kevin »

:clap: :clap: :clap:
Authorized Builder - Phoenix AZ.
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Starchild
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Re: Brand dormancy

#10 Post by Starchild »

Thanks for your input guys but I believe I was misunderstood. I am talking about showing off all your BFM rigs online just like the big brand guys do. In other words upload more recent vids of your rigs at work, lets show them that BFM still stands tall among the big guns. I have a mobile gig carded for early 2020 system is gonna be mounted on a 20 foot trailer and I plan on promoting my BFM rig using drone cameras... stuff like that. I only hope you guys follow suit.

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Strange Kevin
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Re: Brand dormancy

#11 Post by Strange Kevin »

Ok, I think I get where you are coming from.

When I start getting more daytime gigs, (so you can actualy see it..) I'll try to get some more action shots of the Rig in use.
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Main Rig - 6 DR200s - 6 T48s (30")
SLA Pros for the smaller stuff.

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Starchild
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Re: Brand dormancy

#12 Post by Starchild »

That's the idea!

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Starchild
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Re: Brand dormancy

#13 Post by Starchild »

Strange Kevin wrote: Sun Apr 21, 2019 6:18 am Ok, I think I get where you are coming from.

When I start getting more daytime gigs, (so you can actualy see it..) I'll try to get some more action shots of the Rig in use.
Thats the idea! Over here we normally set up our rigs in the daytime so I plan on recording our sound checks as well as small clips during our events. If you guys set up timing is similar then you all can do the same.

67baja
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Re: Brand dormancy

#14 Post by 67baja »

Bill needs to hire a PR/Marketing/Social Media person. Seriously, this is the best kept secret around for sound. Exploit it and go up against the expesive brands and then publicize the shit out of it! Get these millennials and hipsters into this world.
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Charles Jenkinson
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Re: Brand dormancy

#15 Post by Charles Jenkinson »

I've been listening to a video series called Money Revealed by Jeff Hays films, featuring many big name entrepreneurs. I had to wait for the final episode 9 to get some personal inspiration that feels like the right approach me and mine should take. And it was an interview with Jason Fladlien, who has made a reputation out of his 'Search, find, buy' training for how to be an Amazon partner and sell via their already setup pipeline - he's trained 15,000, many of whom have gone on to become millionaires. I also learned in the video series that information and education are also big sellers and have no overhead or inventory costs, once the info is produced - exactly the same as that chap on here who sells crochet patterns. The main idea is to get on page one of their search engine and you have it made.
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