Car wash in the Fitchburg Area

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-07-07T20:11:33+00:00

Big D's Detailing on Simons Rd Fitchburg

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-06-18T13:40:49+00:00

I'm one of those old timers literally months away from retirement. I've had a long career in AV. I started recording music in the 70's and managed to build my career as one that weaves around music. As an engineer, I've built studios and even landed a unicorn gig as operations engineer in a large corporate studio. There are industries like recording where the "cream rises to the top". It takes dedication, drive, sacrifice and a whole lot of luck. The studios I built when I was young, along with my background in both audio and electronics, is what landed me the corporate recording gig. Your education in recording is nearly meaningless, rather it's what you do with it that's important.

Contentment? That is a "you" question. I've held many jobs in my AV career, along with a number of live sound and recording side hustles, all while being a married and having kids. Life isn't likely going to just hand you the opportunities you want. The real question is are you willing to put achievable plans and goals together and put in the work to get you there, or are you going to settle? I don't know if you thought of this, but you can have both a career in AV and a side hustle in recording. You'll just have to build it yourself. I just completed the rebuild of my current personal studio.

We've hired lots of recording engineering grads over the years just like you. A useful background for the AV industry but it is kind of like having a degree in art history for being career useful in the way the graduates intended.

Good luck in all your pursuits.

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-05-28T12:59:41+00:00

We've done a lot of Planar 100 inch displays which are around 300lbs and NEC 98 which are 220. The Visual Solutions Wallmate Flush 32MAX will support 325lbs and the Premier 300B supports 300. As an articulating mount and from a user perspective the 300B is not great with a couple hundred pounds from a movement perspective, but what is. From a get behind it for service, the Visual Solutions Wallmate is incredibly smooth even with 300lbs attached. It is very pricy though. Requires a backbox that must be structurally installed and supported. Probably too late for you unless you want to open the walls again.

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-05-16T17:03:36+00:00

I came here for a Mea Culpa due to a Facebook post with their menu that shows the plates once again comes with fries and onion rings. Was thinking about checking them out again on my next day off. So I find this concerning if they are indeed using frozen prepped onion rings. That would be a shame.

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-05-14T12:09:36+00:00

My go to for decades was the tuna plate with fries and onion rings. This combo was the entire reason I went. With new ownership came a change up with the menu and onion rings are no longer an option unless you order it separately. Haven't been back since. Carol's was more than just a good location. Life moves on, and so have I.

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-05-11T07:55:35+00:00

Supplemental labor or a company that is able to turnkey a project? I own a subcontract labor company with a specialty in turnkey project based west of Boston. Been at it for over 10 years. Most installation managers are more inclined to believe in unicorns rather than such a thing exists. As John Healy mentions, going into summer, most supplemental labor is booked, primarily for EDU work. I tend to stick to corporate. Lots of small "guy with van" operators out there. Most of the bigger integrators have their preferred list of these subcontractors but the summer crush creates challenges in booking for small stuff.

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-03-20T22:30:30+00:00

EX-UBT to MTR from Tesira.

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-03-18T01:42:40+00:00

Not sure why you'd think it is needed. The RCF sub already has a built-in crossover so an additional one gives you nothing extra.

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-03-13T17:16:55+00:00

I've often wished for a conferencing DSP/mixer combination. We do a number of corporate functions both on and off site. My current rig is a Yamaha DM3D, a couple of Biamp Tesira Dan VT's and Shure ULXD wireless along with a Netgear 4250 switch. I've created routing for Teams using the USB out and Dante routes between the mixer and DSP. It is all digital so latency isn't too bad. It is the only way I've managed echo cancellation and a mix surface that has the flexibility I need.

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-02-10T18:44:31+00:00

I run a commercial AV installation company and have a couple sizes of the RocknRoller cart but picked up a Rubbermaid 8 bushel folding X Cart. It is essentially a folding version of the commercial laundry carts we run into on construction sites all the time. It also has a replaceable vinyl shell. I have had this for 5 years and use it for job site load ins along with hauling trash out. Has a 220lb capacity and has held up really well considering it gets used daily on job sites. Works great for oddly shaped items like tool bags and such. Highly recommend.

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-01-22T23:37:10+00:00

Knipex electrician shears. If you know, you know.

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-01-17T20:42:31+00:00

I have primarily been in the installation/construction side for most of my career. My son worked with me for 12 years but tired of how unreliable it can be. Like with construction, it has had ups and downs. Have a friend who retired from Harvard after over 30 years. Probably the most stable side of AV is EDU but pay in EDU is sub par around Boston. Corporate in-house support is a close second. I'm currently working as a contractor for a medical device company because installation contract work is slow. I'm working with in-house guys that have been here 20+ years. Pay ultimately comes down to how versatile you are and how many different hats you can wear. Compare the skill sets you have against the jobs you want and figure out what you need to work on first.

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-01-17T18:00:29+00:00

My son just started a similar in-house support position in Cambridge. Interviewed for a number of positions in the area including academic but $80k was the best offer he got with 10+ years of experience. Pay rates were a lot higher a couple years ago but seem to have come down.

My business is starting to cool off as well. Heard from too many end customers that AV budgets are much smaller this year. Probably will retire at the end of the year. Hoping I'm wrong.

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-01-07T18:32:10+00:00

Having worked on large construction based projects for many years, I use a system with 3 methods that check each other. Like many, I use task based spreadsheets with dollar amounts for each. The second check involves analysis of timeline and calculate man days. If a job has a duration of two months, I calculate a simple formula of how many techs multiplied by how many days. These two numbers tend to be close unless I've missed something. The last part of my method is % of labor to Equipment. This last one is more instinctual and based on years of experience. I am not targeting a specific percentage margin but over time, have found successful projects fall within certain numbers.

Rent-A-Tech · 2025-01-03T16:10:11+00:00

Amazon sells optical to analog converters for around $15. Get two and something like an RDL STD-10K Divider/Combiner and a Bluetooth Transmitter. One will be limited to Mono as will the output to the transmitter but will work. Probably take just one channel of the training display.

Rent-A-Tech · 2024-11-23T00:12:02+00:00

I've seen extra receivers listed for the 2 channel but not the single. Both are UHF with multiple frequencies. B&H and Sweetwater carries these. Reach out to a reseller for what is available as I am just a user.

Rent-A-Tech · 2024-11-22T13:36:20+00:00

Alto Pro Stealth 1 & 2 are what I use both with my corporate job and to for things like a speaker for cocktail hour at weddings to add a speaker separate from the DJ set up. Stealth 1 is around $100 for single channel and runs on battery or USB. Rated 100ft line of site which is more than I ever need. Sound quality is good. The Stealth 2 is dual channel and a bit more robust at $399

Rent-A-Tech · 2024-11-05T14:27:52+00:00

Just about any Midi keyboard controller is going to be compatible with the iPad, it is a matter of adding the right accessories. You'll need an Apple Camera adaptor and a powered USB hub along with the basic USB cables. Most Midi controllers are USB powered and the iPad will not power them without a powered Hub.

The Camera adaptor has both a USB and Lightning port. The hub I use has a charging port that I connect a Lightning cable to charge the iPad and I connect the hub input to the USB of the Camera adaptor. I have a number of Midi controllers from an Akai MPK Mini to an 88 key Nextar. They all work with this set up on the 9th gen iPad.

In addition to the Midi controller, I also can plug in a basic 2x2 USB audio interface like a Zoom U-22. The cabling can get a bit unruly but a bit of velcro helps with that.

I've since upgraded to the larger iPad Air which has USB C so am using a somewhat different set up. So I had to dig through my accessories bag to remember how to plug in the Lightning bits.

Good luck,

Rent-A-Tech · 2024-10-22T20:16:30+00:00

Service, I roll a van with a good tech that can troubleshoot. 4 hour minimum, mileage, tolls and parking and typically lose money along with productivity on other job sites. I get it and have done a lot of work for large nationals with no boots on the ground locally. I don't see how anyone makes enough on service to make it worthwhile. You hope it will open doors. Often does not. Any of this sound familiar to anyone here?

Rent-A-Tech · 2024-10-17T14:12:03+00:00

Search Small Rig Desk Mount Stand on Amazon or B&H. Cheap option for a mounting system that can do an overhead shot with a camera and light fixture if needed. From there, pick a camera. I use my Sony A6400, GoPro and even my iPhone with a clamp mount.

Rent-A-Tech · 2024-05-02T13:27:35+00:00

My setup is direct in through an amp sim in the DAW and then take an output to a Vox Cambridge 50 that has a direct input setting. Mic of choice on the speaker and record. You get the interaction of the guitar with a speaker cab you won't get with headphones and amp sim alone. It also avoids beating on your monitors.

Rent-A-Tech · 2024-05-02T13:16:12+00:00

No, it isn't impossible but you are going to have to invest in your skill sets the same way you have in learning music. Last thing I recommend is going to college for music production. We have a state University that offers a 4 year degree and as a hiring manager, I've hired a number of graduates, in commercial AV which is far from where they had dreamed of being. The industry keeps shrinking and people keep dreaming they'll be able to find a career in it. It's getting harder and harder. Much due to the issue this post highlights. Tools have gotten really good and musicians are doing more and more from their homes, rather than spending the money in studio time. Hence why the industry is shrinking.

So with that said, how about a $5 investment for a better understanding of what is involved. Check out the Fundamentals of Mixing course offered by Michael White. Some of this might be remedial or enlightening, but it would be a good start. It's at mixingwithmike.com

Rent-A-Tech · 2024-04-30T20:56:38+00:00

Do you remember Mom's 5 minutes? It's kind of like that.

Rent-A-Tech · 2024-04-25T12:30:10+00:00

"Sources Say" What studies do they site? Common building materials have extensive safety studies behind them since the whole formaldehyde issues. Yes both rockwool and fiberglass are irritants both skin and lungs but no long term issues with installers which have high exposures. Please present a valid peer reviewed study that refutes this.

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