Rent it First: The Pros’ Secret Technique for Auditioning New Audio Gear

For years, there’s been a secret solution to auditioning new audio gear.

Here’s the pro tip for getting real experience with studio equipment before you make a big investment: rent it. While retail showrooms and online forums have their place in making initial evaluations, Andy Hilton, CEO of NYC-based audio service powerhouse Pro-Sound has seen first-hand the different ways his company’s rental division helps out serious audio practitioners.

Pro-Sound’s Andy Hilton in his element.

“Whether you’re a studio owner, engineer or producer, it’s impossible to own ‘everything,’ Hilton points out. “It’s imperative to have a good rental source to facilitate your clients’ needs. Rentals are a great way to try out a piece of gear that you’re considering purchasing. They also give you the ability to get a piece of gear that isn’t in your purchasing budget.

“When you’re working with an artist in the studio who’s into exploring new sounds,” he continues, “rentals are a great opportunity to get creative and try some new microphones, preamps, interfaces, compressors, converters, and other gear. It’s a very good way to expand your sonic pallet.”

Beyond individual sessions, Hilton’s clients are looking more to rentals to make highly knowledgeable gear purchase decisions. “Renting prior to purchasing is a good way to see if what you’re evaluating meets your requirements,” he says. “It’s a bit like trying on a pair of shoes. They might feel great when you walk around in the store for 10 seconds while trying them on, but then when you get them home they hurt like hell.

“Renting first helps build confidence that you’re making good purchasing decisions. No one wants to waste money on something that isn’t a good fit. Secondarily there is something inherent in ‘paying for something’ that makes you appreciate it more–free demos can be great but are often not taken as seriously as spending the money!”

The Audio Rentals Resource

Pro-Sound has long been a highly respected resource in the fields of audio sales and repair, with a deep history of servicing a dedicated domestic and international clientele. When Jim Flynn Rentals (JFR) came under its umbrella in 2018, Pro-Sound was able to expand its offerings even further by adding JFR’s unmatched industry expertise.

The famed Jim Flynn Rentals converged with Pro-Sound in 2018.

“We are dealers, and have relationships with multiple manufacturers,” explains Hilton. “If it’s something we don’t already have, we are able to quickly obtain whatever a client is looking to evaluate.”

The support Pro-Sound offers for rentals is surprisingly deep, going far beyond simply shipping a box. “We are all about customer service,” Hilton says. “When someone works with us for a rental, we can have one of our techs stay and get things set up for the client–they are available for pretty much whatever length of time is needed. There are other circumstances where the manufacturer will send someone from their company to train while during the evaluation process.”

With decades of audio rental experience under their belts, the Pro-Sound staff believe in collaborating closely with customers to get the ideal rental gear into their hands.

A Neumann mic is right on the mark.

“Because we have experience in many areas–including studio, live broadcast, Broadway, location, and film scoring–we know what questions to ask,” says Hilton. “Depending upon the size of the room/project/genre and getting a feel for the client’s taste, we can steer them in the right direction. “A lot of this is subjective, so listening to our client’s needs is critical. Often, we will supply multiple options from different manufacturers for a client to check out.”

True to their promise, rentals can be easily returned to Pro-Sound. If a client has hit on a unit that they love, it very well may be available for purchase directly from Pro-Sound.

“This is on a case-by-case basis, as we deal with so many manufacturers and so much different gear,” Hilton says of this scenario. “We’re always willing to work with the client to make it a win-win situation. But every situation is unique too.

“Manufacturers are greatly supportive of this concept,” he adds. “They are not in the rental business, and it especially helps them when they’re rolling out a new product and have limited availability. It’s a great way for the manufacturer to get their products in the hands of clients to evaluate. Again, it’s on a case-by-case basis, and we’ll work with the client and manufacturer to make a deal which benefits everyone.”

Uncommonly Comprehensive: Sales, Rentals and Repairs

Of course, the “classic” situations that lead audio professionals to rent are always at the forefront of Pro-Sound’s day. From the Super Bowl to a Hollywood film score session, or creating an entire temporary recording studio for an artist in a country house, Pro-Sound’s big inventory is constantly on the move.

“As I mentioned earlier, it’s impossible to own ‘everything,’” Hilton says. “In live situations where you have one or more guest engineers, each having their own preferences, you need to be able to facilitate their needs, and do so in a timely manner.

A Schoeps stereo pair is on point to rent for specialty applications.

“From a pure business perspective, it only makes sense for a client to buy if they will use the product sufficiently to make that purchase worthwhile. Any ‘one-off’ nature is inherently financially more sensible to rent. As an example, Andrea Bocelli’s specialist microphone requirement is rather large, and doesn’t make sense for the vast majority of PA companies to own. We can field three Bocelli shows at once, dispatching them worldwide to accommodate the timing requirements of his schedule.”

For Pro-Sound, the official expansion into rentals has proven to be an optimal interplay with their busy repair and service division, which was solidified last year with the inclusion of the well known NY service company dBm Pro Audio Repair, now fully integrated into Pro-Sound’s central Manhattan base. A trusted provider of in- and out-of warranty audio equipment repairs, conversions, and modifications, dBm Pro Audio works hand-in-hand with rentals to form an uncommonly comprehensive solution.

“The fact that we have rentals and repairs under the same roof is a huge benefit to our clients. It minimizes downtime,” observes Andy Hilton. “It’s especially critical in the live situation, because time is of the essence and there’s no ‘Take 2.’ Even in a non-live situation, time and budget don’t allow for delay.

“We pride ourselves on helping our clients with all of their needs. It makes their lives easier to make one call, and we can handle whatever they need, and seamlessly execute their purchase, rental or repair.”

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