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Possible stolen gear...


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Hey there folks.

 

Through a series of mysterious events, a palette containing my Neve and ProTools equipment has disappeared from an American Airlines warehouse, en route from Toronto to Los Angeles.

 

We (me and my shipping company) have been pushing hard for a week for straight answers from the airline, and haven't gotten anywhere. All we know for sure is that the stuff was put in a container in Toronto and sent to Chicago. The Chicago warehouse folks have given us a series of conflicting and shifting answers as to what happened next; either it never arrived, it was shipped to the wrong city, it is still on the dock in Chicago (despite 3 "dock-checks") or someone backed a truck up to the dock and put the paperwork in an empty container headed for LA. The result is that LA has the paperwork but no palette.

 

In the event the gear has been boosted, I would ask that y'all keep an eye out on Ebay or whatever, for one item in particular.

 

A Neve PSR 12/2 mixer modified with direct outputs.

 

This is a 12-channel broadcast mixer in a silver roadcase. The PSR 12/2 is pretty rare in one piece like that, and its modules are non-standard Neve EQ/Preamps. They have the model number 10001 printed on the base of the module. The mixer looks like a little Neve sidecar.

 

Also missing is my ProTools rig, which is mainly a 9600 in a Fender Deluxe Flightcase that's been modified, an SKB case with an 888/24 and Digital Timepiece, and another 4-space shockmounted flight case containing the Neve's power supply and an Akai S2000 sampler. Total of 4 cases, which were strapped to a plastic palette and shrinkwrapped.

 

I don't have my computer, so I can't watch Ebay myself. I also can't check my Email conveniently (until I get my hands on another computer) so I'll have to rely on people finding me in LA. I am in the phone book, living in Culver City. My name is spelled : John Whynot.

 

Thanks, and keep your fingers crossed that this is all just a f-u-c-k-u-p on the part of American Airlines.

 

Cheers

JW

 

------------------

--

John Whynot

Producer/Engineer

Score Mixer

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John,

 

I hate to break this to you, but I think you should place that equipment in the "lost and gone forever" file.

 

While doing "sessions" in a basement "studio" in Newark, NJ, a guy who used to hang there, worked at Continental Airlines, at Newark Airport.

 

He always had many items to sell. I finally got wise to what was happeneing, when, while he was hawking a laptop one day, I saw a copy of "Franny and Zooey", by JD Salinger in the case that contained the laptop. When I complimented him on his choice of reading material, and he had NO idea what I was talking about, it finally hit me what was up (DUH!!!).

 

On successive occasions, he ALWAYS had a LOT of different laptops, and other "items" to sell, including things such as a "Collector's" Rifle.

 

The sad thing, besides your tremendous loss, is that the NEVE will probably be thought of as a piece of shit, because it doesn't have as many inputs as a Mackie, and sold for $200.00, or wasted in some other way.

 

When I taught at Institute of Audio Research, in NYC, several U-67s were stolen by guys, who ran up the stairs, from the street, and grabbed the mic, without the power supply, probably to buy a few bags or vials.

 

They either sold them for $5.00 or $10.00, or maybe they were thrown away, because they "didn't work", or had "a funny cable that won't plug into my board or amp".

 

I wish you the best, but wouldn't raise you hopes of seeing them on EBay, and recovering them. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/frown.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/mad.gif

 

------------------

Bob.

Bob Buontempo.

 

AKA: - THE MIX FIX

 

Also Hanging at: http://recpit.prosoundweb.com

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Shit John that is terrible fucking news. Good luck, was it insured?

 

MixFix gould be right some MOFO might have lifted it...

 

I hope you get some cooler shit as relpacement and that it all works out for you in the end.

 

Jesus!

 

http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/mad.gif

 

Jules

Jules

Producer Julian Standen

London, UK,

Come hang here! http://www.gearslutz.com

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Guys, thanks for the sympathy and kind thoughts.

 

Yes it was insured. Yes, I'm pretty sure there was a scam afoot. Yes, I have a great cartage company that applied an immense amount of pressure to AA. Within 5 minutes of suggesting that we call US Customs inspectors (and show them the discrepancies in the documentation) and by implication, the FBI, there was a phone call and suddenly the equipment had been located.

 

No explanations. No sensible information at all. But it was all in LA the whole time, taken offsite by an unknown person.

 

So I'm OK with it. But what a bunch of tossers, eh?

 

American Airlines? Never again.

 

------------------

--

John Whynot

Producer/Engineer

Score Mixer

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That was an interesting exchange...sort of a mini-drama, with an introduction and a resolution. I'm SO glad you got your gear back, that's a rare one and Bob's scenario was far more likely. It may have just been incompetence, but whatever, at least it's back in your hands.
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so you got it all back?

 

fuck all these criminals. these airlines and shipping companies need to be held more accountable for things like this. good thing you had somebody to lean on them.

 

you should at least gotten a free first class round trip ticket for their ineptness.

alphajerk

FATcompilation

"if god is truly just, i tremble for the fate of my country" -thomas jefferson

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I'm sure that there is a special place in hell for gear thieves. Some asshole stole a Les Paul Standard, a Strat, and an Alvarez acoustic off of me years ago. Broke into my girlfriend's apartment while we were out. I know how it feels.
"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine"
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I should say that my best ally in all this was my man Hector from Sound Moves.

 

This was a small shipment for him; he handles entire tours with major amounts of stuff, all over the planet.

 

But he totally went to bat for me, and didn't relent until he got the result.

 

I reckon he's a lifer in my book!

 

------------------

--

John Whynot

Producer/Engineer

Score Mixer

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John - Glad to hear you got your gear back !

 

A favourite trick in my part of the world (Saudi, Egypt etc) is to remove the contents of the cases and fill them with phone books/bricks etc, so that they seem appropriately heavy, when they are shipped and picked up. Its only when you get to unpack the goods that you discover the theft. Since goods are weighed between freight points, it is usually pretty easy to tell where the gear was boosted, but beyond that you're out of luck.

 

Insurance when freighting audio equipment is essential - as is keeping track of serial #'s etc.

 

[This message has been edited by Quin (edited 10-22-2000).]

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Amen to that!!

 

And charge enough rental to pay for the extra insurance for those rare items...

 

I'm thankful for the cheap lesson!

 

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John Whynot

Producer/Engineer

Score Mixer

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