When I was about 13 I started to learn to play the guitar (because girls). I was very lucky my dad had an old beat up Squire Stratocasters that I could start to practice on but fairly soon it became obvious to my parents that I wanted my own (acoustic) guitar. For me it was more obvious that I needed this new guitar but that’s by the by. So, for my 14 birthday my parents gave my an acoustic guitar.
It wasn’t the fanciest, now most expensive. It had no electronics to be amplified and I suspect its price tag was among the lowest in most stores. However, I have kept this guitar with me to this day, I regularly get compliments on how nice it is from people with guitars worth thousands of dollars and, while I’m sure there guitars are technically better and would be better to play with, I don’t feel I need a better guitar or a need to upgrade.
This is a classic example of a “good enough” tool. It’s by no means the best and I have had to add in a pickup for live performing, but in terms of playability and sound quality, it is good enough for all but the most serious of professionals.
The story of my guitar has left an imprint on my mind when it comes to getting new tools for a job and I’m sure it can help guide you and your churches decision making over getting a new tool or upgrading an old one. In general, we have have about four different types of tools:
1) The Cheap
Let’s take ukuleles for example here. There was a boom in ukuleles starting in the mid 90s and a host of small Asian manufactures started up shipping ukuleles. Many of these new instruments came with shockingly low price tags of under $10, but there is a good reason for that. They are made from poor quality material and often with little care or attention to how the instrument works. Check out Barry’s review for how bad they can get.
This isn’t limited to instruments though. Often there are a whole host of tools that are made with poor quality components and little knowledge or care for the construction. These tools may be able to “do the job” technically, but with often break quickly or deliver a very poor performance. When it comes to instruments or sound gear they may even make the sound worse. You want to avoid “cheap”
2) The Beginner
Beginner tools are often cheaper but don’t fall under cheap. They may have very similar costs, but the key difference is they are designed as a stepping stone. Sometimes this means that they lack a few features of more powerful and expensive tools but that means there is less to learn and less to distract you. Simpler sounds desks, lite versions of software, and beginner instruments all come to mind. Be careful though, often cheap is marketed as beginner and you will probably want to upgrade at some point when you find the limitation.
3) “Good Enough”
Good enough is an interesting equilibrium. It’s the sort of tool that a pro could use and not have to adapt there approach and at the same time it isn’t going to cost you an arm and a leg. It should be full featured (or if it lacks some then they shouldn’t matter or you should be able to upgrade to them). Good enough can last you its whole lifetime if you want it to.
4) The Pro
Pro tools are the top end and the best of the best. They don’t come cheap but when you are a pro you need to invest in your craft. These tools are usually almost unusable by a beginner, at least without a lot of training, and can often hinder production. It’s like canoes which start of with wide bases to make them hard to capsize, but as you become more experienced can be thinner and more maneuverable (but unusable by a beginner).
Pro tools will allow you to do more than any of the others and look great in the hands of an expert but if you don’t have the skills to use them, they can also go wrong.
What Should You Get?
If your church is planning on starting something new and needs to get new tools then hopefully this framework will help you. If you are a huge church and have a real pro on this tool then maybe going pro is right for you. You’ll be able to produce things you couldn’t without that tool. However, I suspect that most of the time “good enough” is the right place to target, a pro can still use it happily (even if they do grumble that it’s missing x or y), but when you start to train a new operator, they won’t need to spend a year in training (and you’ll save a bit of money too).
Another factor you may want to consider is if you are doing an experiment or if you are committing to a project? If it’s just an experiment then maybe “beginner” tools are okay. They are cheaper and the lower financial out laying will let you back out without losing face. If you want to start a long term commitment then maybe paying a bit more for the tools and getting even more fancy ones maybe a good idea. The financial commitment can help spur on a mindset commitment.
This isn’t just a framework you can use for group commitments, you can also use it for personal purchasing of tools.
Casey Dierking says
I think there is something to be said about getting professional equipment and going for “The Pro”. I think that the Church is often criticized for being “behind the times” or even “outdated”. If we can up our game and use professional equipment, and in return that makes things actually come out more “professional”, then I think its worth it.
I’ve found that when it comes to equipment like Computers, cameras, and other various pieces of technology. It is usually worth it to wait and save up that extra bit to get something that is really nice and that will last a lot longer than something cheaper would. In my experience, whenever we’ve skimped and gone for something that is just barely “ok”, it turned out to be a disaster.
Sorry for rambling, just my thoughts!
Chris Wilson says
Hey Casey, thanks for the reply.
I hope that I made it clear I am not against “pro tool” as an absolute. There is definitely a place and you are so right that the church can be seen as behind the times, out of touch or just unequipped. However, it can also be the case that people look at the pro tools and question the need and why the money didn’t go elsewhere (this isn’t automatically right, and like Mary with the perfume, there are times when it is right to “waste” money on god).
That’s a really good point about saving for a bit and getting the next version up, but I think there is a huge difference between “barely okay” and “good enough”. I’d class “barely okay” as either the beginner or cheap. sure it looks like it does the right stuff but it can’t stand up to pressure. Something like garageband is a great example of “good enough” for many context.
You made me wonder a bit about first generation products as well. Is it worth paying (as I heard someone call it) “early adopter tax” of getting the first generation which rarely lasts or waiting for the second generation where the big problems are ironed out. There are exceptions where the first generation works great with no problems but I guess they are exceptions rather than the rule.
Thanks for the insights though Casey 🙂
Bevan Kay says
I think it is important when buying something as a church to be a good steward. After all it isn’t our money we are spending, it is God’s. I have seen too many times, ill-informed people involved in churches being persuaded by a sales pitch to buy something that they don’t need (or a more expensive version of a perfectly adequate product). Chris’ Garageband example is great. A church doesn’t need to buy Pro Tools for recording a sermon when they can use Garageband for the same effect.
In certain circumstances it is valuable to spend more money and I think in these situations it is important that a decent amount of research is put in before making a purchase.
Perhaps a good question to ask may be, “how does this purchase enhance our vision?” or “does this purchase allow us to minister more effectively?”
Eric Dye says
Amen.
Eric Dye says
This is something that has been battling about for a long time. It’s a real tension between doing things well and with excellence and being wasteful and foolish. Stewardship is really important and I think you’ve outlined a great perspective — thank you, Chris!