I would like to propose a Large Decision with a Deadline of Friday 10th November 2023 2 weeks away).
Equaliser Soundsystem
Summary
I would like to setup a new consumer co-op in Birmingham which provides hire of a audiophile soundsystem to aligned DJs, party promoters, events and musicians.
It requires £1000 of start up funding from Co-operation Birmingham and use of various bits of CB infrastructure.
Goals
Short Term
- Get together a diverse group of interested people
- Online fundraiser for £1000
- Seek donation/funding from Co-operation Birmingham (£1000)
- Form the co-operative
- Register the co-operative
- Open bank account
- Collect membership dues
- Build the “Workhorse Soundsystem”
- Setup systems for co-op to function (bookings, finance etc)
Medium Term
- Grow membership
- Build second audiophile soundsystem
- Obtain additional equipment (e.g. Outboard rack units, power amps, DJ equipment, hard cases)
- Create sustainable storage solution
- Service existing equipment
- Offer training to members in audio engineering and live sound
- Setup van hire arrangement
Long Term
- Investigate sustainable transport options (owning a van etc)
- Provide other services for members
- Inspire other collectives
- Build a robust democratic institution
- Build Birmingham dancefloor counterculture
Equipment
Workhorse Soundsystem - Materials cost Aprox £2000
For our first build, we want something small and portable but with that big HiFi sound. We were attracted to this design due to it’s CAD plans, ease of use and potential to back down into two pieces. It would require some modification (e.g. Speakon connectors, handles, raising the horn up to ear level) but provide the high quality sound we need. We were planning to pair it with a locally made audiophile Class D amplifier.
Audiophile Soundsystem - Materials cost Aprox £4000
We should consider building a second soundsystem aimed at situations where we need the absolutely best sound possible. This would probably be a lot less portable but is really important for building Birmingham’s reputation as a hub for musical innovation. We’ve already started to identify DIY plans online and infrastructure to build the system. A suggested budget for this could be £4000 plus time and labour. The example in the photo is a DIY version of the legendary Klipschorn speakers.
Membership
Membership would be £10 per month.
Subsequent membership after the initial setup of the co-op would require an interview and a vote by current members.
As a co-operative, each member will get a say in any large decisions made and a single share in the co-op that is not transferable and worth an arbitrary value of £1. This means member own a share in the co-operative but without being able to make personal profit off the company.
We will abide by the seven co-operative principles.
Decision making
We would make decisions as a co-op in a democratic manner using the same decision making process at Co-operation Birmingham. Large decisions affecting everyone in the co-op would be made at quarterly online all members meetings. We can use the polls feature on our own category on the Co-op Brum Forum to make decisions asynchronously.
Infrastructure
- Email address
- Website - Wordpress (can start with page on Co-op Brum website)
- Membership system - Co-op Brum Open Collective
- Comms and Voting platform - Co-op Brum Forum
Storage
Eventually I would like to see the soundsystem live out of the new creative hall at Stirchley Co-operative Development where it can best serve the community. Until that is ready in at least October 2024, I’m thinking to ask at Pan Pan, a venue my collective Energy Flow have worked with many times.
Legal Structure
To start off Equaliser Soundsystem will just be a sub project under the Co-operation Birmingham co-op. In the future, we can split into a separate legal co-op with compatible rules when needed. We will seek advice from other members on this. It can also be stored in someone’s house at a push.
Finances
We would use the Co-op Brum Open Collective for collecting membership dues and ensuring financial transparency. We can create a sub project which won’t affect the Co-op Brum main Open Collective. I already tested that. We could hire an accountant to do our book-keeping and submit our accounts.
Income
- Yearly membership fees (£120 per member per year)
- Hiring fees (should be very cheap e.g. £20 per speaker stack and £10 for the amp for 24 hours which is approx three times lower than market rate)
One Off costs
- Registering as a co-operative - £100
- Materials of “workhorse soundsystem” - £2000
Yearly Costs
- £300 insurance
- Platform fees
- Tech costs
First Year Projections
Income
- £1000 start up funding from Co-operation Birmingham
- Ten members is £1200 per year
- Raise £500 from fundraising and donations (reward could be free entry to a party)
- Plus hire of soundsystem £50 once a month is another £600
Expenditure
- £200 per year for insurance/tech/platform/admin costs
- Repair budget of £1000 per year
Totals
We should have a surplus of £300 in the first year based on 10 members. Hopefully repair costs will be low and we can add to that surplus significantly in second year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will you allow organisations to join?
I personally would like to see organisation or companies that run venues or events get their own soundsystems. It’s a vital part of building our cities music culture. The goal of this project is to support people who don’t have access to the capital needed to invest in this sound equipment have access to it. This shouldn’t be a way for venues to avoid investing in their own equipment to save money. However, I would like to see a clause that would allow other co-operatives or democratic organisations to join though.
Vote
- In Favour
- Against
- Abstain
- Block