How To Keep What's Yours
The best way to keep studio equipment from "walking" is to make sure that strangers don't enter the facility. This is, of course, unrealistic. The very nature of a commercial studio requires it to be open to any and all business that comes through the door. However, there are many ways to secure your equipment and prevent it from leaving with your "clients".
1. Add surveillance systems or cameras, video recorders or a silent alarm system. Be sure to post signs indicating that the premises are being watched. This can be an expensive addition to your studio, but it might be a small cost compared to the value of the stolen equipment and the resulting loss of business.
2. Make it difficult to remove equipment from the studio. Mount as much of your gear as possible in steel equipment racks and secure it using security mounting screws. The harder it is to remove a piece of gear, the less likely it is to be stolen.
3. Register your equipment with the manufacturers. Always fill out your warranty cards and send them in. They are your proof of ownership. In one incident, the serial numbers of microphones stolen from a studio in NYC were on file with the manufacturer. When the thieves tried to sell the microphones to a studio in North Carolina, the owner called the manufacturer who told the studio that the mics were registered in New York City. The manufacturer released all the information so the buyers could confirm these mics did belong to them, and that's how the thieves got caught when they came back to North Carolina to sell the rest of the equipment.
4. Mark all your equipment. Purchase an engraving tool and mark all your equipment with your address, social security number or some other type of identification. For those smaller home studios that cannot afford a good video security system to help protect their valuables, this will make it harder for someone to sell them.
5. Insure your equipment. In the unhappy event of a burglary, an insurance policy correctly written will help you quickly replace the stolen items and keep you in business. There are companies that specialize in insuring recording studios. They know the value of all your gear and can help in advising how best to protect it.
