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General Tips
Your equipment is expensive...so look after
it. There are many times that a good case has
saved our equipment. Also, buy good system
cases like SKB and your get-in and get-out can halve
in time. And don't forget: good cases will
last longer than the equipment.
Always, always neatly
coil cables at the end of a gig. This will
preserve the life of your cables and save you time
at your next gig. I never knot the coiled
cables (this can damage them) I use insulating tape.
Just because you are the
sound engineer for your band it doesn't mean that
everyone else can sit and watch you. Get a
system going so that other members of the band have
a role after they have sorted out their gear.
Never leave cables loose
where people are walking. Never mind the
caught lead that will get pulled out when you are
not looking...check your insurance policy for 3rd
party injuries. Also, remember that a girls stiletto
can have a down force of around a
ton...think what that's going to do to an xlr lead.
Adjust your overall volume levels to the venue and size of the crowd.
Loudest is rarely best, for one thing it leaves you nowhere to go and is
almost definitely going to distort. If you are having problems
hearing the vocals clearly why not consider turning everything else
down?
What essentials should
you carry in your tool box. Mine includes the
following: Gaffa tape, insulating tape, Leatherman
knife, torch, headphones, fuses, spare mic stand
heads, soldering iron, spare DI boxes, MDs and CDs
for set-up and interval music, spare bolts to secure
stands.
Contributions
from around the world
I have recently started using re-sealable
bags to put all my cables in. It works great. It makes
set-up and takedown town so much faster because there are never
cords that are tangled together. - from
David Bradshaw |