FRONT OF HOUSE
FUN WITH TROUBLESHOOTING | Kent Morris
For most of us , live events go fairly well with the occasional glitch or mishap thrown in to keep perfection at bay . With Christmas in the rear view , now is the time to assess what went wrong with the systems during the concert and how best to resolve the issues before the next big event . Usually , some thoughtful investigation will reveal the cause , ranging from a disconnected XLR to a mis-patch on the console or from a dead battery in a wireless to a misunderstanding of a cue point . In any case , the best approach is to lay aside blame and apply this new knowledge to preventing the reoccurrence of the situation .
Troubleshooting is an art and a science . While the temptation to dive into the problem immediately is strong , the right approach is to work around the issue in the moment and revisit it after the end of the event . However , if it happens during rehearsal , stop the proceedings and find the solution . Rehearsal is for everyone , not just the platform team . Here , then , are some thoughts on how to go about the troubleshooting process .
Do not assume the worst . If the lead vocal suddenly stops coming through the loudspeakers , the eight power amps assigned to the mains did not burn out at once . The console did not die and the LMS processor is probably still working . Think small and simple . It ’ s most likely a battery or a switch setting on the transmitter . Have a back-up ready and move to it quickly . On higher-end digital consoles , there is an A and a B input on the same channel , making the changeover instant and seamless .
Do not panic . Assess the situation . Is the mishap vital to the proceedings ? For instance , if the top snare mic begins popping , simply mute it and use the bottom snare mic for the current song . If there is only one snare mic , lower the low-pass filter setting on the hi-hat mic and use it as the snare mic until a swap can be made . If there is no hi-hat mic , bump 4KHz on the overhead mic and use it to pick up the snare . In other words , get through the gig .
Think about what happened just before the failure . Was there a scene change on the console ? If so , go back to the previous scene and make it work for the current song . It was most likely a patch mismatch that didn ’ t come to light until now . Be mindful of level differences , but go with what was working .
Sometimes , in the heat of the moment , the mic wrangler will miss a handoff and give the wrong mic to someone . Just roll with it by scanning the other inputs for meter activity and bring up the
active mic , regardless of where it is assigned . The important thing is to make sound now .
Find and keep suspect cables in a hidden place . A cable with frayed connections or missing the set screw will wreak havoc on a concert . In high-profile events , it is wise to cut up the cable beforehand to insure it can ’ t be used .
Finally , after the event , look at the system in reverse . Instead of going mic to stage box to console , etc ., start with the loudspeakers and work your way to the input . This process will force a critical study in place of a glancing over of the system and will uncover future problems before they can ruin an event .
Troubleshooting is essential to fixing today ’ s issues and preventing tomorrow ’ s as well . A little time spent behind the racks and under the stage will pay off handsomely in functional systems supporting solid performances .
Kent Morris Kent is a 40-year veteran of the AVL arena driven by passion for excellence tempered by the knowledge digital is a temporary state .