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Rig Essentials: What We Have
by BRYAN LIONMAN
In the next couple of installments of
“From the Lab,” we’re going to look
at what we have, what we know, and
what we do with it. It might sound like
common sense, but it’s not practiced as
commonly as it should be. It will actually
require thinking differently than most of
those around you.
Let’s take stock of what we have.
We’ve got our amp, guitar, pedals, and
cables. It might be enough to get a sound,
but there are a few other things that
should accompany you whenever you
play. Besides these basic items, do you
have what you need so as to not strand
yourself or your band in the middle of a gig
or recording session? From my working
experience, in the majority of cases, the
answer is no. Let’s work on changing that.
First, you have to assume that you are the
only one looking out for yourself. Don’t
rely on the venue, your band members,
or the recording studio to supply you with
anything that you should have or might
possibly need. After reading this, keep
your eyes open at the next gig you attend
and see for yourself how unprepared
most musicians are for the unexpected.
Starting at the guitar, do you have extra
picks, strings, wire snips, a string winder,
and a tuner? What about an extra instrument?
No matter how new the strings, or
expensive the guitar, things will fail. Have
what you need to make it through so others
don’t end up waiting on you. Fix what
you need to during a break.
After the guitar, the signal either hits a
wireless or a cable. Do you have an extra
battery for your wireless unit and one waiting
on stand-by? A 9V battery can read
full one minute and be dead the next.
Temperature and age can both adversely
affect a battery’s life span. Most battery
testers don’t put a load on the battery, and
don’t reflect the true power remaining.
Batteries are cheap, so buy extra.
If you’re using a cable, or in the event
your wireless fails, do you have another
cable at the ready and wrapped correctly
so that it doesn’t uncoil in a knot? Yes,
there is a correct way to wrap shielded
cable, but more on that in our next column.
Besides the primary cable, have
a few extra patch cables that you know
work, before you get to the gig.
If you have pedals, they require batteries
or a power supply. You’ll be wise to have
a backup of both. If you’re using a MIDI
controller pedal or a Line 6 pedal, have an
extra full-length MIDI cable or RJ-45 cable
– if one wire in those breaks, they’re done.
Now the signal is to the amp, but you still
need to think about having extra fuses,
tubes, speaker cables, and even an extra
amp. Those of you using a composite
signal – check our last few columns – are
covered by default. Bass players should
bring a D.I. box, even if they mic the cab,
just in case the amp fails. An almost failsafe
backup for anyone using an amp is
the five-pound Crate Power Block. It’s
worth its weight in gold. I’ve never had to
use mine, but it’s nice knowing it’s there
in a worst-case scenario.
Some other items to think about that are
important but often overlooked until they
are needed: sharpies, paper for the set
list, gaffer’s tape (duct tape is too messy),
a flashlight for seeing behind racks and
amps, Velcro for securing cables, guitar
stands, a music stand, a long AC extension
cable, an AC outlet tester, a power strip,
ear-plugs, business cards, a water bottle,
a soldering iron, solder, wire strippers, and
a dB meter so you know how loud is too
loud or if it’s just right. This might sound
like a lot of stuff that a roadie should carry,
but until we can afford a roadie, we have
to be our own. After all, nobody is looking
out for you, except for you.
Now that we know what we have, we’ll
tackle what we know next month. Over
the next month, look over your gear, fix
what needs to be fixed and get it all in
good working order. If you take yourself
seriously and act professionally, others
will have little choice but to treat you as
such. Build a reputation for excellence
and being prepared and it will pay dividends.
Until next time, think differently
than everybody else.
Bryan Lionman
lionman@creationaudiolabs.com
Creation Audio Labs, Inc.
615-884-7520
CreationAudioLabs.com
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