Problem Solving

Theoretical Problems

RF Connectivity

Wireless microphones operate on specific radio frequencies. Radio waves are shared by most wireless equipment used in our lives, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, TV and radios. There are a lot of radio waves in the air at all times, even though we cannot see them. This means that my 16-20 radio mic transmitters on stage will be sharing the airspace with all kinds of other signals. This can cause connectivity issues, which in digital systems will be on or off, and in analog systems can involve what is called intermodulation, where signals mix or overlap and cause noise. To avoid this I will coordinate my frequencies accordingly in our radio license, and use appropriate optimal antenna placement using large paddle antennas. Using many whip antennas together in a rack can destroy the integrity of the signal. This will minimise interference and give me the best chance of getting clear signals.

Headmic Connection

During the rush of getting microphones on actors, sometimes a transmitter can be left turned off or a mic isn't connected to the transmitter correctly. This can cause noise as the jack moves around in the transmitter as the actor moves around. To avoid this, use the screw jack connectors that can be screwed onto the transmitter to prevent them from getting disconnected. Ensure all equipment is powered on and working before giving to cast. Once all cast is mic'd up, run a sound check to check every single mic. Check for any receiver noise or loose connections.

Equipment not functioning as expected

Sometimes on a show you go to play a track and it doesn't come out where you think it will, or the performers lose their foldback monitors halfway through the show. This could be due to incorrect routing or input changes. Before every show and sound check, run a line check to ensure all equipment functions as expected and there are no errors.

MTI Player

Due to licensing reasons by Musical Theatre International, the rights owners for the show, all shows tracks have to be played through their application MTI Player. This allows the use of licensed tracks in QLab when both apps are running at the same time. This however could introduce problems if the apps disconnect or the file path is lost. To minimise this, I will close everything else on the Mac to allow as much processing power to QLab and MTI Player as possible.

Practical Problems

Problems I encountered

Unavoidable Mac updates

During plotting, I noticed the playback Mac had decided it was going to force itself to update. Unfortunately, this was unavoidable, even after I went to IT and asked for them to cancel the update as we were using the Mac. Despite this happening, we worked around it and I informed Dan, director, that we would be without tracks for 15 minutes.

Par can smouldering

During plotting, a mysterious smell arose from the control room. I went to investigate this and found that someone during patching had used a par can as a load lamp and left it face down on a plastic table, which was now smouldering from the 1000W of heat. I acted quickly and cut power to the dimmers which killed the par can. We allowed it to cool and then replaced the load lamp with a lower power 650W quartet fresnel, on a floor stand. This could have been easily avoided and could have quickly gotten worse if not for quick problem-solving skills.

Cue to cue run took longer than expected

Two days prior to the show opening, we planned to do a cue-to-cue run to get a grasp of QLab, then a run with mics in the afternoon. However, due to difficulties with the set, the run ended up taking most of the day, pushing back our first mic run until the day before the show opened. Despite this, I stayed focused for the mic run to get as much time with mics as possible.

Mic plot changing day before show opened

During our first mic run, I found out that I had assigned a mic unnecessarily to alternate Oliver. This was due to a cast change in a rehearsal where actors were not present, being the time that I noted who said incidental lines. I worked quickly in the lunch break to modify the mic plot to create version 2, which freed up a microphone allowing for less swaps, which was an overall improvement.

G4 wireless pack transmission

During our first run with mics, I hit problems with the spare G4 packs I had added, in that I wasn't receiving anything despite the packs being synced. I went to fix this as soon as I could, which was the morning before the first public show. I found some more of the older analog transmission packs from our old G3 system to see if they would sync, and funnily enough they did, and passed an AF signal clearly. I tested these multiple times to ensure they were stable before deeming them good to use. A side effect of changing to older G3 packs is the use of the Lemo connector, meaning I had to swap out the head mics for ones with Lemo connectors. I tested these too before fitting them to actors, where during our first show they worked perfectly.

Fagin mic on final show

In Act 1 of our last performance, I noticed some problems with Fagin's mic, crackling and cutting in and out. I called to backstage and requested that this mic pack was checked to make sure both the antenna and mic were connected securely. Regardless of this, Fagin's mic later cut out completely during their long scene. I acted quickly to use a nearby hanging mic which picked up enough to be useable. In the interval, I swapped out the pack completely to ensure no issues in Act 2, using a mic pack from someone with only one incidental line. Overall, I did the best I could with a difficult situation.