T I P S T I P S T I P S T I P S T I P S T I P S T I P S

1) Use caution when utilizing a light weight mic stand with a boom. There is nothing wrong with a low-cost straight stand but when a boom and mic are added there is a great hazard for tipping over which could damage near by instruments, the microphone, or even the sound system if the mic channel is in use.

2) Burning through gel (color) in your conventional or even LED stage lighting fixtures? We can help with the addition of a heat shield between the light source and the gel (color). The life can be extended greatly!

3) Tela-prompter systems can be very expensive to purchase yet they can be a huge help for all sorts of needs. Why not create your own system by utilizing a display and PowerPoint or ProPresenter? Need help? Contact us us and we will help turn this idea into a reality.

4) Cable trip hazards all around? Sure, you could purchase cable ramps to protect the cables and those moving around your stage area but why not go to the local carpet installer and just ask for long narrow remnants that would normally go to the dumpster. These remnants, laid over cable and taped down, are a cost effective alternative in areas that do not need to be ADA compliant.

5) Breakers tripping? Can't figure out why? Even worse - can't find the breakers that are tripping? Contact us us and we will create a clear marking system within your facility while also helping to identify the problem causing chronic breaker trips.

6) Masking tape is for painters, Artist tape is for artists. Use Artist/Paper tape when placing temporary labels on audio, video, and lighting equipment - masking tape can leave a messy residue or even take lettering off of equipment while Artist/Paper tape does no harm and comes of clean.

7) The slide slot on a Gerber Multi-Tool is great for turning small wing nuts and two pennies will often do the trick to tighten up a loose (drooping) microphone clip (one on each side in the flat-head screw slots).

8) Shift (or Function (Fn)) F7 will open the video output options on most laptops.

TOP 6 MOST COMMON MISTAKES IN PRODUCTION

1) Not clearly marking microphones that could be moved during a program (ie: wireless handhelds or wired solo mics).

From the audio mix position every mic looks about the same. If there are three wireless handhelds, all of the same style, and you look away for a moment - who knows who has which mic anymore! Sure, you can sort it out in your headphones (through "PFL" or "SOLO") but by the time you figure out who has which mic you are now behind the action.

SOLUTION: By placing a wrap of different colored electrical tape around each mic, one near the head and one near the base, you will be able to very quickly identify, from a distance, which mic is which. Help yourself further... put a piece of colored tape on the mixer channel matching the mic!

2) Missing out on an opportunity for a "line check."

Ideally, before every program, you want to have a sound check where all of the musicians come on stage and run through part of a song or two before the program. This not only give a chance to discover any issues with equipment or line identification but it also gives a great opportunity to rough in the mix before there are guests in the room. Unfortuately, more often than not, there is limited or no time for a sound check.

SOLUTION: In those instances it is imperative that a "line check" is performed. To do this one person stays at the mixer and one person proceeds to the riser area and, as a team, work through EVERY input (piano, drums, guitars, keyboards, vocal mics, wireless mics, etc.) to insure that each input is making it to and through the board, arriving in house speakers and monitor speakers.

3) Lighting a program that is being broadcast, recorded, or projected without a video monitor in front of the lighting operator.

Unlike the human eye, video cameras are very different. They have a limited ability to handle broad variations in lighting intensity, texture, and color saturation. This is especially true with newer High Definition cameras.

SOLUTION: By providing the lighting designer/director or lighting board operator with a properly calibrated video monitor issues can be seen immediately and addressed through changes in levels or color choices. A rule of thumb for lighting TV/Video is to have "Key, Fill, and Back" light for each major position on stage. Need more help, contact Faithful Production Services and let us work through this with you.

4) Using two-way radios to communicate between technical team members.

Two-way radios are a great tool but only for the right situation. The key problem with two-way radios is that only one person can talk at a time and if someone accidentally "keys" their radio talk button, all communications stops. Even worse, some radios can break "squelch" (static) without warning... an embarrassing situation during a quiet moment in a program.

SOLUTION: Party Talk systems by companies like "ClearCom" and "Telex." These are wired and/or wireless systems that allow everyone to talk at the same time. These systems can also be set-up with multiple channels if there are many people using the system. They are exceptionally dependable, flexible, and user friendly. Best of all: Faithful Production Services is an authorized representative for sale and installation of systems like this.

5) Wireless mic batteries that "might be OK for one more program..."

Batteries are expensive. Rechargeable batteries seem to never handle many recharge cycles and are also expensive. There is one thing that is worse though: wireless microphones that either fail or "drop" in and out through your program. Situations like this are distracting for the guests and frustrating to the presenter.

SOLUTION: Research the wireless microphone system(s) you are using. The manufacture will disclose the average battery performance life... assume that the real performance life is only 2/3 of what the manufacture says. If you follow this rule you will substantially reduce your chances of "dropout" or failure.

6) Doing nothing...

We have all been through this: the band plays a different song than expected, the presenter decides to talk with someone during the program who is not wearing a microphone, or someone "misses their light." The solutions to these situations are not always immediately obvious and we freeze in the tension of the situation. We see something going wrong but are afraid to take action (fearing we will do the wrong thing) to help improve a bad situation.

SOLUTION: DO SOMETHING! This might seem obvious but so often, when things are going wrong during a program, technicians will fail to do SOMETHING to attempt to improve the situation.

EX: If someone "misses their light" try increasing the intensity of the light you want them to step into or very smoothly and slowly bounce the level of the light you want them in by 20%, as a way to grab the presenter's attention to the problem.

EX: If you have someone speaking, and they are not using a microphone because they were not a planned speaker, try to use the closest mic to catch anything you can to help them be heard. If you slowly increase the level of the closest mic you will find a very delicate balance point between feedback and function. You may have to quickly adjust the EQ, removing high and low frequencies, but at least some of the unexpected speaker will be heard. WARNING: If you are helping an unexpected speaker with the actual presenter's mic be VERY alert about the presenter so you can quickly reduce the mic's level before the presenter speaks.

EX: If projected "slides" are being used to provide lyrics for the guests to sing from and something goes wrong with the slide order or something changes in a song - don't panic. Black-out the projection until you sort things out or switch to a generic projection that won't be a distraction. If all else fails - sing louder!