BACK TO LIFE...
If you’re wondering where on earth to begin, hopefully these pointers will help you get ready to rock those parties once again!
For many of us, most of the equipment we own was banished to the deepest, darkest depths of our storage units. Now is the perfect time to start digging out those flight cases, bags and cables, check you have everything you need, and source replacements, if necessary. Check the condition of your flight cases, protective bags and covers. Make a list of equipment you take to every job (including backups) and check off the list as you pull the kit out. This is also handy for loading up before you head out on your first gig – after so long, it will be easy to forget something.
So, your kit has once again seen the light of day – fantastic! That is until you find that the past year or so without routine maintenance has caused issues that need urgent attention before you rock up to your first gig of 2021. While you have these next few weeks leading up to the easing of restrictions, you can test and service all your equipment, ensuring technical problems are kept at bay. Power up your sound system, check amplifiers, processors, cabling, drivers – any component that could let you down. Take covers off lighting fixtures and dust out any ventilation systems and heat sinks. Clean lenses and glass/plastic panels, and check all gobo/colour wheels, prisms, mirrors and shutters. Use self-test mode to check for individual issues, or run your show mode/DMX control if your fixtures do not have these test modes available.
Most things will be easy enough to accomplish by yourself. However, if you are not confident about servicing your own kit or simply do not have the time, there is still time to book in with your local service centre.
PAT testing is not a legal requirement, though it does play a crucial part in electrical safety and is the first thing any insurance company will ask about in the event of a claim. It’s a definite requirement by most venues.
Your playout kit is just as important as the rest of your rig. Physically check every knob, encoder, fader and button to be sure you can perform the same way you used to without risking sticky/less tactile buttons and rough faders. Again, should you come across any issues that could stand in the way of your next performance, this is the best time to get it checked out by your local service centre.
Software, firmware and driver updates are just as important as physical checks. Take the time to update your systems and test everything – it’s best to give yourself plenty of play time after updating, just to identify any issues and give you the chance to roll the update back to the previous version if necessary. These updates can solve stability issues, add new features and improve old ones, resolve compatibility issues, and speed up how things work on your system.
As many people’s finances took a hit during the pandemic, it’s been an easy option to cancel subscription services. Now is a brilliant time to reactivate those subscriptions, giving you access to the newest music and making it easy to start building up your 2021 collection.
Many trends seemingly start overnight (and can end just as quickly). Currently, TikTok leads the way on social media and is a huge source of new trends. Many popular DJs, producers and musicians use the platform to promote new content very quickly and easily for maximum engagement. Trends that storm the app are picked up across the world and this has led to decades-old songs finding renewed popularity. Music subscriptions, Spotify playlists, the UK Top 40, radio stations, TV and, of course, social media are all brilliant ways to keep up with new and ongoing trends.
Different radio stations have different demographics depending on the type of music they play, and even if a certain track does not appeal to you, there’s still a reason it’s played on the radio. It may be worth noting emerging tracks to test out at your next gig alongside your usual dancefloor fillers. Your music files are hugely important to what you do. Periodic backups of your library as well as your subfolders and search indexes could save a gig if your primary storage device were to fail. Along with updating your library, be sure to keep a backup somewhere safe in case disaster strikes, and set a schedule in your calendar to back up every so often.
1. DUST OFF YOUR KIT
For many of us, most of the equipment we own was banished to the deepest, darkest depths of our storage units. Now is the perfect time to start digging out those flight cases, bags and cables, check you have everything you need, and source replacements, if necessary. Check the condition of your flight cases, protective bags and covers. Make a list of equipment you take to every job (including backups) and check off the list as you pull the kit out. This is also handy for loading up before you head out on your first gig – after so long, it will be easy to forget something.
2. TESTING AND SERVICING
So, your kit has once again seen the light of day – fantastic! That is until you find that the past year or so without routine maintenance has caused issues that need urgent attention before you rock up to your first gig of 2021. While you have these next few weeks leading up to the easing of restrictions, you can test and service all your equipment, ensuring technical problems are kept at bay. Power up your sound system, check amplifiers, processors, cabling, drivers – any component that could let you down. Take covers off lighting fixtures and dust out any ventilation systems and heat sinks. Clean lenses and glass/plastic panels, and check all gobo/colour wheels, prisms, mirrors and shutters. Use self-test mode to check for individual issues, or run your show mode/DMX control if your fixtures do not have these test modes available.
Most things will be easy enough to accomplish by yourself. However, if you are not confident about servicing your own kit or simply do not have the time, there is still time to book in with your local service centre.
3. PAT TESTING
PAT testing is not a legal requirement, though it does play a crucial part in electrical safety and is the first thing any insurance company will ask about in the event of a claim. It’s a definite requirement by most venues.
4. CHECK YOUR PLAYOUT EQUIPMENT
Your playout kit is just as important as the rest of your rig. Physically check every knob, encoder, fader and button to be sure you can perform the same way you used to without risking sticky/less tactile buttons and rough faders. Again, should you come across any issues that could stand in the way of your next performance, this is the best time to get it checked out by your local service centre.
Software, firmware and driver updates are just as important as physical checks. Take the time to update your systems and test everything – it’s best to give yourself plenty of play time after updating, just to identify any issues and give you the chance to roll the update back to the previous version if necessary. These updates can solve stability issues, add new features and improve old ones, resolve compatibility issues, and speed up how things work on your system.
5. REACTIVATE MUSIC SUBSCRIPTIONS
As many people’s finances took a hit during the pandemic, it’s been an easy option to cancel subscription services. Now is a brilliant time to reactivate those subscriptions, giving you access to the newest music and making it easy to start building up your 2021 collection.
6. KEEP AN EYE ON TRENDS
Many trends seemingly start overnight (and can end just as quickly). Currently, TikTok leads the way on social media and is a huge source of new trends. Many popular DJs, producers and musicians use the platform to promote new content very quickly and easily for maximum engagement. Trends that storm the app are picked up across the world and this has led to decades-old songs finding renewed popularity. Music subscriptions, Spotify playlists, the UK Top 40, radio stations, TV and, of course, social media are all brilliant ways to keep up with new and ongoing trends.
7. UPDATE AND BACKUP YOUR ENTIRE MUSIC LIBRARY
Different radio stations have different demographics depending on the type of music they play, and even if a certain track does not appeal to you, there’s still a reason it’s played on the radio. It may be worth noting emerging tracks to test out at your next gig alongside your usual dancefloor fillers. Your music files are hugely important to what you do. Periodic backups of your library as well as your subfolders and search indexes could save a gig if your primary storage device were to fail. Along with updating your library, be sure to keep a backup somewhere safe in case disaster strikes, and set a schedule in your calendar to back up every so often.
