Tag: PA

How To Clean Professional Audio Equipment

Professional audio equipment is used to describe any audio equipment that is used for a professional purpose. Loudspeakers, microphones, mixing consoles, amplifiers, recording and playback devices like turntables and even telephony devices are all considered to be professional audio equipment. Whether it’s a college PA system or a DJ’s professional audio mixer, professional audio equipment is comprised of components that are complex and specialized, meaning maintenance is key to getting the most use out of them. Fortunately, cleaning and caring for audio equipment is not complex and only requires regular household items and some TLC. Don’t continue being afraid to approach those dusty speakers and amplifiers you’ve been meaning to clean for the last 6 months. Today, we’ll provide you with some tips and warnings to take care of your beloved Behringer pro audio and other audio equipment.

Some things you’ll need: Vacuum with hose attachment Soft cloth Window cleaner Small paint brush (unused)

After you’ve gathered these items, follow these instructions:

1. First things first, disconnect and unplug all audio equipment you want to clean, including all quarter-inch jacks. You don’t want to damage anything, or even worse, hurt yourself.

2. Using a hose attachment, lightly vacuum the front grill of all your audio equipment. If there isn’t a grill, just vacuum the sides, top and bottom surfaces.

3. Using an unused paintbrush, dust all the crevices the hose attachment can’t reach. This might be knobs, any indentations, deep recesses, etc. Don’t use a used paintbrush you might end up making more of a mess than what you initially started with.

4. Spray a small amount of window cleaner onto the soft cloth (terry cloth or even an old cotton shirt will do) so that it is damp. Wipe all the exteriors of your equipment in small and solid motions. It helps to firmly hold the cloth while simultaneously applying slight pressure on your audio equipment to get that brand-new shine. Repeat as necessary.

5. Dampening one corner of the cloth with window cleaner, roll a small section and insert the damp area of the cloth into a quarter-inch jack and quickly remove. Repeat this process for all jacks, dampening only when necessary.

After you’ve followed these steps, you should notice a drastic improvement on the appearance of your audio equipment and later, possibly an improvement on the sound quality, functionality, etc. Maintaining and caring for your audio equipment is crucial to getting the best audio results. Also, remember not to go overboard with cleaning. Clean only when necessarythis will depend on use frequency as well as the air quality of surrounding environments.

Knowing More about Audio Visual Services

The T3 Gadget Awards, hosted on October 11, 2010 in London, pulled in thousands of fans. Amidst the cheering crowd, Apple’s iPhone 4 won the Commuter Gadget of the Year award. But image this event without any lighting or sound. Would the crowd be as excited and the event as successful without lighting, sound effects and video presentations?

Tips on Selecting Audio Visual Services
The AV equipment that you choose makes a huge difference to the success of the event you are planning as well as to your budget. So, you need to know a few critical things as you begin your journey in planning an event.

Minor details: Every minute detail of such things like batteries, cables and media outlets matter when you’re the layout of the audio visual installation at an event site.
Know the audio visual equipment that will be used: You have to be sure of the equipment you will be using. Moreover, you must at least have some basic idea of the working of the equipment whether it is a computer, an LCD screen or a projector.
Consider the size of the location: Select the AV equipment on the basis of the venue’s size. A larger locale or a crowded venue will not be a success without amplified voices while a smaller one will not need this facility.
Assess the venue: Ensure the conference venue is acoustic treated to avoid sound distortions like reverberations. Basic acoustical infrastructure like wall panels that absorb sound and curtains with the right thickness for windows ensure this. Similarly, the venue should ideally have carpeted floors and ceiling tiles that make it acoustically treated. AV companies usually have experts to advise you on cheap temporary solutions for such problems.
Plan placement and number of audio visual equipment: AV equipment should not be placed near sources that could disturb clarity. You need not have quantity to ensure quality. A few microphones could produce the best sound with proper volume control.
Know the event: Decide the types of audio visual services and equipment to be provided on the basis of the kind of event. For an informal event, use megaphones or a wireless sound system for greater flexibility. For formal occasions, a wired PA system which generally has limited mobility is more suitable.
Plan the audio visual system: Find a corporate event management company that does careful monitoring of every little detail that could affect costs as well as functioning. Will the audio visual system at the venue integrate all audio visual services being used or will separate systems be needed for each piece of AV equipment are key factors to be considered in the planning stage.
Prepare for problems: There are always chances of a system or power failure. Be sure to have backups. Ability to provide audio visual services that can ensure the show goes on despite technical failures can make or break reputations in corporate event management.

Audio visual services play a vital role in the success of certain events. Effective AV equipment can change how smoothly a meeting, conference or sales presentation runs. Depending on your needs, you can just hire some AV equipment, like a projector, for a day or get a corporate event management company to plan the entire event. Hiring a professional company has numerous advantages. For starters, you may not be as abreast of the latest technological developments in this field as would an expert. Moreover, the audio visual services company would be able to provide technicians who are skilled in the use of the AV equipment.

When you get audio visual services from a professional, you should definitely check their track record. Companies that have experience in corporate event management would not only be able to provide you better services, but also bring down the cost of hosting the event through their expert suggestions.

Do not think of getting in touch with the audio visual services company at the end of your planning stage. Get the corporate event management company involved right from the beginning of planning. Such experts would be able to help you with conceptualising and organising the event as well as getting the best AV equipment.

Audio Visual Installation

Audio visual installation at an event venue could be difficult, especially if you have a limited budget. However, it is not a wise idea to compromise with quality, as this is what the success of your event depends greatly on. There are ways in which you can lower your cost without compromising on quality.

Tips to Lowering Your Audio Visual Installation Costs
Following are a few tips to help you impress your clients.

Consult experts: AV systems on hire are the best choice if you are planning on containing costs. Consult experts about your situation. Rentals that cater to small budgets will definitely have something that fits within your budget.
Be choosy: A large budget gives you the luxury of hiring professionals to take care of all details of the audio visual installation and operation. When on a tight budget, identify what you can do without.
PA system options: If you have a band playing at your event, you need to know details of the equipment in their possession already and what else you need to get to complete the setup. The band could have brought its own PA system, but you may still have to provide for the audio visual installation at the event site.
Knowing the event to install the lighting: The event management company needs to be clear about whether your event requires specialised lighting. A proper stage lighting rig could be expensive in contrast to automatic lighting like dizzies which are cheaper and easier to use. They just need you to press the switch once they are set up.
Projectors for cheap display of audio visuals: Projectors rigged to a DVD player are perhaps the cheapest way to display quality audio visual images.
Use a PA system: Find out if the venue you are using for your event has a PA system. If they do, use it for the background music as well as live bands and any other sound requirement at the event.
Choose a playlist over a DJ: An unfortunate choice to make. While a DJ is any day a better option, given he/she can tweak the music to the mood of the audience, play list is the option for you when you are on a tight budget.

What You Should Know About Audio Visual Installation
While your budget may be pulling you in all directions, what you should be looking at is value for money rather than a pure minimisation of costs. For this, it is essential that you understand the four fundamental factors that you need to get right for any audio visual installation.

The first of these is clarity, which is critical for audio visual presentations. You can cut costs on audio visual installation by not hiring technicians, but it is well worth spending a little more on good AV systems in this category. The second factor is simplicity. Make sure that the AV equipment is easy to operate. The third is reliability. Look up reviews of the system that you are considering to avoid losing connection during the event. The fourth factor is realism. You need to ensure that the overall effect created by the audio visual installation is that of people participating together and feeling no barriers even if they are separated by distance.

Planning any event is not easy and you can find an event management company even on a small budget. Smart thinking and a good understanding of your needs will help you the most in this matter. The ultimate aim is to hire AV systems and get technical support without emptying your coffers or sacrificing the success of your event.