AV Tech

So not too long ago i had a gig; i went in with the expectation of just setting up several breakouts with simple projector and audio support. What actually happened is the op was running late and I had to take over a room with 4 mics, 2 speakers and 2 projectors that was not rung out & 15 min left before show time. I spent my entire shift riding multiple faders to avoid feedback with a board that had the previous show setup from a different group. Had to come back to op again on the same room, so the day before i left, i zeroed the board, rung the room and now its all nicely grouped to a single fader for control. Not complaining, but the situation gave me a good laugh.

I'm looking for a good belt with shoulder straps. The tools get pretty heavy so I have to tighten the belt to the point it gets uncomfortable. Anyone got a recommendation? Also good gloves that give good movement but strong enough to withstand lighting heat.

Tools I recommend

• husky twin hex tools set. Come in metric and imperial - uses( weird drape hardware and TV mounts)
• c wrench - there is a debate for 6 or 8 inch due to leverage but I go 6 cause its already a lot of weight when carrying
• interchangeable bit screwdriver( harbor freight sells one with thick and narrow flat head/phillips bits[double sided] )
• leatherman multitool- personal preference on the model is based on the tech.
• USB to multi cable out - comes in handy for data transfer/ charging.
• fastfold clip tool- I hate fastfolds, this makes me hate them less.
• small cleanex wipes/hand sanitizer. For quick breaks when you want to snack without dirty hands.
• box cutter/knife
• pen and small notepad( I prefer paper over writing it on my phone.)
• magnetic light
• Magnetic extension stick
• tool belt pouch with tape chain
• permanent marker
• electricity probe - test if there is power running in a cable/outlet witbout connecting it to a device.

Im pretty sure there is more but these are usually my main ones.

Ive worked with digital boarda and analoge boards. It seems more work to do anlouge boards and i just realized why. If one long run is bad, id have to rerun that line. If i got a digital board with a stage box, quick switch. Bad etherent? (Change the line, bad box?( change the box). Maybe i should suggest portable stage boxes universal for any board in case i do analogue run again.

At the start of the pandemic, live-streaming and Zoom of course became the main game. As things started to settle, hybrid seemed to emerge (which came with its own unique challenges). In my part of the world I’m seeing a strong push away from that back to in-person only events, or a recording being shared post-event - are you noticing the same thing? It’s almost as if people are so tired of the years of disruption that they just want to roll it all back to how it was before.

I am part of a committee of volunteer AV techs at a large senior residence. We handle typically 15 events per month, lectures, concerts, or showing movies. A couple of venues are casual, where we roll in a portable sound system so presenters can use hand mics, and a portable 70" TV so they can show their powerpoints. Our main venue is a nice auditorium with a stage, roll-down screen and projector (soon to be upgraded to 4K). A complication is that since Covid, it's become expected by the community that auditorium events will also be on zoom so people can watch from their apartments. To that end we use Zoom Room hardware, but the setup gets complicated to give a good experience both in the room and remotely.

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Here’s a view from my office for the night in Melbourne, Australia

Big green to go forward a slide, little red one to go back - I didn’t think it’d need a degree to understand!