Several years ago my company was hired to provide production for a fashion show in a ballroom.

In advancing the show with the producer, the audio portion looked to be fairly easy, with just a few wireless microphones for the presenters and music playback provided by a DJ.

Outputs were supposed to be the feeds to the left and right main PA stacks, along with a send to the video company recording the show. Add a board mic and our own music for walk in/out and PA testing, and we calculated needing eight inputs – three for the wireless systems (one spare), two for the DJ input, two for the CD player and one for the board mic. So we decided to use an eight-channel mixer with four mono and two stereo inputs, and to also bring a six-input backup mixer.

Back then, analog consoles were the norm so we also needed a front of house rack that included some EQs, compressors, and effects units.

The ballroom could be separated into two spaces by an air wall. The show was to be held in half of the room, and if sold out, the wall would go away and more seating would be added. In case that happened, we added a few portable loudspeakers and a delay unit to my truck pack.

On the day of the show we set up the system and were testing it when my guy John ran over with some bad news: there would be a six-piece band instead of a DJ. The band didn’t bring any additional PA or monitors, so John and I took stock of what we had. There wasn’t enough time to get any more gear.

First, the six-channel mixer would be pressed into service as a sub-mixer to the eight-channel model. Next up was transferring FOH closer to the band because we didn’t have a big enough snake.

The original plan was to place the wireless receivers at FOH and simply run a few long XLRs to wherever the DJ set up, so we didn’t bring a main snake, only a long return snake to feed the amp racks to the mains. We did, however, have some short stage snakes in the cable trunk that would help bridge the gap.

The band consisted of two keyboard players, a guitar player, a bass player, a drummer and a percussionist. There were four keyboards between the two players and we only had three DIs, so to link the fourth, we patched two long 1/4-inch guitar cables together and ran it directly to a 1/4-inch input on one of the mixers.

Other solutions included placing a kick drum mic on a folded-up jacket inside the drum (we were also short on mic stands), deploying the extra loudspeakers as monitor wedges, and using gaff tape to secure a mic to a stand that didn’t have a clip. Many adapters and barrels also played key roles. Fortunately we had just enough gear, and were sufficiently creative, that it all worked out. But I learned some valuable lessons from that show, chiefly to always expect the unexpected and to bring extra gear just in case. And those who have worked in the pro audio biz for even a short amount of time likely have similar stories.

Doing The Homework

On most shows there’s usually enough “rig for the gig,” but particularly on freelance gigs, I frequently run out of inputs and/or outputs because of last-minute changes and thus have to improvise.

Here are some of the things to attempt to avoid the problem and deal with it (because sometimes it’s just inevitable).

First, advance the gig, especially with the right people. A promoter may hire you and provide a rider that may or may not be current, but only the artist’s production people really know what they need. So call the production contact and get the scoop on what’s really needed.

Next, bring extras for every piece of gear and cable. I work a lot of high-end corporate gigs where there are meetings and seminars during the week, and usually a band or comedy concert at the end of the week. The pressure is on during the meetings because the company has paid a lot of money getting everybody together and the presentations have to be perfect. Same goes for the entertainment, who are often A-list performers.

At this level there are usually spares for everything, including loudspeakers and consoles, but on smaller gigs there may not be enough funds to justify a second large-frame console as a backup. However, fit a spare smaller console into the budget. I carry a backup “utility mixer” to every show. It used to be a small analog unit, but now it’s a compact 16-channel digital mixer with output EQs, processing, effects and onboard multi-track recording to USB.

Not only can a utility mixer substitute for a FOH or a monitor console if either fails, it can also act as a sub mixer, as a distribution amplifier for outputs, as a press mult, or even as a fancy adapter for converting one type of signal or connector to another.

Analytical Approach

Sometimes we arrive at a gig and find ourselves looking at a console (that we didn’t specify) without enough inputs or outputs for the event. Still, many consoles have more than just channel inputs, and these “extra” inputs can be used to our advantage.

For example, some models have sub group inputs that allow a line-level input to route through the subgroup fader and on to the main mix and/or the matrix. These could be used for walk in/out music from a computer, the outputs from a utility mixer, or even for line-level sends from a keyboard. Another section on consoles that may house an input is the matrix. Again, these will be line-level and can be used as above.

Smaller mixers often include a set of RCA jack I/O for recording and playback. With adapters, these RCA line-level inputs can come in handy for interfacing with a computer for walk in/out music or video playback audio. While these inputs don’t have any EQ or processing, most computer audio programs do feature basic EQ that can be used instead.

Stereo returns offer another path into the console for line-level signals. Many smaller consoles offer a stereo return volume knob allowing the ability to set and ride levels during the show. Meanwhile, a way to get extra mic inputs into a console is to utilize transformer adapters that convert a mic level signal to a line-level signal, plugged into the stereo input channels.

While basic barrel adapters are not on par with most consoles’ built-in mic preamps, they’re usually good enough, especially when you’re stuck. Most stereo channels allow for a mono signal (usually using just the left input) and the input might get routed to just the left mains. To get the input to both left and right (L+ R) mains, route the stereo channel to a subgroup or matrix and then send those outputs to the L+R mains. Also, using both the left and right inputs on stereo inputs can work well for drum overheads and stereo signals like keyboards.