12) Tape down cables properly. If you don’t know how, just ask someone more experienced to show you. (We don’t mind.) Only use Gaff tape. Ever. And always use gaff tape, even if you have to bring it yourself.
And Finally) Learn how to troubleshoot! (Seriously!) I see this more than anything else and it makes me crazy. If something isn’t working right, don’t just start changing random things until the problem [hopefully!] goes away. The step-by-step process:
A) First, test your tester. If using a Cue Box, plug in something that is working to make sure it’s working. If using a mic to test an input, first plug it into a working input. (Even if it’s an SM58 that you “know” works.)
B) Isolate the problem. Is it just one loudspeaker or all of them? Is it more than one input? Remove as many variables as possible.
C) Start at one end of the signal chain. I tend to start at the input side, but in most cases it doesn’t really matter – just don’t start in the middle on the piece you “think is probably the issue.” It doesn’t save you time. (Trust me.)
D) Change out one thing at a time. If it doesn’t fix the problem, change it back! Note: there’s a shortcut here that can come in quite handy: simply swap the Bad Thing with a Known Good Thing already in use. For instance, swapping the left and right channels of a keyboard when only one channel is bad. If the problem moves with the swap, the issue is upstream, and if it doesn’t, the issue is downstream. Again, always swap it back before proceeding.
E) Move methodically through the entire signal chain. Don’t get flustered and skip things because you “know it’s not that.” (Ask me how I know.)
F) Once you’ve identified the problem part of the chain, swap out for a known good piece of gear and retest. Then label the broken thing before putting it back in the case, including your name, the date, and the symptom. “It’s broken” is not super helpful to the repair team.
This is certainly not a comprehensive list, but it’s a good start. Hopefully something in here will save you the trouble of learning things the way I did, which was of course, The Hard Way.
Brian Maddox was recently a guest on the Church Sound Podcast — check it out here.