howdy! i'm a music technology student whose main interest is live
sound. i have a project due for my audio engineering class about how to
assemble a "first aid kit" for sound techs. does anyone have any
information to share about what they like to have on hand just in case?
stuff like extra fuses, another roll of gaff tape to replace the one
that someone always steals from you, extra batteries for body mics,
etc. the project i have to do is a journal or magazine article, so any
helpful hints about what to have around in a quick-fix situation would
be helpful.thanks!

sarah beth underwood

erisdiscordia wrote:
howdy! i'm a music technology student whose main interest is live
sound. i have a project due for my audio engineering class about how to
assemble a "first aid kit" for sound techs. does anyone have any
information to share about what they like to have on hand just in case?

Someone, maybe Scott Dorsey, wrote an article in Recording Magazine a
while back on the subject. Of course it's different for everyone, and
there's always something you don't have (this may not be the case with
Scott's fishing tackle box), but the sort of things that I bring a

- White artist's tape (for marking the console)

- Sharpies (ditto)

- A word processor and copier - spiral-bound notebook, ball point pen
or pencil and a sheet of CARBON PAPER!!! (for writing down the mic list
and handing a copy to someone else who needs it.

- Adapters for every audio connection you can think of: XLR-1/4" (both
TRS and TS, male and female), XLR double male and double female,
1/4"-RCA, 1/4"-mini phone (mono and stereo), Y cables, "Insert" cables
(1/4" TRS to two 1/4" TS)

- 1:1 in-line transformers (usually XLR, but be prepared to use your
XLR-1/4" adapters with them)

- 2'-4' long 1/4" and XLR cables for patching things together at the
console

- An AC power socket ground tester

- Multimeter (a cable tester is nice, too)

- Headphones, with adapter to plug them into both 1/4" and mini jacks

- Ear plugs (if it's that kind of gig)

- Everything on your own list

- Cookies, brownies, carrot or celery sticks, bottle of water with a
screw top (sometimes you won't have time to eat or the only thing you
can find to eat is messy and drippy)

erisdiscordia wrote:

howdy! i'm a music technology student whose main interest is live
sound. i have a project due for my audio engineering class about how to
assemble a "first aid kit" for sound techs. does anyone have any
information to share about what they like to have on hand just in case?
stuff like extra fuses, another roll of gaff tape to replace the one
that someone always steals from you, extra batteries for body mics,
etc. the project i have to do is a journal or magazine article, so any
helpful hints about what to have around in a quick-fix situation would
be helpful.thanks!

sarah beth underwood

Elastic bands - lots of them.

Emergency microphone clips (fits all sizes)
Anti-vibration suspension
Tie cable to mic stand
Keep hanks of cable from tangling during transport
Keep small drums of cable from unwinding
Keep adaptor cables together in groups during transport
Keep loose cables together tidily on site
Hold handkerchief on mic as extra wind shield outdoors.
Hold paper on clipboard outdoors
Mark place in books
Indicate which knobs NOT to turn
Hold loose/noisy plugs in place on a jackfield (in emergency)
Hold wires onto battery post when connectors break
Donate to performers for emergency instrument or clothing repairs.

....use your imagination.



[I was tempted to say "You can use a rubber band for soft music" ...but
I thought better of it]

--
~ Adrian Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

erisdiscordia wrote:

a "first aid kit" for sound techs. does anyone have any
information to share about what they like to have on hand just in case? so any
helpful hints about what to have around in a quick-fix situation would
be helpful

The technical and audio-related things get pretty obvious.
The personal comfort items might include:

A clean shirt
A change of underwear
A change of socks
A different pair of shoes (it's remarkable how a different
pair of shoes helps)
Deodorant (mostly for other people's "comfort")
Baby wipes (remarkable how refreshing wiping one's face or
other exposed parts can help)
Waterless hand cleaner or something like Purel hand
sanitizer
A bag of your favorite hard candy
A tooth brush and small tube of toothpaste
A bag to put it all in (keep it where you can get to it)

The list goes on as your personal comfort needs increase.

After - and even during - a long day/night/weekend in
rehearsals/shows, a few little things like these can make a
big difference in attitude, both yours and others'.



TM

Everything above plus:

A flashlight or two...
Cable ties for strain relieving cable heaps
Needlenose pliers, crimpers, soldering iron & solder
Firewire & USB2 cables (w/ various male fittings)
Cable & wall testing
An inline current meeting to see how many amps your pulling
Walkie talkies with headsets.
Nicorette Gum, 2 & 4 mg dosages, w/ the candied shell mint flavor.
I've collected all of my manuals onto a USB memory stick
Rolls of color tape to keep runs straight.

When time's not busy, clear the rack area so that it can slide easily
to get access to the back during the middle of a show. Strain relief
cables according...

Extra cables & adapters - Especially oddball ones.

A camera...

I've got a big bag with everything and within it a few smaller bags of
special stuff. About once a month or after a crazy project, I'll dump
out everything and get it reorganized.

Maybe time to move up to a rollaround...

Most important - A sense of humour...

erisdiscordia wrote:
howdy! i'm a music technology student whose main interest is live
sound. i have a project due for my audio engineering class about how to
assemble a "first aid kit" for sound techs. does anyone have any
information to share about what they like to have on hand just in case?
stuff like extra fuses, another roll of gaff tape to replace the one
that someone always steals from you, extra batteries for body mics,
etc. the project i have to do is a journal or magazine article, so any
helpful hints about what to have around in a quick-fix situation would
be helpful.thanks!

Fuses are always handy. There are a bunch of $10 Chinese digital
multimeters. The last digit is doubtful, but they are usable and I
tape one inside every rack.

A selection of 4-40 through 1/4" nuts and bolts. A bunch of 5/8-27
adaptors for mike stands. Mike clamps. Lots of M-M and F-F XLR and
1/4" adaptors, Y connectors. Don't forget a greenie, or some other
screwdriver small enough to get into XLR connectors.

I find the butane-powered soldering irons to be a total lifesaver myself.
Also, I keep a fox and hound pair in my toolkit... the audio guys are not
used to seeing telecom tools, but they let you identify where cables are
going and how they are laid out when there are no labels.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

T Maki wrote:


Deodorant (mostly for other people's "comfort")
Baby wipes (remarkable how refreshing wiping one's face or
other exposed parts can help)
Waterless hand cleaner or something like Purel hand
sanitizer

Please no!

Some of us are allergic to the volatile chemicals in those things and
would have to leave the building.


--
~ Adrian Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

"Adrian Tuddenham" wrote in message

Deodorant (mostly for other people's "comfort")
Baby wipes (remarkable how refreshing wiping one's face or
other exposed parts can help)
Waterless hand cleaner or something like Purel hand
sanitizer

Please no!

Some of us are allergic to the volatile chemicals in those things and
would have to leave the building.

Non-scented versions of the deodorant and baby-wipes can help. I always
bring baby-wipes to outdoor festivals; aside from everything else, there
aren't usually washup sinks at the portajohns. And when you eat a sandwich,
the baby-wipes let you get rid of the greasy stuff before you touch the
board.

Peace,
Paul

"Adrian Tuddenham" wrote in message
lid.invalid...
T Maki wrote:


Deodorant (mostly for other people's "comfort")
Baby wipes (remarkable how refreshing wiping one's face or
other exposed parts can help)
Waterless hand cleaner or something like Purel hand
sanitizer

Please no!

Some of us are allergic to the volatile chemicals in those things and
would have to leave the building.

Since among any crowd the likelyhood that someone has each of those things
approaches 100%, how do you go out in public. I am not casting aspersions.
Allergies are no joking matter. But, the question is a serious one.

Steve King

"Adrian Tuddenham" wrote ...
T Maki wrote:
Deodorant (mostly for other people's "comfort")
Baby wipes (remarkable how refreshing wiping one's face or
other exposed parts can help)
Waterless hand cleaner or something like Purel hand
sanitizer

Please no!

Some of us are allergic to the volatile chemicals in those things and
would have to leave the building.

Alcohol? I've heard that some people actually
drink the stuff. Voluntarily!

Steve King wrote:

"Adrian Tuddenham" wrote in message
lid.invalid...
T Maki wrote:


Deodorant (mostly for other people's "comfort")
Baby wipes (remarkable how refreshing wiping one's face or
other exposed parts can help)
Waterless hand cleaner or something like Purel hand
sanitizer

Please no!

Some of us are allergic to the volatile chemicals in those things and
would have to leave the building.

Since among any crowd the likelyhood that someone has each of those things
approaches 100%, how do you go out in public. I am not casting aspersions.
Allergies are no joking matter. But, the question is a serious one.

It creates serious problems.

I always carry a pocket handkerchief and have found that it will become
damp enough from condensation, the first time I breath out through it,
to act as an adsorber. I then have about 10 breaths in which to escape
from the area before the handkerchief become saturated and starts to let
the chemicals through.

If I continue to breath the chemicals (or if I am unaware of them
because some of them have no smell) I become nauseous, confused and
sometimes slightly agressive (although I think the latter is
understandable when someone is poisoning you).

I have had to walk out of dances that I had travelled long distances to
enjoy, watch a theatrical play from the back of the fire exit corridor
and been unable to put my case at a public enquiry because of perfume in
the venue. On one occasion I had to walk out of a lecture where I was
the guest lecturer.

There was an unconfirmed report a year or two ago that around 0.5% of
the population is seriously sensitised or actually allergic to the
commonest components of domestic perfumes.

--
~ Adrian Tuddenham ~
(Remove the ".invalid"s and add ".co.uk" to reply)
www.poppyrecords.co.uk

On 4 Oct 2005 04:25:51 -0700, "Mike Rivers"
wrote:

erisdiscordia wrote:
howdy! i'm a music technology student whose main interest is live
sound. i have a project due for my audio engineering class about how to
assemble a "first aid kit" for sound techs. does anyone have any
information to share about what they like to have on hand just in case?

You're asking a Usenet newsgroup to do your homework??? At least
you're honest about it.

Someone, maybe Scott Dorsey, wrote an article in Recording Magazine a
while back on the subject. Of course it's different for everyone, and
there's always something you don't have (this may not be the case with
Scott's fishing tackle box), but the sort of things that I bring a

- White artist's tape (for marking the console)

- Sharpies (ditto)

- A word processor and copier - spiral-bound notebook, ball point pen
or pencil and a sheet of CARBON PAPER!!! (for writing down the mic list
and handing a copy to someone else who needs it.

Also useful for writing down notes during the performance, such as
"Instrument X is out of tune" and read it back over at the start of
the the break, so you can tell the instrumentalist "Your X is out of
tune, please tune it" and perhaps have a better second set, or at
least tuning won't be the problem. (I recently learned a new
abbreviation that applies he "DAMHIK")
Tuning hammers for pianos (I'm learning there are several piano
tuning pin sizes, but it appears a "standard" hammer should work on
all in a pinch, just to tune one string), hammer dulcimers, zithers,
autoharps. Learn about tuning such an instrument and using the tuning
wrench before attempting to do so in a pre-performance situation, else
you're likely to do more harm than good.

Ben Bradley wrote:
Tuning hammers for pianos (I'm learning there are several piano
tuning pin sizes, but it appears a "standard" hammer should work on
all in a pinch, just to tune one string), hammer dulcimers, zithers,
autoharps. Learn about tuning such an instrument and using the tuning
wrench before attempting to do so in a pre-performance situation, else
you're likely to do more harm than good.

Tuning hammers for pianos are mostly square, and there are some varieties
but a standard square hammer will work on all pianos EXCEPT the ones with
star-shaped pins. So far I have only encountered the star pins on Asian
pianos of very doubtful quality, but for all I know they might be used on
something good out there.

Don't forget a spare set of guitar strings and one of fiddle strings.
They don't have to be the best, but they can save you occasionally.
Guitar strings can be made to fit onto all kinds of instruments in a pinch.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Paul Stamler wrote:
"Adrian Tuddenham" wrote in message


Deodorant (mostly for other people's "comfort")
Baby wipes (remarkable how refreshing wiping one's face or
other exposed parts can help)
Waterless hand cleaner or something like Purel hand
sanitizer

Please no!

Some of us are allergic to the volatile chemicals in those things and
would have to leave the building.


Non-scented versions of the deodorant and baby-wipes can help. I always
bring baby-wipes to outdoor festivals; aside from everything else, there
aren't usually washup sinks at the portajohns. And when you eat a sandwich,
the baby-wipes let you get rid of the greasy stuff before you touch the
board.

Frankly I hate the smell, feel and worst of all, the TASTE of these
things. I'd rather eat the cable scum along with my cold pizza....

jak


Peace,
Paul

Ben Bradley wrote:
On 4 Oct 2005 04:25:51 -0700, "Mike Rivers"
wrote:


erisdiscordia wrote:

howdy! i'm a music technology student whose main interest is live
sound. i have a project due for my audio engineering class about how to
assemble a "first aid kit" for sound techs. does anyone have any
information to share about what they like to have on hand just in case?


You're asking a Usenet newsgroup to do your homework??? At least
you're honest about it.


Someone, maybe Scott Dorsey, wrote an article in Recording Magazine a
while back on the subject. Of course it's different for everyone, and
there's always something you don't have (this may not be the case with
Scott's fishing tackle box), but the sort of things that I bring a

- White artist's tape (for marking the console)

- Sharpies (ditto)

- A word processor and copier - spiral-bound notebook, ball point pen
or pencil and a sheet of CARBON PAPER!!! (for writing down the mic list
and handing a copy to someone else who needs it.


Also useful for writing down notes during the performance, such as
"Instrument X is out of tune" and read it back over at the start of
the the break, so you can tell the instrumentalist "Your X is out of
tune, please tune it" and perhaps have a better second set, or at
least tuning won't be the problem. (I recently learned a new
abbreviation that applies he "DAMHIK")
Tuning hammers for pianos (I'm learning there are several piano
tuning pin sizes, but it appears a "standard" hammer should work on
all in a pinch, just to tune one string), hammer dulcimers, zithers,
autoharps. Learn about tuning such an instrument and using the tuning
wrench before attempting to do so in a pre-performance situation, else
you're likely to do more harm than good.


Oh for god's sake! He asked about AUDIO stuff. You might carry a
tuning hammer, but that's not my job. I've got enough to do to get the
audio done.

If the band doesn't have it together to have the piano tuned, or carry
spare strings for their instruments, that's really their problem. I mix
the sound, I'm not a nursemaid.

jak

On Tue, 04 Oct 2005 19:51:51 -0500, jakdedert
wrote:

baby-wipes

Frankly I hate the smell, feel and worst of all, the TASTE of these
things. I'd rather eat the cable scum along with my cold pizza....

They're pretty much the standard for removing stage
makeup. Compared to makeup, they're a thing of beauty
and a joy forever.

Chris Hornbeck

"I wanted her to tell me that she would never wake me.
repeat
repeat
repeat
repeat

"
_-Elliott Smith

jakdedert wrote:
Paul Stamler wrote:
"Adrian Tuddenham" wrote in message


Deodorant (mostly for other people's "comfort")
Baby wipes (remarkable how refreshing wiping one's face or
other exposed parts can help)
Waterless hand cleaner or something like Purel hand
sanitizer

Please no!

Some of us are allergic to the volatile chemicals in those things and
would have to leave the building.


Non-scented versions of the deodorant and baby-wipes can help. I always
bring baby-wipes to outdoor festivals; aside from everything else, there
aren't usually washup sinks at the portajohns. And when you eat a sandwich,
the baby-wipes let you get rid of the greasy stuff before you touch the
board.

Frankly I hate the smell, feel and worst of all, the TASTE of these
things. I'd rather eat the cable scum along with my cold pizza....

When you do a Video location shoot in NYC and have to pull DT
cables all over a typical City park, where the dust is imbued with Rat
feces, rodent poison and the urine of myriad 2 legged denizens of
night, the term "Cable scum" takes on a whole new meaning. But for
those who forgot their gloves, thoughtful truck operators include a
handsoap dispenser by the back bumper or patchbay hatch of the truck
which can be used with a bottle of water.

Studio cables pulled for a location shoot are crappy forever.

Will Miho
NY Music anc TV/Audio Post Guy
"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away..." Tom Waits

On Tue, 04 Oct 2005 19:55:46 -0500, jakdedert
wrote:

Oh for god's sake! He asked about AUDIO stuff. You might carry a
tuning hammer, but that's not my job. I've got enough to do to get the
audio done.


A tuning hammer is just a socket wrench with an 8- or 4-sided socket
with a funky handle. The 8-sided version is available from Snap-On in
3/8" drive, last I checked.

The handle of a tuning hammer is usually nicer, and less likely to chip
the lacquer if you drop it on the case, but it's not as if it's some
Secret Mystery Tool that only The Elect can use.

Not that it suddenly becomes "your job" but in a pinch, their "Piano
Guy" usually knows what size socket wrench he'll need to borrow if his
tuning tools got lost between here and Cleveland. (a 12-pointer isn't
ideal, but it Will work on a breaker bar, T-handle or even a ratchet if
need be.)

On 10/5/05 10:56 AM, in article
, "Charles Krug"
wrote:

On Tue, 04 Oct 2005 19:55:46 -0500, jakdedert
wrote:

Oh for god's sake! He asked about AUDIO stuff. You might carry a
tuning hammer, but that's not my job. I've got enough to do to get the
audio done.

Indeed, but NEVER too much so that you can avoid the ability to be The
Answer Guy in a pinch...
and thus you're then the BETTER Audio Guy...
It's why some folks work more than others with better clients.

On Tue, 04 Oct 2005 19:55:46 -0500, jakdedert
wrote:

If the band doesn't have it together to have the piano tuned, or carry
spare strings for their instruments, that's really their problem. I mix
the sound, I'm not a nursemaid.

OTOH, if you happen to be the only guy with that needed stuff around
five minutes before the performance is supposed to start, "nursemaid"
becomes HERO.

Make sure you wait till the absolute last minute before coming up with
it. That way they will not come to depend on you to have clean diapers
ready all the time.

jakdedert wrote:

Oh for god's sake! He asked about AUDIO stuff. You might carry a
tuning hammer, but that's not my job. I've got enough to do to get the
audio done.

If the band doesn't have it together to have the piano tuned, or carry
spare strings for their instruments, that's really their problem. I mix
the sound, I'm not a nursemaid.

I carry tuning hammers, extension cords, spare strings. Sooner or later
you'll need them. When you need them, you can charge for them.

Friend of mine runs a remote truck and says the xerox machine onboard is
the most profitable piece of gear he's got. He regularly winds up copying
arrangements at twenty cents a sheet.

I figure that if it can make a session go faster or better, and I can
charge for it, I ought to carry it.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."