Happy Monday and happy March everyone, and welcome to Tech Tip 5. The goal of this ongoing Blog is to help weekend and casual sound persons face the daunting task of doing sound in environments that are not entirely well suited to such a task. I hope you have been enjoying the Tech Tips Blog so far, and please feel free to post your comments if you find any or all of this useful/interesting/amusing/insightful. I really believe in trying to deliver tips that can be used by just about anyone and that require little or no investment. This weeks tip requires only some old sheets or blankets or whatever you have handy. Here it is.
COVER UP
I am often asked why I faithfully cover up all of my gadgets and gizmo’s with drop cloths and dust covers. Well anyone who has taken a look at a sound mixer that has been left uncovered, even in what appears to be a dust free environment can tell you just how dirty and grime covered equipment can get. Did you know that one of the leading cause of electronics failures is overheating due to dust and dirt buildup? I remember one particular club I used to work at where the question was not, would the power amp for the subwoofers shut down, but rather when it would shut down. Out of frustration I finally went down to the club in question one afternoon and spent a few hours taking the amp apart, cleaning the filters for the fans and putting it back together. Voila. Like new and running great. It even sounded better. When it comes to gear, just about everything runs better when it is cooler. I am always sad to see a great piece of equipment meet an early demise when it could have been easily prevented. Another side bonus of keeping your gear spic and span is that when it comes time to trade it in or sell it, your well cared for equipment will fetch you maximum return value. I also like to hang on to the original boxes as well. So take a moment to cover it up when you are done and keep it looking and working like new. This seems like a small thing, but over time this is one tip that can really pay off. Take care and talk to you later in the week.
TT