Do you panic when you don't get a signal from the stage? "Why can't I hear the singer!?!" No more worries…this list explains the common line check problems and how you can fix them. This means less time spent on line checks and more time making the band sound great! Doesn't that sound better than "oh no, what do I do?"
- Bad cable. Cables goes bad and if you don't test your cables on a regular basis, then the issue will most likely show up during a line check. A product like the Ebtech Swizz Army cable tester can tell you when a cable has gone bad and the issue with the cable. Keep spare cables of all types because you will need them. On a related note, having the right tools like a line tester helps a lot. Check out this list of tools for your gear bag.
- Bad connection. Plugs aren't always pushed all the way. Typically I see this with guitar cables into the guitars or cables into guitar pedals and di boxes. A simple reseating of the plug should resolve the problem. This goes for all cable connections including XLR, TR, and TRS.
- Dead batteries. These might be in an effects box or, where i usually see it, in the onboard EQ/Amp in an acoustic guitar. Keeping a few 9V batteries in the booth comes in handy in these situations.
- Wrong wiring. Plug A into B, not C. Following the signal from the source to the mixer, you should be able to find where the wires are plugged into the wrong place. Typically, an input is plugged into an output. We, in the sound booth, see everything coming INTO the sound booth. Musicians, on the other hand, see wires coming TO the stage. Fix the wiring and then educate the musicians if they do any of their own setup.
- Poor microphone location. While you might see a signal, if it's not in the right location, you might not get enough signal for proper gain structure. You might not even get a signal because the microphone is too far away. I can see this point as more of a sound-check issue but I say the sooner you can resolve it, the better.
- Broken equipment. Be it an active di box, or a broken microphone, equipment will break and you have to be ready for it. Keeping extra equipment around does pay off. Replace any equipment that is "just hanging in” before it breaks. If it works "most of the time" then it's unreliable and needs replacing. You don't want to spend your time mending equipment each week when it could be better spent on the sound check.
- Channel labeled wrong. Of course there's no signal, nothing is in that channel! Sometimes mistakes are own fault. Just fix it and then ask the person on stage to try again. If they ask what was wrong, just say it was a board problem. :)
- No signal from guitarist/bassist. This happens when they turn down their volume pedal, have their setup set for tuning, or have done something else to disable their rig from sending a signal. Ask them to check their volume pedal and any effects board options like being set to tune or mute. The increase in use of digital effects pedals in the church environment means an increase in the likelihood of this issue occurring.
- Pastor wants to add a video. Hey, this stuff can fly in at any time. I'm just sayin'.
- Bad mixer channel. This is the most frustrating because it will result in money and probably require a substitute mixing board for a while. When it does happen, try another channel and mark the channel as bad. Definitely escalate this issue up the chain o' command ASAP.
I remember freaking out when I couldn't get a signal from the stage. I thought there were so many possible problems and I had no idea where to start. It's great being on the other side of that and knowing it's usually a simple solution. And I think that's how most audio problems should be seen.
The solutions to most line check problems aren't complex. However, knowing what can go wrong, you can now provide solutions much faster. Line check problems aren't the end of the world so don't treat them that way. Knowing what to expect, you can view these problems as speed bumps.
Question: What Problems Have You Found During a Line Check?
All aux master , groups & main master are extremely low in output. even when booted to the last level. The meter won’t come up.
Just recently we solved a problem that had been “hanging around” for some time although I wasn’t able to put my finger on it – just a semi-vague feeling that something wasn’t “quite right”.
Sometimes it would show up as weird feedback for no obvious reason. Just recently during setup We had two male singers that have very different voices – one guy has a very deep voice – bordering on baritone, while the other guy has low levels at the lower end with substantially stronger mid/upper mid levels and petering off at the treble end.
Anyway, they were practicing OK then moved onto another song. Things were fine until they sang a particular line in the chorus and then there was a very rapid onset of feedback – truly something to behold. After some effort playing with the semi-parametric mid sweep controls it solved the problem for that day.
A little while later, during another setup, I turned down the FOH main faders to nothing, so that the only sound being produced should have been the monitors. However, one of the two FOH speakers was producing sound. This was puzzling, and because there was limited time to investigate the problem I put it to one side for the moment.
Afterwards after some investigation, we discovered that one channel of the graphic equaliser that fed the left FOH speaker had two inputs – one from Left main output from the desk and one from Auxiliary 1 Send (Monitors).
We puzzled about this and then remembered our Pastor had decided some time ago to move the sound desk from the Sanctuary into a separate room with an open window into the Sanctuary. This was done during the week and I found about it on Sunday morning.
I must admit that this gave me a good opportunity to exercise grace, which sad to say I found very hard to do for some time.
It was easy enough to fix now, but I shudder to think what could have happened.
Now things are fixed technically, the sound is much better.
Ross, nice catch on that. Scary to think they moved all that equipment and just guessed at how to put it back together. Separate room for your mixing board – I can only hope that the window is a cut-out (no glass) and that you are in-line with the house speakers.
From time to time I lose a mike signal because somebody turned the switch on the mlke off. I tape them over in the on position but the “talent” will remove the tape to turn them off. I finally made an edict. “Touch a mike switch and I shoot. After you wake up in the hospital we’ll discuss why you felt it was necessary to turn off the mike.” (they still do it…. but not as much)
Larry, you should take an audio file of a gunshot. Next time during practice, when you see one of them turn it off, play the audio. :)
Not a bad idea….. Although I think I’ll find a clip of an AK-47! Is it any wonder any time I am in the market for a mike, if it has a switch, I cross it off the list. Perhaps we should discuss why talent does not trust the sound geek to turn the mike off driving the behavior.
Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day.
Give a man a switch and he’ll flip it just because he can.