It’s summer, you’re booking loads of gigs and playing your heart out for tons of eager party people. Then one day, in the middle of your set, you hear it: a buzzing noise. You’re not sure where it’s coming from but you know you have to fix it. Here are some steps you can take to both identify and solve the problem.
Step 1: Don’t Panic! It can be stressful to be performing for people who are only feet away, while noticing something is wrong with your rig. Just remember that you’re probably the only one who notices, unless you have major feedback or a total system failure in the middle of a song. Even still, the show must go on and the last thing your listeners want is to see you appear flustered. Keep your composure and all will be okay.
Step 2: Troubleshoot the problem. Do you have older cables that may be on their last legs? Are you trying out a new microphone or P.A. system? This happened to me at a recent gig where I used a brand new P.A. system and a new direct microphone (the EnSoul Pan Pickup). I heard a buzzing coming through the speakers and saw a problem since it could be any number of things. I calmly began looking through and found the problem was an old cable I was using for my tracks. I replaced it and all worked. But I had to test different cables before finding the problem.
Step 3: Sound check before playing again. It can be tempting to get moving again if you’ve kept your guests waiting, especially if you get pressure from the host, but don’t give in! Make sure to do a quick sound check on the rest of your system before moving forward or else you could end up in an even worse situation than before. Once you check your levels, do mic checks and listen to a track from the listener’s perspective or get someone to check it for you, you’re ready to get the party back on track.
It’s true that what I’ve said about might be an over-simplified approach, but keeping things in a simple perspective is arguably the best way to solve a problem. Sometimes it’s best to bite the bullet and get new equipment when everything seems risky, especially when you test at home prior to a gig. But sometimes there’s no time if you’ve got a busy gig schedule. Just make the most of it all and keep a professional demeanor for your client. No matter what happens, they’ll appreciate it!
