Failures at Gigs � How do you minimize? Planning ahead

[Jaspla]

While many of us our home...may be a good time to get ready for â Gigging....

 

Not long ago, played as a Duo at a Farmer's market near home. Setup keys, amp, everything â no sound. Keyboard and mixer lit up, but nothing from the single powered speaker I had brought. No problem - I have fuses. Nope â the fuse holder was missing from the back of the speaker. Fortunately this gig was only 10 min from home, and I set up early. I went home and picked up the other powered speaker. Later I found the fuse holder rolling in the back of the van. Promptly put it back, sealing it with a piece of "Gxxx" tape across any and ALL things that can unscrew or fall out of a piece of gear.

 

I rely notably on acoustic or Rhodes/ep function of keyboards. I have had a sustain pedal failure recently but fortunately I did have a backup pedal in my gig bag.

 

Setting up at a gig, pulled out the power pack for my Kurzweil SP6 â no pigtail!. Rummaged around the the gig gear suitcase and bit, and found that it had disconnected from the power pak. Put it back together along with some "Gxxx" tape to secure the pigtail to the power pack

â so that I don't find that I have a power pak, but the pigtail cable is still plugged into an outlet at home. By the way, if you use a Kurzweil PC4 â it uses the same power pack.

 

Recently played a brunch in a nice restaurant near home. Part way thru the gig the keyboard (brand not noted ' to protect the innocent') audio for no known reason, just start to fade out. Not cut out, just fade. I panicked and shut down the board. Waited that lengthy time for a restart, and was pleasantly surprised that issue had 'gone away'. This was also a gig only 10 min or so from home and if the keyboard had not lit up at initial setup, I could go home and get the backup board.

- Point being that for a wedding function, some other 'significant gig' (where they pay me well) or the gig is some distance from home, a second board gets loaded in the van, as well as some sort of backup amplification.

 

I do have a check list on a luggage tag of my gear suitcase, listing ALL items that I need for my solo/duo gigs. However, my failure, I got out of the driveway recently remembering 'is the keyboard stand in the van' â Nope â I had forgotten to review my list...making a quite turn-around to retrieve the stand.....

[lightbg]

I"ve been using checklists for years. Also, I"m big on redundancy - a backup for everything except the musician. I now gig with my trusty NE4D, along with an M-Audio Oxygen 61 driving B3X through my iPad. I also carry my RefaceYC for $#,+$ and giggles. Also I run stereo, so I have a pair of QSC K12.2"s with me.

It goes without saying that spare wires and pedals go into the backup bag that stays in the car( which also has the tools, battery powered soldering iron, etc.).

 

Haven"t had any emergencies I couldn"t handle yet, but I have bailed out guitar players with patch cords, and even had the correct size nut and bolt for the sax player"s stand when that collapsed.

 

Anal ? Maybe, but so-far, so good.

 

Jake

[Reezekeys]

Backup strategies for equipment failures are an often-discussed topic here. Everybody has their own (I anticipate we'll all share them again now ). You also mention forgetting a piece of gear which is a different topic - get some ginkgo biloba!

 

I wonder if anyone doing years of gigs could post and say they've never had an equipment failure â I know I can't. Bringing a second keyboard, second sustain pedal, second power adapter, etc. to every gig is something I've never done. Somehow I've always managed to soldier through the very occasional failures (and senior moments of forgetting stuff!). Of course it depends on the makeup of your rig too; folks that normally use two or more keyboards can usually figure out how to cover for a broken one with their remaining boards. My laptop rig with a single controller keyboard would probably be considered a likely candidate for unrecoverable gig failure yet that has not been the case. The reason, I think, is that I have years of experience doing a lot of gigs with the same setup â so I've had the opportunity to discover the weak points and correct them. I do carry a few extra items in the laptop bag as a backup strategy â extra USB cables, extra SSD with samples, midi cable & interface if the USB port on my controller fails (and it has), a Korg NanoKontrol so I can use any midi keyboard I can get if the controller goes down. These are all small items that easily fit in the bag so a no-brainer to carry. My policy is that I would not be gigging with equipment that had a known rep â even via hearsay â for general unreliability, even if it represented a smallish percentage of units. That's what's great about this forum â being here a while you do notice those things. I'm thinking of one brand in particular (brand not noted ' to protect the innocent', lol).

[Morizzle]

Yeah, Reezekeys, I'll step out into the open and admit it - I've played around 1000 gigs in my life and I never had anything fail on me. I usually bring one TRS cable more than necessary, that's it.

I do believe there's a way to minimize 99% of gear failures, and that is treating your gear carefully. So far it has worked out fine for me.

[KuruPrionz]

I bring backups and work arounds.

 

Sometimes stuff happens anyway. Recent gig they'd had the stage "professionally" rewired and added a lighting system.

There was no AC outlet we could find that did not hum. We finally just plugged everything into the one outlet that hummed the least and hoped we didn't blow a breaker.

 

Makes me want to get one of these - https://www.furmanpower.com/product/15a-6-outlet-surge-suppressor-strip-PST-6

 

One way or another, I've always made it through a gig.

[Stokely]

My current band has done around 600 gigs over the last seven years or so...we've had our share of failures but less than my previous ones.

 

For my stuff, staying organized and having less loose items helps a lot. Everything I use goes into a couple boxes or cases; I use a mic boom that attaches to my keyboard stand, which is great because mic stand was an item I'd forget often. This is one reason I like keyboards that use standard power cables too...the band always has some extra cables of various types.

 

Backups (or a backup plan) for everything that is possible.

 

For new gear, do practice runs where you set up and test everything at home (talking PA here mostly).

 

Avoid complacency--our setup is generally super-quick and we don't need to tweak much, as everyone is great about keeping their levels and gear the same. Because of that, it's easy to just hook things up and figure we are good...until you aren't, and if you waited too long to check things, now you are running into the start of the gig, which is pretty darn unprofessional. This happened to us recently and it was just a reminder that **** happens, turned out to be one bad XLR cable but it took time to troubleshoot and added a lot of stress to the start of the gig.

 

I had a couple power issues--several times at one bar,which clued me in--and I've been using a computer-style UPS that says it does voltage regulation. Not sure a relatively cheap unit can really help with that, but it has the additional plus of keeping my gear running if we have a power blip. Downside--HEAVY!

[Reezekeys]

Seems to be two separate threads here... gear failures and contingencies for when you forget your gear! Same thing in the end I guess.

 

Morizzle, 1000 gigs with zero failures is a good run â I hope it continues!

 

Having a simple setup, knowing your gear, and treating it right is probably a good recipe for lessening the chances of failures. However, there are many times where unanticipated events or situations beyond your control or will happen â like the stagehands at the Hollywood Bowl that ruined the USB jack of my Roland controller when they swarmed the stage after our set and one of them yanked the cable out forcefully.

[MathOfInsects]

Sorry to ask a stupid question, but I've tried Google Translate and Urban Dictionary and I can't find the answer anywhere. What is a "gig"?

[PianoMan51]

Not sure if this is completely rational, but once the bags are in the venue, NOBODY touches my gear but me. When I"m setting up I SEE every piece of gear. And when I pack up I SEE every piece of gear, and where it goes. There"s a separate part of my brain that is always assessing the current status of my setup.

 

WRT to backups, my gigs are all local. There are no redundancies in my gear. I would have to carry a duplicate of every piece of gear.

[timwat]

Jaspla, seems like the best advice is make sure you always pack a roll of "Gxxx" tape.

 

 

 

 

The real answer is - gig long enough and odds are good you'll run into this. I've played gigs without a sustain pedal. I've now got 87 IEC power cables in the garage from every gig I had to stop at Radio Shack or Best Buy because I was one power cord short. I've had to borrow 1/4" cables. I've left reams of set lists on the printer. I've had to borrow music stands because I misplaced the one widget that mounts my iPad to the stand thing. And I'm pretty methodical about packing and practicing setting up rig at home, etc.

 

And I've played gigs where the bass player had to slap a fretless all night because he brought the wrong axe. Drummers forgetting the drum throne. Guitar players not having replacement strings (although that's a real rare one).

 

The good news is we're not doing heart surgery - forget a sustain pedal and no one dies.

[Adan]

My wife and I have been having the same conversation for years, because she's always misplacing car keys. I tell her, when it comes to mundane stuff like that, the more you can routinize it and do it the same way every time, the less likely something will go wrong. Walk in the door, drop the key in the bowl.

 

So how much is my marriage like gigging? Not much at all!! But the idea of routinizing and following a set procedure every time is hugely important. Harder, obviously, if you take different equipment to different gigs. But I try to be as methodical and consistent as possible. Take the thought out of it, make it automatic.

 

To pick an example at random, my practice is to put the power cord for a keyboard goes in the outer compartment of the keyboard case. Not in a different bag with other cords. Always the keyboard bag. Making it automatic means it's more likely to happen, and also easier to double check that it did.

 

Meanwhile, my wife is still misplacing car keys . . .

[Michael Wright]

Sorry to ask a stupid question, but I've tried Google Translate and Urban Dictionary and I can't find the answer anywhere. What is a "gig"?

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/myth

[MotiDave]

You guys are so professional. I"m not gonna jinx myself and say what i do. Er, don"t do.

[BadDog1123]

Regarding gear failure, I've had it happen too many times so I carry a spare for every essential box, cable, pedal and and gizmo. I run a fairly complex keyboard rig for live performance, with two MIDI controllers driving all virtual instruments on a Windows laptop. I carry a spare laptop (mirror of my main laptop), spare audio interface, DI box, in-ear monitor system, pedals, MIDI, audio and power cables, MIDI boxes, USB hub, power strip, ... you name it. On some gigs I even bring along a spare MIDI controller (or two). Most of the spare "accessory" items don't take up much space in my gear trunk, so it's a small price for buying some extra peace of mind.

[Tusker]

I'll never forget the time I forgot my keyboard power cord for a tv taping. Fortunately the very professional sax player (who also runs a big horn band) had one of those IEC cords handy in the back of his truck. He won't let me forget.

 

Humans (being human) can fail too ...

- The bass player with the unreliable car.

- The singer who needs a bit of liquid courage (but please, not too much!) or,

- The bandmates who are ready to explode at each other, they just need a match.

[Reezekeys]

Many years ago I had a gig at a famous NYC club called Mikell's (where the band Stuff started). I forgot the power cord for my Roland MKS-20 piano module (I did say many years, lol). These are antiques today, a C9 - the kind of power cord you don't find at your local hardware store (if there even was one near Mikell's open at 8PM!):

 

 

I took an extention cord, cut off the end with the outlets, and stripped the wires. Then I unscrewed the power cord receptacle from the back of the MKS20 and pulled it out as far as I could.

 

 

I wrapped the stripped ends of the extention cord around the lugs on the back side of this receptacle, then secured and insulated them with... masking tape! I got through the gig.

[The Real MC]

I've been gigging for 30+ years and have had my share of gig failures.

 

Cables and plugs are a common failure point. With the exception of my IEC power cables, ALL of my cables are DIY. I use only genuine (not counterfeit) Switchcraft plugs, and only use Belden 8412 raw cable for stage, Canare L-2B2AT raw cable for racks. Too many OTS cables have failed on me, even the power cables. I developed an assembly procedure for building cables that has resulted in high reliability; after I left a band that was using my PA I checked all 30 of my XLR mic cables and not one was defective. Plugs don't last forever; eventually the plating on the plugs wears off, when this happens it exposes the brass core underneath which oxidizes too fast to keep clean and they have to be replaced. I have DIY cable since 1981 that I have had to replace the plugs but the cable itself has never failed.

 

DIY cable is no guarantee of failure-free use. I had to dispose of a DIY power box because the neutral copper wire in the AC cord went bad. It is a good idea to do check your AC cables with a multimeter for continuity.

 

I uncovered a sneaky failure mode with my DIY MIDI cables - NEVER allow the shield connection to contact the metal shell of the MIDI plug. You do NOT want the MIDI shield to connect to system ground, this will corrupt MIDI operation. That was a witch hunt to find.

 

In my gigging system there are absolutely no RCA plugs, no 1/8" plugs, no wallwarts, no laptop, no USB cables, no portable storage media. Period. RCA plugs are the absolute worst interconnect ever invented. Good quality 1/8" cables that are rugged enough for gigging are very hard to find, and almost every 1/8" jack is poor quality with very short life. I do gig some rack gear that are powered from wallwarts; I replaced the wallwarts with a Juice Goose 12 PAQ. Sad that the 12 PAQ has been out of production, it's a very practical unit. Too many times I have seen a band stop a show because the laptop had to be rebooted. USB cables are NOT road worthy. Portable storage media is going to get lost when gigging.

 

No gear with 100% plastic shells either. I stay away from certain gear brands (names withheld to protect the guilty) as they have a history of unreliability.

 

Pedals were always a PITA until I converted the Moog Polypedal no longer being used with my Polymoog into a CV/switch controller for the master MIDI controller. With all the switches/pedals in one convenient integrated unit, that thing is heavy enough that it never "'walks away" in use, a single cable connects it to my controller.

 

A lot of gear have low quality jacks. Many use "look-alike" (I prefer "counterfeit") Cliff jacks. I had a failure with my guitar amp, turned out that the normalled connection on the effect loop went bad. Since I don't use the effect loop I popped the hood and hard wired the normal connection. Some jacks and just not road worthy; I have gear that are missing the nuts on the jacks, and due to their design there's no way they can be tightened enough to prevent the nuts from falling off.

 

Being an EE I always pop the hood to access the road-worthiness of gear. I know components well enough to spot a potential problem point. I gigged with a Memorymoog since 1985 (some say brave, some say insane) and have had to "hot-rod" the thing to make it road-worthy. I'm not shy about doing that to my gigging arsenal.

 

It is VERY rare these days that I have to pull out a spare cable or open my toolbox to deal with a malfunction.

[SamuelBLupowitz]

The idea of routinizing and following a set procedure every time is hugely important. Harder, obviously, if you take different equipment to different gigs.

This is the thing that bites me in the butt most frequently; it's not even the different rigs I use for different projects that get me, it's the different sizes of gigs, where I'll need to lean harder on the laptop for one because it's a smaller venue where I can't bring as many boards. I've never gotten into too much trouble but I'm always trying to work out a way that I can stay modular without misplacing important cables and devices.

 

That said, I'm way ahead of most of my bandmates. I think my record was providing a backup amp, two instrument cables, and a keyboard (!) for three of the other four musicians ... and I was playing bass on that gig.

[Baldwin Funster]

The only insurance against a gear failure at gigs is have 2 of every thing. That's 2. Of EVERYTHING. They dont have to be identical or of the same quality but they need to cover the same bases. At least for the length of the gig.

And keep it all in good shape. Check it all before and after every gig if you can.

Dont walk on your cables. Avoid letting other people "help you" set up or break down unless they are a trusted tech.

[Stokely]

The idea of routinizing and following a set procedure every time is hugely important. Harder, obviously, if you take different equipment to different gigs.

This is the thing that bites me in the butt most frequently; it's not even the different rigs I use for different projects that get me, it's the different sizes of gigs, where I'll need to lean harder on the laptop for one because it's a smaller venue where I can't bring as many boards. I've never gotten into too much trouble but I'm always trying to work out a way that I can stay modular without misplacing important cables and devices.

 

That said, I'm way ahead of most of my bandmates. I think my record was providing a backup amp, two instrument cables, and a keyboard (!) for three of the other four musicians ... and I was playing bass on that gig.

 

 

This is really the only thing that messes up my organized approach these days: practices or smaller one-set gigs where I don't bring everything.

I usually end up using a backpack and using an x-stand and a single keyboard, different cables instead of my snake and a mic stand--in other words everything is different.

 

That's all fine, but if I am not militant with myself about putting any cords and other stuff BACK IN THEIR NORMAL BOX that's when I get screwed at the next gig.

[MathOfInsects]

This comes up a lot here.

 

I have a bucket of miscellaneous supplies that *usually* (but not always) lives in my car. IEC, cables, 1/4-in, old sustain pedals that might or might not work, XLRs, a mic, extra power strips, a VERY long extension cord. To be honest, this has traditionally been more useful for helping others who forget things than for me, but it's also helped me.

 

I have lately been playing with two boards more than one, so I don't (didn't!) worry too much about one failing. Some gigs would be more dire than others if it happened, but both boards are versatile and worst case some sounds or parts get chucked overboard if they have to.

 

I don't tend to bother with back-ups for things that are sort of de-facto backed up. If my amp fails, I can go FOH. If my DI fails, I can go one board into the other right into the board or my amp. If my stand fails, I can use a stool. If my throne fails, I can sit on my amp or a barstool, or else just stand that gig. Etc.

 

Same goes for that bucket. I am less religious about loading it into the car than I used to be, and usually use the potential for "de facto" back-ups as the determining factor. Gig in the mountains for a camping festival where I don't even know what the sound situation will be? It any everything else I own goes in the car. Gig at our Monday residency where I know everyone, live 15 minutes away, and have seen their own bucket of back-up supplies with my own eyeballs? Bucket stays home.

 

Ah, memories.

[Mr. Nightime]

Before I leave the house, I will go through a mental checklist to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.

 

Piano, Organ, Mixer, Amp(s), Cable case, Keyboard Stand, Mixer Stand, Amp Stand(s), Butt Stand, Hand Truck

 

The last is important. There have been a couple times when I've gotten to the gig, luckily only 10 minutes away, and plenty of time, and realized I'd forgotten my bench (butt stand).

 

The most likely source of failure is with cables, so I try to keep an assortment of 1/4 inch, XLR, and power cables on hand. Also a spare sustain pedal, and expression pedal in case there is a failure there as well.

 

Lately, since my Mackie 1202VLZ has gotten quite old and tired due to the Florida salt air, I've brought my Soundcraft Notebook board as a backup.

 

The Mackie is currently in the process of disassembly so I can try to clean the pots, and save the $300 it would take to replace it.

[RABid]

I've had a keyboard go out in a gig. I'm have an amp go out in a gig. I'll always try to have a backup. 2 keyboards is a must. I used to travel with a big 18 inch 3 way cabinet. Now I would go for a small set of speakers in a stereo setup. If one goes out, I'm mono.

[TommyRude]

In the past 20 years, I've had ZERO failures.

 

 

I've only had 3 gigs during that time. I was well prepared for each.

 

 

EDIT: If you can stomach it, having a checklist helps. A full inventory of each item you will need, including any backups. Then, as you load your gear, have the checklist handy to make sure you're not forgetting anything.

[CowboyNQ]

Backup strategies for equipment failures are an often-discussed topic here. Everybody has their own (I anticipate we'll all share them again now ).

Indeed. I have two main strategies:

 

1. Bring two of everything (within reason)

2. Pack things the same way every time. This is particularly important when tearing down. I try to take the extra few seconds to ensure things are packed properly, not just thrown together haphazardly. I also watch my gear like a hawk during load out.

 

Morizzle's point about looking after your gear is also well made. If you treat keyboards with care and roll cables correctly, it's amazing how durable your equipment can be. I'm still gigging with instrument cables I've had for 30 years.

 

What is also interesting is problem-solving strategies when failures DO occur, and I'm not specifically talking about keys failures here. The bands I'm in have a philosophy of "make it everyone's problem", in the sense of not being afraid to put your hand up and ask for help if something's gone wrong and you don't know how to fix it. I work with some pretty resourceful and clever people and it's amazing the solutions we've been able to brainstorm together.

[CEB]

Minimize the smalls. It"s the smalls that kill you. It"s always some little asinine doo-dad.