Preventative Maintenance
Krazy Ted

When it comes to equipment the adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" can be painfully apparent...

There are a few simple things that a DJ can do to keep his sound equipment running the way it's supposed to run...

For the most part it's cleaning and common sense that will make it so you never have to scramble to save the night... ( CD players will never go down on a dead night, they prefer Fridays and Saturdays to die !!!! )

1) Once a week blow out your power amps , front and back, with canned air... This keeps the cooling airflow going across your heat dissipaters so the amps run at capacity and don't shut down in thermal overload... You'll be amazed at what you'll pull out of your amps if you don't do it on a regular basis... NASTY !!!

2) Avoid smoking anywhere near your CD decks... Sapphires is a " No Smoking In The Booth" club but there is an ashtray just outside for smokers... If your DJ smokes just make sure the ashtray is as far away from the decks as possible... Cigarette smoke puts a nicotine film over the laser readers and at some point they will start to skip non-stop... Anti-skip devices also are affected and when they go you can't breathe around the players without them skipping...

3) Have back-up decks at the club just in case... You can get a cheap dual deck player with enough bells and whistles for around $ 150... The best $ 150 the club can spend to keep the show running on a busy night... Make sure every DJ knows how to change out the decks or have someone on call...

4) Blow out the mixing board with canned air when you blow out the power amps... It's a good idea to have contact cleaner on hand as well... Never use contact cleaner on the fly... You can short everything out...

5) Make sure all vents on all your equipment are free from obstructions... They need to breathe too...

6) Check all your lighting for fraying wires especially if you use moving or intelligent lighting...

7) Do not allow drinks near your CDs or equipment... Mixing boards are notorious for getting drinks spilled in them... Watch people in the booth... People talking with a drink their hands are dangerous... CDs with liquid or residue on them will foul a deck fast and rarely play at all...

8) Have your gear on power distributors (pro surge protectors)... Bad weather can ravage your entire system--namely power amps and computers...

9) Walk around and check your speakers at least once an hour ... This will let you know if they are breaking up or not working for some other reason...

10) Try to have at least one back-up speaker for each size your club uses... It takes something pretty monumental to blow more than one at a time although it can happen...

11) Keep management posted on any possible equipment problems so it doesn't come as a shock when something goes wrong... CYA

12) Read the manuals for your gear... You can find features you didn't know they had and it makes great bathroom reading material...

Pretty much keeping things clean and clear can add life expectancy to your equipment... I also believe that if you are prepared for the worst you won't need it...

Until next time...

Krazy Ted