Tips For Storing Sound Equipment And Cords
Good sound equipment is essential for any creator who provides services involving music, audio effects, or vocal advertisements. If you are starting any sort of music career or business, you will need to think about properly maintaining and storing your equipment. There are a few things you can do to make storing your sound devices and their cords easier.
Choose a Dry Place
Most audio devices do not do well in moist places. A damp area or one that sees consistently high humidity can cause a small layer of corrosion to form on the surface of electrical contact points. The longer the equipment stays in an environment like this, the greater the corrosive damage can be. A dry area can keep this problem from occurring or slow any oxidization process that might happen.
Install Special Shelving
Each sound device you use will probably need at least one cord. If you work regularly with several pieces of equipment to produce various effects, cords can become tangled, mismatched, frayed, or broken completely. Even a perfectly serviceable cord presents a tripping hazard. You can help keep these accessories in good condition and out of your way by using wire shelving. These shelves can include wheels to help you move everything from one place to another.
Take Your Time
You may need to use your sound equipment during cold months. Perhaps you will need to keep some devices out in the car during winter. If this sounds familiar, it is a good idea to let your equipment warm up to room temperature before you try to use it. Once you bring your stuff in from the cold, droplets of condensation will form over every surface. This layer of water can cause a host of issues that could damage your devices or cause you injury. Once everything is warmed up and dried off, you’ll be good to go.
Perform Preventative Maintenance
Neglect is one of the big things that can have a negative impact on quality sound equipment. You can stay on top of any deterioration by checking connectors and outlets out on a regular basis and addressing problem areas you might see. If any of your players use needles, make sure you don’t drop them on top of or drag them across records. Use a soft cloth to remove loose dust from finished surfaces.
It might be hard to believe, but most sound equipment is at greater risk for damage when you’re not using it. When you do store your stuff, it’s a good idea to put some protective film over exposed sockets or contact points. In addition, do as much of the setting up and taking down yourself as you can. Extra hands are always nice, but they can increase the risk of a case that is not latched properly falling open or an important device getting dropped on the floor.
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