Four Essential Tips for On-Stage Troubleshooting
Technology is absolutely amazing – until it isn’t, right? Sometimes, we practice, we prepare, and yet, the moment we step on stage, things stop working. This can be incredibly frustrating. The challenge is that, during these high-pressure moments, our cognitive abilities tend to drop, something I like to call "stage brain."
In this article, we’ll dive into four essential troubleshooting tips and steps that you can use regardless of the gear you have. These tips are designed to help you approach the problem calmly, assess it methodically, and fix it efficiently!
1. Take a Deep Breath
This might sound odd, but the first step is to stop and take a deep breath. When something goes wrong on stage, we immediately jump to fix it, but doing so in a rushed state can make things worse. Instead, step away for a moment and take a few deep breaths. This will help calm your heart rate and allow you to focus more clearly. Ten seconds of breathing now will save you ten minutes of stress later. I promise.
2. Check the Basics
Before diving into complex solutions, always start with the basics. Is everything plugged in? Is it powered on? Reseating cables or verifying that the device is properly connected can often resolve the issue. It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how often a loose cable is the culprit.
I've even been in situations where my guitar wasn’t working, only to find the cable lying on the ground! It’s what I like to call a “high impedance air gap.” Next time your gear isn’t working, throw this phrase at your sound engineer – it’ll get a chuckle!
3. Define the Problem
When troubleshooting, it’s critical to get clear on what the actual problem is. A vague "I can’t hear my rig" doesn’t tell you much. Break it down: Is it your in-ears that aren’t working? Can you hear the click track but not tracks? Is the MIDI controller failing to trigger in Ableton?
Being specific about the issue will help guide your troubleshooting process, saving you time and frustration.
4. Trace the Signal Flow
The final step is to pinpoint where the problem is occurring. This involves thinking about your signal flow: inputs, outputs, and connections in between. If the issue lies with your MIDI setup, for instance, visualizing how signals travel through your devices can help you identify the breakdown.
If you’re using iConnectivity gear like the mioXM, mioXL, or PlayAUDIO1U, the visual feedback of the LED screen makes this process even easier. You can check whether your interface is receiving or sending the signal and determine exactly where the chain is broken.
By following these four steps, you can stay calm under pressure, and methodically troubleshoot your on-stage issues. Next time something goes wrong, remember to take a breath, check the essentials, define the problem, and trace your signal flow to get back on track quickly.
Dive deeper into troubleshooting by exploring our previous articles here.
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