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"Stage Appearance"

With convention coming up I was thinking about the botanical gardens that surrounds the main stage. What kind of impact does the stage appearance have on the audience? It can be huge, but can involve very little. Let me explain.

When you're setting up, even if it's just a simple audio system, it's tempting to just run the cables, set it up, check and be done with it. Making "clean" cable runs and tidy up the look of a stage very easily. Think about a large concert you've been to recently. Now aside from the cool lighting, what made you excited before you even heard a single note? The stages are clean. No cables just stretched across here or there just as long as it gets there. They are neatly ran at 90 degree angles and taped or covered by rugs or mats or cable troughs. Not only does this look much nicer it is a deterrent against tripping and accidental pulling. If your cables are always bent at 90 degree angles and taped down it'll be very hard to pull the cable loose from around the corner, making it a much safer cable run.

Running cables all in one direction can help with this "clean" look as well. For instance run your speaker cables along the back of the stage as opposed to the front. Or run all your speakers cables to the front of the stage next to one side of your speakers and then run from there to your other speaker. If you have a snake or sub snakes run them in the same run. If anyone is going to step over a cable it will only be in that one single spot.

Another easy thing to do is to use sub snakes. This not only helps with the look but is easier to pack, set up and tear down. Sub snakes can be configured in any set up you need.

Other little things you can do are cover your keyboard name with some black gaff tape (not black duct tape). This could apply to microphone and speaker stands as well. Keep your speakers looking nice. Buy or have some covers made and if they're wood enclosure, give them a paint job when they need it. Remember the idea is for the audience to be focused on what the people on stage are trying to convey not on 10,000 serpents on stage or the name of your instruments (unless you're officially endorsed).

Take it easy and give your stage a second look!

For those of you going to convention, I'll be at Gold City's booth off and on where you can sign up to win some gear from H Pro Audio.

Josh Hoevelmann

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