Preventative maintenance for audio systems

More speakers doesn’t mean better sound. Call a qualified sound company to assist with proper speaker locations for a music room, theatre or gymnasium.

We have recently received a number of the no-name brand ones. When was the last time you took your service calls with respect to sound sys- television to a TV repair store to get serviced? These days, you tems which are all related to preventative simply throw it out and purchase a new one. Sadly, the same maintenance, so we thought we’d share a can hold true for sound and video systems. few of our expert tips on how to keep your audio and video systems running as long as possible. There From our experience, a typical commercial sound system will is simply nothing worse than hosting a large function at your last no more than 15 years before problems start creeping in facility, only to discover that the sound system is not operadue to component aging. That is assuming that the sound systional for a standing-room-only crowd. While some contractors tem is properly designed, is well ventilated, and that nameoffer 24-hour support, the travel time involved may make it far brand equipment is being used. Sound systems that are poorly too late for the tech to be of any useful assistance. Let’s look ventilated, or located in a closed closet can see that longevity at some basic maintenance tips to keep your systems in top number drop to under half. shape. Failures due to heat

Lifespan of a typical audio/video system

Back in the day, we simply advised that a piece of equipment was not worth repairing. Currently, we use the catch phrase “end of life cycle” or “built-in obsolescence” because now most equipment is designed to be disposable. Most audio manufacturing companies historically put forth claims such as “17 years mean time between failures”, but all have long since quietly dropped these sentiments as the equipment they are manufacturing no longer will perform reliably for 17 years. This applies across the board to all manufacturers – not just While the days of a smoke-filled environment are long gone, the large metal heat sinks that keep an amplifier cool are also long gone. Today’s amplifiers use small heat sinks, and rely on fans to keep cool. Even in a relatively clean office environment, an amplifier can gather a lot of dust. This heats up the internal components quickly, resulting in damage that can exceed the cost of a new unit.

While we do not recommend that anyone open their amplifiers to clean them, a jet of compressed air into the vent slots at the front of an amplifier can certainly clean off the serious

Keep your sound system in top shape:

• Use a jet of compressed air to clean out air vents on sound equipment • Clean dust bunnies from around the audio/video system • Rotate volume and tone controls every six to 12 months to keep them lubricated • Leave equipment on 24/7 • Get an annual check-up of your equipment from a sound contractor

accumulation of dust and dirt. We recently completed a service call to an arena that advised that the sound cut out after the system had been used for about an hour. We had installed the two amplifiers 17 years ago, but they had never even once been serviced. One amplifier was beyond repair due to the heat damage, but the second was cleaned and is still working today.

Also, it is very important to remove dust bunnies from around the amplifier rack. This prevents the fans from sucking in more dust, which then results in more build up inside the amplifier chassis.

Noisy controls/system cutting out

A non-technical fix to cure some common problems of intermittent sound systems is to rotate the volume controls and

Here’s a neglected amplifier that will most likely shut down to overheating even at low volumes.

switches every six months from one end to the other. This prevents oxidation from building up, and ensures the lubrication within the controls remains fluid. It is usually that one signal input (such as a wireless mic) that is only used once a year for a large function will inevitably fail on the day it’s needed. Working the controls can prevent this experience. Note that we do not recommend removing any security covers that may be covering sensitive settings. In addition, do not forget to rotate the volume controls that may be in a penalty box or on a pool deck.

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Don’t do this.. ever! Overloading an AC outlet is a fire hazard.

Once a volume control starts cutting out, or changes from soft to full volume when moved slightly, a technician will need to be called to replace or to clean the control internally.

Keep it turned on, or turn it off?

We are frequently asked for advice about whether it is preferable to turn a sound system off at night, or at any time when it is not being used. With everyone concentrating on energy savings, it’s a good question. It’s a two-part answer:

a) Most sound equipment draws a negligible amount of power when idling, so we recommend that mixers, amplifiers, and signal processing equipment be left on 24/7 for a number of reasons: - You won’t see the difference on your power bill if you turn off even a large arena sound system nightly. - Just like an incandescent bulb will burn out when you turn

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it on, so will an amplifier. The surge of power rushing into the amplifier at turn-on is hard on equipment. Leave the equipment on so that it remains at a constant temperature, as this practice lengthens the life of electronic components. b) The exception to leaving sound equipment on continually are

CD or MP3 players, laptop computers that act as music sources, and (gasp!) cassette decks - if anyone is still using them.

All of these music sources use components, such as lasers or motors, that have a finite life to them. Turning these devices off until they are needed will extend their life significantly.

Call your sound contractor for a yearly check-up

While the above tips will extend the life of your sound system, there’s nothing like calling in a professional technician to run through all of your audio and video systems completely. We were recently requested to check a sound system that we had installed 15 years ago. When our tech arrived on site, he noticed that there was a lot of hiss in the sound system which had not been mentioned when we were initially contacted. Our tech diagnosed that one of the components in the sound rack was defective and was able to bypass it, ensuring that the sound quality was excellent for the upcoming high school graduation ceremonies. This was a case where only a tech familiar with sound equipment could have resolved the issue, and averted a potential audio disaster!

It is a wise choice to have a qualified audio contractor check your entire sound system over at least once every year. Think of it as being the oil change that keeps your system running smoothly. A skilled tech can pinpoint and diagnose potential problems that may not be apparent to end users.

End of life

The expected life span of a well-designed and installed sound system is about 15 years. The exception is your music sources, which typically last two to three years for a CD/MP3 player. This time frame is even less if used in a pool environment where chlorine can and will attack mechanisms, laser assemblies, and microphone jacks that are typically abused in an arena or aquatic setting.

On the positive side, the speakers in a com- A properly mounted wall rack, securing all equipment, of commercial grade quality. mercial environment should last well in excess of 20 years. This of course is providing that the sound system is designed so that the speakers cannot be dam- your sound contractor if you have problems. Budget to upgrade aged regardless of how loud the volume is turned up, and sec- your sound system roughly every 15 years, and contact a qualiondly, as long as the correct speakers are specified at the time fied audio technician to assess the equipment and system you of the installation. have. Follow these steps to avoid having an aging neglected

What won’t increase the life of your sound system

We’ve had many inquiries over the years as to the benefit of power line conditioners and surge protectors. Generally speaking, the vast amount of AC power coming into a building is well regulated, and is not subject to power surges or outages. Many companies push the sale of power line conditioners and surge protectors as being mandatory in a sound system, and that the use of this equipment will prevent a sound system from failing. Based on our many years of experience however, these claims are false. Virtually all electronic equipment has some form of surge protection built right into the unit, and external surge protectors are simply duplicating what the equipment already has. In the case of a lightning strike, which of course is common in many areas of B.C., a direct strike of a lightning bolt onto a power line causes a surge far beyond the ability of a rackmounted unit to remove from the incoming AC power. The bottom line is that we recommend saving your money and skipping the expensive surge protectors. Instead, ensure that your sound system has enough circuits from the breaker panel to correctly power all equipment. In summary, make sure your sound system components are kept clean and cool so they remain within the correct operating temperature. Test all functions of your sound system prior to a large and/or important event, and don’t hesitate to call system die in the middle of an important function. n

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