Top 10 Items I Use At Every Show As A Musician/Engineer.
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#1 - Plug Tester
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Before I even start to get set, I have my trusty cable tester. What this allows you to do is to plug in any outlet, and check the power to make sure you have good clean power before you play you gig. This little tool will save you time and effort so you know if you need extra long lines of extension cables due to some outlets not working.
#2 - Cable Tester
You show up to a gig and your ready to play, you have your PA set up, and you about to start your intro, you have your guitar in hand and starting your riff, you, your members, are moving to the sound of excitement, and you look up and see the crowd, scratching their heads. It’s not coming out the front. I pray no one experience what was said, but you need a cable tester. You never know when your XLR, Quarter Inch, Midi, Speakon, Ethercon, Cat 5-6, RCA, and all of the above, will stop working. This is a necessity at every show, it just needs a 9V battery and its portable. Before setting the pay, do a run through of all the cables and make sure you have (Example for XLR) Ground, Hot, Cold soldered right on you cable. Iv’e used this many times and it helped me on all my gigs, even a new wire might let you down.
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#3 - Gaff Tape
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In almost all gigs I go to, at least once gaff tape is mentioned. There are a lot of use in one roll, and it’s pretty handy. You can use it to dampen the tone of your toms, or snare. Also to tape down cables if it’s in a walk way. Even to hold a mic if theres no Mic Clip!
#4 - Wired In Ear Monitor
A good, cheap and durable monitor. I have to use this as a drummer, its simple, plug the XLR or 1/4 inch in, and have your headphones on the headphone out. This only take AAA batteries, and I only had to change them once every 15 gigs(If needed). You can put it on your belt or leave it next to you, just turn the volume up, and you’re ready.
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#5 - Wireless In Ear Monitor
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For my shows where I run sound, I use the wireless IEM to monitor what the PFL(Pre Fader Listen). I also use this if I play in a show where I am the keyboardist. You have the full mobility to walk around with this pack on you. It takes AA batteries and had zero drop outs in connecting to the Transmitter. I always have this with me as a back up to my drum gigs if I need to get up on stage with little time on hand. Has its own carrying case, and even able to rack mount it!
#6 - In Ear Monitors(headphones)
With having the wired IEM, and the Wireless IEM, you need a good pair of headphones with that. These are the best IEM’s Iv’e used in years. There are better options, but this one is good at its price range. You are able to detach the wires and switch it if needed. It has comfortable ear plugs to use, and it cancels noise outside. I use it to play in every gig, and when I run sound, when needed.
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#7 - Ear Plugs
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You might think Im talking about the regular foam ear plugs, like you may use in a mechanical shop. The ones I take to every gig are a life saver. As a sound engineer my main priority is my ears, and these reduce only the Decibels of whats coming in, so I can hear the lows and highs really well. you can put it on your key chain so you don’t forget.
#8 - Phone Holder
This is a necessity for me while playing drums. It easily hooks up to a mic stand, or even a Drum stand. I use my phone is special cases to mix the band, or to fix the monitor for my ear.
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#9 - Drink Holder
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It may be weird to say, but you are gonna need this. Playing on the drums a lot, I’ve had to bend over a lot to just get to my water bottle on the ground, and the next set may be happening. Getting this it save me time, and also fits right under the Hihat stand.
#10 - Iphone 1/8 Adapter
If you don’t own the latest iphone, this won’t effect you. But if you do, this is a necessity. For many small bands, you may have breaks in between sets, but you don’t know what to put on. In many cases you would use your phone, but with the newer iphones coming out, it’s more of a problem to hook them up. Even if you don’t have one, keeping one in storage for a gig is lifesaving, because the ones that have a iphone who will play music, more than likely need it.
Make it stand out
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Disclaimer: This website uses affiliate links, meaning: at no additional cost to you, we earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
