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usic Festivals and their impact on Pro A/V Equipment

Coachella’s Effect On Your A/V Equipment

By Audio Repairs, Camera Repairs, Projector Repair

Challenging Conditions

A/V and Event Pros are no strangers to the world of music festivals, raves, and other multi-stage venues. But one of the main challenges associated with large venues are their obscure locations. Black Rock City for Burning Man, Las Vegas Speed Way for Electric Daisy Carnival, and Coachella Valley for Coachella – all of these cities are known for their dry and dusty conditions, which we know is hell on A/V equipment. Rumors have it that Coachella Week 1 saw winds in excess of 50 MPH kicking up a dust storm which can damage camera, projector, lighting, and audio equipment.

Protecting Your Equipment

When it comes to camera and imaging equipment, proactive approaches are always best when maintaining the health of your equipment. SLR cameras like the Canon 5D and C300 are some of the most sensitive to dust leaks despite their weather seals. We recommend using a rain guard like the Ruggard RC-P18 Rain Cover as a first line of defense against the elements. Pan Tilt and Zoom cameras such as Panasonic’s AW and AK series cameras should also have their mechanical sections shielded from harsh conditions. When users can’t afford the rugged AW-PH650, it is imperative that they use equipment to protect their PTZ systems. We frequently see damaged AW-PH405’s and AW-PH360N’s suffering from dust or humidity damage that affects the mechanical sections. Just like pan and tilt camera systems, lighting equipment like Elation’s Moving Head or Martin’s MAC Moving Head is susceptible to dust damage in the motor assembly.

Regular Maintenance

Dust can get inside camera assemblies, lens assemblies, and viewfinders, affecting the quality of your productions. By performing preventative maintenance and cleaning after every festival, you can ensure the health and longevity of your equipment. This also applies to audio equipment, where dust can affect speaker and amplifier connectors, causing shorts.

How Dust Affects Your High-Lumen Projectors

Dust is the number one enemy for projection equipment. It can clog cooling channels, leading to power supply and ballast failure. This in turn can cause damage to the optical block. Dust is also know to affect and discolor the polarizing plates. It is always better to spend a few hundred dollars on a cleaning, than to spend a few thousand dollars on a new optical block.

Specials on Preventative Maintenance

Digitron Electronics has been in the business of Pro A/V Repairs and Cleaning since 1992. We frequently repair Panasonic, Sony, and Canon camcorder equipment and we are experts with Panasonic, Sanyo, and other high-lumen projector repair. Mention this article and we will waive the estimate deposit on SLR and Lens Cleaning, Video Camcorder Cleaning, and Projector Cleaning.