Definitions ..... By Popular Demand

I was reminded by Sheila that my industry has a language all to it own. Here are some translations/definitions to help you folks out as you read my blog.

FOH = Front of House - This is where the FOH engineer mixes the show from, the LD (see definition) controls the lights and the spotlights are.

MON = Monitors - This is where the MON engineer mixes what the bands are hearing in their individual wedges(see definition)

LD = Lighting Designer - This guy decides what the lights look like and when.

Wedges = Speakers that each artist uses so that he can hear himself and other people in the band.

Backline = Instruments - This could be guitars, drums, keyboards, amps, harps......

Truss = Aluminum Structural Element - Truss can be either one piece or many pieces put together. It is usually used to put hang lights from.

PRT = Pre Rigged Truss - A truss element that has the lights built in to it. Also known as Single Hung or Double Hung.

Array = The main speaker hang.

Subs = The speakers that put out the low frequencies (we have all heard the ghetto cars that rattle as they go down the road. Imagine an entire 35,000 seat building doing that)

Load In = The process of setting up a show. We are loading all of the equipment in to the venue

Load Out = The process of taking a show down. We are loading all of the equipment out of the venue.

Snake = A large cable consisting of hundreds of conductors through which the signal for all of the audio channels passes. Think of this as a bunch of microphone cables put together.

Loom = Multiple cables made in to one assembly. We use cable looms to connect multiple speakers.

Console = The audio mixing console

Rigging = This stuff that holds all of the equipment in the air.

Chain Motors = A sort of crane. Usually consisting of a single piece of chain of predetermined length with a hook on one end and an electric motor which climbs that chain with a hook on the bottom side for attaching a load.

Feeder = Single conductor cable that is about 1.5" in diameter (really, really, really heavy) There are usually 5 of these loomed together so that you have 1 Ground, 1 Nuetral, and Three Hots so that you end up with three phase power.

Socapex = a 19 conductor cable which carries power for six different circuits for lights.

Conventional Lights = A simple enclosure with a lightbulb, and lens.

Intelligent Lights = Lights that move and change colors and patterns on command.

Dimmer = A large (also read heavy here) rack which controls the intensity of the conventional lights.

Lighting Console = A control surface that tells the dimmers and intelligent lights what to do.

Three Phase Power = Don't make me explain this. If you don't understand it you probably don't need to. Just know that this is more power than your house needs and you should never play with electricity.

If you have any questions about anything that I talk about feel free to leave a comment and I will try to explain it as best I can.

ER