Thursday, September 24, 2015
Defying Gravity…Safely: Approaches And Best Practices In Flying Loudspeakers
Pro Sound Web: Some in audio think that the term “rigging” only applies when loudspeakers are flown, but it also pertains to lesser endeavors such as placing a single loudspeaker on a tripod stand. The bottom line is that for any piece of production gear not sitting directly on the ground, steps must be in place to insure that it does not fall and injure someone (or worse).
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Its good that someone is drawing attention to the rigging and general overhead practices by sound departments. In my limited experience, it has seemed to me that rigging for scenery and lighting is done by the pros, and then rigging speakers other sound equipment is left to the sounds engineering using ratchet straps. Speakers are heavy too! And need the same engineered safety factored rigging that any other flown object gets. It’s good that this article highlights the necessity of good rigging practice in sound, but this short article should not make anyone feel entitled to rig for sound safely without the supervision of a professional. In the idea scenario, and I am sure this is the case in the professional world, that the riggers drop points and help put up stuff just like they do for lighting and scenery.
‘Sound guys’ are often made fun of in theater – on three you lift. That being said, sound equipment can be very heavy. Lifting it is no easy task, even just loading and unloading subwoofers from a truck can be a feat. Though speaker arrays are more often than not static loads, it doesn’t make them any easier to rig. The weight aside, there are a lot of sensitive components and electronics. Sudden jerks and abrupt stops could loosen one of these connections (though this shouldn’t happen on well made equipment). Point being, it isn’t just scenery that needs proper attention when rigging is involved.
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