Many electronics have essential modifications designed to prevent your gear from becoming damaged due to extreme temperatures. For example, a laptop is equipped with a fan to prevent it from overheating. If you’re a concert planner, you likely rent or own valuable audiovisual equipment that you want to keep in excellent shape for years to come. To prevent unexpected malfunctions, the guide below discusses how temperature affects this equipment and how you can protect it.

How Does Temperature Affect Audiovisual Equipment?

If you’re setting up for an outdoor festival during the summer, it’s important to keep your audio equipment as cool as you can. While your laptop may have a built-in fan, your PA speakers, keyboards, and guitar amps don’t. If they’re in view of the hot sun, their internal temperature may rise higher than the surrounding air. Keep in mind that temperatures above 120 F can cause some electronics to burn or shut down.

During the winter, it’s common for indoor venues to employ heating systems to keep their guests warm. Unfortunately, hauling your gear from the cold, blustery outdoors into a warm event space can result in almost instant condensation. If you start to use the equipment immediately, the thin layer of water covering your electronics could cause them to malfunction. 

How Can I Keep the Equipment Safe?

During the summer, it’s important to keep your stage and backstage areas shaded and out of view of direct sunlight. Since most audio equipment is black, it will absorb the sun’s infrared heat quickly. If it’s especially warm, you might want to consider moving the show inside—or at least setting up some high-powered fans.

When it’s cold out, keep your gear in a climate-controlled storage unit, and transport it in an insulated van. If possible, try to load the equipment in a garage, or right next to the venue entrance, so the gear spends the least amount of time in the cold. Once you bring your equipment inside, give it a chance to warm up and dry out—make sure it’s at room temperature before powering it on.

If you’re looking for high-quality audiovisual equipment that hasn’t been damaged by temperature extremes, you can rely on Audio Images Sound & Lighting, Inc. in Batavia, NY. They serve clients throughout the Western New York area, as well as nationwide. From providing barriers for crowd control to LED video panels and backline instruments for the stage, you’ll find everything you need to entertain at this one-stop-shop. To learn more about their inventory, visit their website or call (585) 343-4050.