Complete Guide to AV & Event Technology

Explore how sound starts as a vibration through a medium, creates audible waves by frequency, and is captured, amplified, and balanced using microphones, sound desks, and speakers.

Discover lavalier, handheld, gooseneck, headset, and instrument microphones, and compare wired and wireless systems, backup options, and practical setup considerations for events.

Explore how speakers use drivers in cabinets, including subwoofers and tweeters, to deliver sound, and compare point-source, line-array, and monitor systems with active and passive setups and rigging.

Explore how sound desks, both analog and digital, manage gain and preamps, eq, compression, and routing with faders, stage boxes, and show files, plus licensing for event music.

Explore key sound cables and connections, from xlr and jack to speakon and digital ethernet networks, including Dante systems and fiber optics, for integrated audio in av setups.

Explore audio extras such as comms for crew communication, wired or wireless, used backstage and front-of-house, recording options, PC DIs, and DJ equipment like the CDJ2000 nexus and DJM900.

Explore microphone types, input options, and speaker setups as part of the complete guide to av & event technology, and learn how to connect sound effects.

Explore how video drives event experiences by coordinating displays such as projection, led walls, and TVs with switchers, IT systems, cameras, recording methods, and essential cables and connections.

Explore display options for events, including TVs, front and rear projection, projectors, and led walls, and learn how main screens and relay screens shape visibility.

Learn how a switcher manages inputs and outputs, performs transitions, and scales images for HD and 4K displays. Explore picture-in-picture, overlays, and holding slides for seamless live events.

Explore typical event setups with PCs or Macs, PowerPoint for presentations, Playback Pro for video, and media servers for 4k content, plus adapter and presenter-control tips.

Explore camera types and lenses for events, learn about shot types and framing, and understand gear like vision mixers, tripods, stabilizers, and jibs.

Plan ahead for event recordings with show-wide, ISO, or multi-camera feeds, and choose quality and format for post-event production, while considering storage and editor compatibility across PC and Mac.

Explore common event cables, including HDMI, DVI, SDI, and Ethernet, and HDCP issues. Learn about fiber optic and long-distance transmission, cable fragility, and why VGA is outdated.

Explore lighting basics, from generic fixtures to moving heads and led options, and review desks, effects, and cables. Learn how highlight lighting, decorative mood, and general lighting shape events.

Explore generic event lighting, including tungsten halogen lamps and the move to LED, master intensity control with dimmers and DMX desks, and profiles, fresnels, floodlights, par cans, and gels.

Explore intelligent fixtures or moving heads with pan and tilt, zoom, focus, and LED color options, including RGBW and RGBWA, plus GOBOs.

Explore how lighting desks use DMX to control lights, from basic preset boards to memory, intelligent, and PC-based systems, with multi-layer faders, crossfades, and submasters.

Discover how LED lights, with longer lifespans and lower energy use, empower event design through uplighters, strips, and other LED fixtures that deliver color and effects and are DMX-controlled.

Explore a range of event effects, from smoke and haze to lasers, gobos, pyrotechnics, bubbles, snow, foam, CO2, and decorative lights like festoons and mirror balls, with safety notes.

Master DMX basics, including 5-pin XLR cables, 512-channel universes, and 0–255 intensity values; leverage Artnet for ethernet DMX and use wireless only when necessary.

Learn event power basics: single and three-phase power, amps, volts, watts, distros, fuses and RCD, safety measures, and proper cable handling to prevent fires.

Learn about event rigging and truss systems, including aluminum and steel truss types such as ladder, triangular, square, and circular, plus supporting components like pins, clips, and baseplates.

Learn about motor types for event lifting, from manual chains to powered motors, and apply safety measures, motor controllers, emergency stops, and balanced loads for truss systems.

Plan rigging and power loads with precise weight distribution and venue certifications. Coordinate with your AV and rigging suppliers to ensure LOLER compliance and NRC or NELT qualifications for safety.

Explore rigging extras for events, including cherry pickers, scissor and articulated boom lifts, stands for trusses, lighting stands, copper hide or plastic hammers, and IPAF license safety checks and qualifications.

Explore set design fundamentals for AV and event production, covering wooden and metal sets, screens and projection options, materials, assembly, transport, and securing with stage weights and braces.

Explore transportable stage design, from steel or aluminum decks to custom shapes, and learn assembly, weight capacity up to 750 kg per square meter, and safety like bolting and ramps.

Discover lectern options—from wooden to Perspex to aluminum truss designs, including digital displays, branding, and power options, plus stage furniture like tables, chairs, sofas, and led displays for standout events.

Explore scenic extras that hide cables and tidy the tech area with comfort monitor shrouds, tech surrounds, and versatile drape setups like pipe and drape and star cloth, fire retardant.

Explore gobos as a flexible branding tool in event lighting, detailing steel, glass, and plastic options, their costs, heat handling, and how to project logos and patterns.

Explore vinyl branding, derived from polyvinyl chloride, and learn to use removable adhesive-backed sheets joined for larger designs to brand walls, floors, and windows with temporary, testable, and static-cling options.

Brand an event with a press board or step and repeat for photo calls, repeating logos and hashtags in a pattern and serving as backdrops for registration stands, or partitions.

Explore canvas wraps as a sustainable, non-reflective backdrop branding option for sets, printed on canvas, rolled, stretched, and stapled, with removal considerations.

Explore digital branding options for events, from LED walls and signage displays to animated content and USB/Wi‑Fi updates, with budgets and environmental considerations.

Learn how the technical team coordinates sound, video, lighting, and rigging, with roles like sound technician, video technician, cameraman, show caller, and voice of God, for a seamless live event.

Utilize local crews to speed up setup and derig, freeing rehearsal time. Book them in two-hour or longer shifts so technicians can focus on technical work.

Understand how catering and accommodation support events by providing on-site meals and crew lodging within budget considerations, keeping the team productive and the event running smoothly.

Explore the rise of streaming for events, covering virtual and hybrid formats, essential capture devices, streaming software like VMIX, and platform options such as YouTube, Zoom, or a company site.

A teleprompter, or autocue, lets presenters read the script while appearing to look at the camera. Types include glass-panel presidential setups and camera-mounted units; edit scripts for speaking and pauses.

Set up translation booths with a sound desk and broadcasting system to deliver multilingual feeds to wireless headphones and online streams, plus live captioning, sign language, and induction loop options.

Explore transport options for events, from vans up to 3.5 tons and luton vans around 900 kilos to trucks and lorries, noting licensing needs and on-site timings.

Conclude the complete guide to AV and event technology by equipping you with tools to understand AV workings and plan effectively for accurate supplier quotes.