Welcome to 2025! If you’ve made it this far, you’re gonna make it all the way, and now’s a good time to think about the days and months ahead. At FRONT of HOUSE, we’re off to a good start. Our most-awesome staff has a sharp new design for www.fohonline.com that offers faster access to what you need and a cool new look. It debuts in about a month, so stay tuned for more details.
New Year’s resolutions are a great time to reflect on self-improvement — renewing the gym membership you bought last January and only used twice; eating healthy; dropping a couple pounds or cutting back on smoking crack. All are lofty goals, but what’s really important is audio, and January (which tends to be slow) is ideal for looking into gear upgrades for 2025, especially with the upcoming NAMM and ISE Barcelona shows.
Maybe it’s time for a new “A” rig, while the old A system rotates down to the B system, the C down to the D, and so on. As for your former D rig… there’s always Craigslist, or some worthwhile organization that can use a donation.
Maintenance isn’t glamorous, but spend some time with a cable tester and visually inspect for gashes in jacketing or loose set screws on XLRs. The same applies to cabinets. Check I/O panels and identify blown drivers. Even tightening loose driver connections can improve performance. And make sure that digital consoles and peripherals are updated to the latest software and communicating properly.
It’s better to uncover problems now, rather than when you arrive at that next big gig. Meanwhile, travel safe!
—George Petersen, Editor, FRONT of HOUSE Magazine
