OTHER TECH

THE HOOKUP This is the coolest part of the job! When we first arrive, there is nothing - and when we leave, there's a working system. Even though I don't get to keep any of it, I love unboxing all that new gear. Often, our first chance to "play" is when we're actually hooking it up in a customer's home, and it's always a thrill.

There's plenty to do during hookup, and the members of our crew stay busy without getting in each other's way. If we need to mount a TV or a front-projection screen, one person will take measurements, assemble the mount, make sure everything is level, and so on. If cabinetry is involved, it often requires some modification, and someone will handle drilling holes or cutting shelves to route wires. Speakers are mounted, connections are soldered, and gear is positioned.

Connecting an elaborate system involves copious cabling, and the key is taking it one wire at a time. Consider that a single Cat-5 cable comprises eight wires. Now multiply that by ten rooms, and you have 80 wires to work with! Cabling is trimmed to length, relabeled, terminated with the appropriate connector, and then jacked into the system. We use banana-plug speaker connectors whenever possible, because they make a nice solid connection and can be easily jacked in and out. Ditto for good interconnect cables - a cable that slips off when the gear is pushed back into place will drive you crazy! We connect gear with the best wiring it will support, including digital audio cables whenever possible. We also leave the wires long enough to remove the equipment from the rack so it's easier to service later. Cable ties help tame the inevitable tangle.