Introduction: Setting the Stage for Success

For touring productions, consistency is critical. Every day brings a new venue, new power sources, and often new variables. Amid these constant changes, a structured power-up routine becomes an essential ritual. It ensures that all lighting, control, and signal systems are fully functional, safely energized, and ready to support the performance.

A well-designed daily checklist helps prevent overlooked errors, streamlines communication among crew members, and maximizes uptime. This article outlines the key components of a robust daily power-up procedure, adaptable to different roles and scales of touring productions.

Establishing Safe Conditions Before Powering Up

Before any breaker is flipped or fixture energized, the working environment must be declared safe. This includes ensuring that no personnel are still working at height or inside trusses, verifying that all rigging elements are secured, and inspecting the condition of cables and connectors across the stage and FOH areas.

Environmental checks are equally important. Outdoor venues often introduce challenges such as morning condensation or overnight temperature shifts, which can compromise equipment. A visual inspection of key components, such as cable runs, power distributors, and lighting fixtures, should always precede system energization.

Power Distribution and Sequencing

Once the rig is confirmed safe, the power system can be activated in a structured sequence. Main power distributors should be switched on in phases, respecting any manufacturer-recommended load balancing. Voltage levels should be verified using onboard meters or handheld testers to confirm balanced distribution across all phases.

Critical systems like lighting consoles, network switches, and media servers are typically protected by UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) units. These should be inspected daily to ensure sufficient charge and correct bypass status. Ground continuity across all power rails should also be verified, particularly in venues with temporary or variable electrical installations.

Fixture Boot-Up and Verification

Lighting fixtures—especially moving heads and intelligent LED models—require particular attention during start-up. As they initialize, technicians should monitor each unit for successful booting, paying attention to any error codes such as pan or tilt failures, lamp strike issues, or misaligned sensors.

If color systems, gobos, or framing shutters behave irregularly, those fixtures should be flagged immediately for reset or servicing. Fixtures should complete their internal homing sequence fully and be confirmed responsive to incoming control data.

When touring with substituted models (for example, when local inventory replaces rental gear), it's essential to confirm that all fixture profiles match the show file and that any cloned programming behaves as expected.

Network Systems and Signal Path Integrity

Lighting control systems depend on robust and redundant data networking. Each day, the signal path should be tested from console to fixture, including all nodes, DMX splitters, switches, and wireless bridges. Console technicians typically start with powering up all network hardware, checking for status indicator lights, and confirming IP or subnet integrity.

Ping tests or onboard diagnostics are used to verify communication with each node, and control desks should be configured to recognize and report all connected universes or ports. If RDM (Remote Device Management) is in use, discovery scans can help confirm fixture presence and alert the crew to discrepancies in addressing or patching.

Signal converters (such as Art-Net to DMX gateways) must be checked for correct universe routing and firmware stability. Any irregularities in latency, packet drop, or channel offset should be corrected before moving forward.

Console Operation and Show File Validation

The lighting desk is the heart of the touring system, and its readiness is non-negotiable. Both the main and backup consoles should be powered on and confirmed to be running the correct show version. Session synchronization between primary and backup units should be tested to avoid desync during live playback.

Operators should confirm that all playback faders, executor buttons, and macros are functional. A brief run-through of critical cues—such as blackout, color changes, and position sweeps—can serve as a rapid verification of fixture response.

Show files should be backed up daily to an external medium or cloud storage, with autosave intervals set appropriately. Labeling convention should reflect venue and date to ensure traceability.

Auxiliary Systems: Media, Effects, and Automation

Larger touring setups often incorporate media servers, haze and smoke machines, automation rigs, and more. While these systems may not power up as early as lighting, they should still be included in the morning checklists.

Media servers such as Disguise, Resolume, or Hippotizer should boot without missing hardware components or corrupted media files. Synchronization with lighting consoles or timecode sources should be verified.

Atmospheric effects equipment should be tested in low-output modes to prevent premature room fill. Likewise, motor control systems should be powered under supervision, with full range and emergency stop functionality checked.

Communication and Crew Coordination

An effective checklist is not just a list—it’s a tool for communication. Each team member should understand their responsibilities and report completion or issues via a central channel, whether it's a paper log, mobile app, or headset call-out.

A clear sequence of task delegation avoids duplicated effort and ensures coverage of all systems. Lighting, rigging, video, automation, and FX teams should each have adapted versions of the checklist tailored to their gear and role.

Coordination with the venue’s technical staff is also essential, especially when working with in-house power or infrastructure. Alignment on local power specs, breaker access, and environmental conditions can make or break a smooth start-up.

Adapting the Checklist to the Venue

Touring productions move between vastly different spaces—from theaters to stadiums to outdoor festivals. Therefore, your checklist should be adaptable.

Larger venues may require extended network diagnostics, while smaller spaces may need more careful cable path inspections. Weatherproofing steps should be added for open-air stages, and load assessments may vary based on local power limits.

Consider creating modular checklist templates: one for standard indoor shows, one for festival grounds, and one for corporate or ballroom events. These can be preloaded into shared cloud storage for easy access by all crew members.

Logging and Continuous Improvement

Beyond execution, daily checklists should also facilitate learning. Record any anomalies, such as fixtures that failed to initialize or unexpected voltage drops. Patterns over time may reveal the need for firmware updates, profile adjustments, or cable replacements.

Some productions maintain a shared "tech logbook" where each day's power-up issues are noted. These insights help refine the checklist itself, turning reactive problem-solving into proactive stability.