Question: When a band is using electronics to augment their show, what are the rules for staff making adjustments to those electronics during the show (i.e., volume, mic falls out, etc.)?
Answer: To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing in the written rules that prohibits staff members from making adjustments to any of the electronic equipment once the show has begun. Depending upon the location of the amp, mixer, etc., the movement of a staff member into and out of that area during the middle of the show can potentially draw attention where it may not be desired. If a band is attempting to create a very musical nuance during a mic’d solo and all of the sudden the “focus” shifts to a staff member sprinting into the pit to adjust the volume, it tends to destroy the moment. As many have said, bands that choose to employ electronics “live and die by them”.
Note from kyband.com – as of 2008 The KMEA rulebook states – Concerning Audio Amplification: “An adult may control audio amplification equipment during the performance from outside the performance area at field level.”
– Mark Culp