In the last blog post, we discussed some of the reasons audio visual systems need upgrades and how you can approach upgrading even with a limited budget. In this post and the next few, we will take a look at some of the steps you can take when your current audio visual system doesn’t work. We will review some steps of troubleshooting your audio visual system. These are steps you can take even if you aren’t an audio visual technical expert.
A well designed and maintained audio visual system should be ready to use at any time. However, there are times that, due to system failure, or just user error, the equipment fails to perform. Unfortunately, this usually happens at the worst possible moment.
No two audio visual systems are the same. The design, equipment, wiring, setup, and operation vary greatly across systems. When faced with an issue, your best chance at getting things working again is to contact the person in charge of maintaining the equipment. Too much fiddling with the wrong thing could lead to more significant problems that could cause further delays and expense.
Should you find yourself in a situation where you are on your own with the need to get things working again quickly, there are some basic audio visual troubleshooting steps you can take on your own. Let’s start with audio.
Troubleshooting No Audio Problems
When you are all set to begin, but your sound is not coming through the speakers, this can cause a bit of panic. This is especially true when a video or other media with sound is key to your presentation.
Here are a few steps you can take.
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- Check to See if the Sound is Muted.
The first step is to be sure that your device (usually a PC or laptop) is not muted. Just click the speaker icon in the toolbar. This should open a window with volume sliders and a checkbox marked “mute.” Be sure the mute box is not checked and then view the level of the sliders. Ensure that they are not at minimum levels. If everything else is working, they should make a sound whenever you move them. If you don’t hear that sound or if it is coming out of the PC or laptop speakers instead of the sound system, move on to step 2.
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- Check the Audio Output.
If the computer or other source is not muted, and the levels are turned up, the sound may be going to the wrong output. This can be easily checked and corrected. Open up the Control Panel (PC) or System Preferences (Mac). Look for the sound settings and ensure that the room’s audio visual system is selected as the output. Often, the labels will not explicitly reveal the correct output. You may need to experiment by selecting each source and testing the sound.
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- Check the Connections.
If the issue does not appear to be related to the computer settings, next, check the cabling. Even when audio cables look to be plugged in, they may be improperly seated or slightly ajar. Check each connection by pulling on it gently to ensure it is seated. You may need to unplug the cable and push it back in to reseat it. You will want to be careful. If unplugging or reseating requires a lot of force, you will want to contact the person or vendor responsible for the system.
Check to see that all of your cabling is secured. Sometimes just being slightly ajar will cause issues. Check each cable with a gentle tug, and if needed, unplug and re-seat it.
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- Check the Power.
If the computer or other device appears to be correctly configured and the cables are correctly connected, the next step is to be sure that all of the components are powered on. Fortunately, most audio components have a power indicator light that is visible or a switch that is labeled on/off. If a component is off, that may be the problem. However, due to the sensitive nature of these devices, it may be best to consult with your local support personnel before powering it back on.
*Check out part 2 here
Need Help?
If none of this gets the sound back on and you need help getting things resolved, let us know. Whether you just need troubleshooting help, need components repaired or replaced, or are looking for a whole new system our friendly, knowledgeable staff will take the time to make sure you get up and running again.