“Bare Minimum” Isn’t Just a Meme
We’ve all chuckled at the “bare minimum” memes—do the least, collect the praise, go for a pint. Sadly, when it comes to live events, provisioning the bare minimum AV kit isn’t clever—it’s an express ticket to a Very Public Embarrassment™.
True Story, Fresh From the Trenches
Just this month we politely warned several organisers:
“Your CEO might fancy his notes on both confidence monitors.”
“Panel line-ups have a habit of multiplying like rabbits.”
“Someone will almost certainly demand an extra mic five minutes before doors.”
And—surprise, surprise—like clockwork, they did exactly that. It’s as if they were following a script entitled ‘How to Stress Test Your AV Supplier Without Paying Extra.’
The Classic Bare Minimum Shortcuts (and Why They’ll Betray You)
Audio Mixer Channels
Bare minimum: exactly the number of mics you think you’ll need.
What actually happens: a new panelist appears, and suddenly you’re swapping cables mid-show like a magician with a death wish.
Microphones
Bare minimum: one per planned speaker.
Reality: the moderator goes rogue in the audience, someone demands a lavalier, and you’re tossing in omni-directionals that squeal like a startled pig unless EQ’d within an inch of their life.
Video Mixer Outputs
Bare minimum: a single hard-wired feed.
Real life: the CEO swans in and says, “Two speaker notes feeds, one for each confidence monitor, if you please.” Without spare outputs or a proper scaler, you’re rummaging for splitters like a greengrocer searching for the last banana.
Avoiding a Spectacular Onstage Train Wreck
Budget for Headroom: Two to four extra mixer channels aren’t extravagance—they’re insurance.
Have Spare Mics: A roaming handheld and a lavalier kept ready makes you look like a genius.
Use a Proper Video Switcher: With scaling and multiple outputs—because splitters are not a lifestyle.
Trust Your AV Team: When we say, “You might need this,” we’re not auditioning for Mystic Meg.
Play ‘What-If’ in Rehearsal: Imagine the CEO’s demands before he imagines them for you.
Final Word
Doing the bare minimum might get a laugh on social media, but in AV it’s a bit like bringing a paper umbrella to a hurricane—technically an umbrella, but everyone’s still getting soaked. Give yourself (and us) a fighting chance: plan for the surprises that aren’t actually surprises.
