This week we launch our new blog series Techie Tuesday. Each week we will aim to demystify the world of AV equipment and event services lingo and reveal exactly what those techs are talking about. Up first on the grill is the ‘Bio Box’. You may of heard technicians on site when setting up refer to the Bio Box in passing and felt bemused as to its meaning or use. Here we delve in to the history of the Bio Box and how it is used in events today.

This week we launch our new blog series Techie Tuesday. Each week we aim to demystify the world of AV equipment and event services lingo and reveal exactly what those techs are talking about. Up first on the grill is the ‘Bio Box’. You may of heard technicians on site when setting up for an event refer to the Bio Box in passing and felt bemused as to its meaning or use. Here we delve in to the history of the Bio Box and how it is used in events today.

AV Discipline: Audio, Vision and Lighting

AV Category: Equipment, Cabling and Storage

AV Jargon: The Bio and/or The Control Room

Description: 

The Bio Box is a dedicated area or room in an event space, which is traditionally used by Technicians to operate and control audio visual equipment for an event.
The name originates from the “Biograph” film projector, which was one of the first film projectors to be produced. As there were no purpose built cinemas at the time, public halls & theatres were converted through the removal of seats and the building of enclosures or boxes to house the noisy film projectors – thus the name Bio Box.

As films became more popular, purpose built cinemas were erected, with hidden projection booths. This left the converted halls and theatres with an unused enclosure or box at the rear of the room. With the evolution of sound, vision and lighting technologies, this disused space was utilised by Technicians for operating audio visual equipment, due to its isolation and centre position to stage.

In today’s event market, the Bio Box is more often used for the patching of AV signals and equipment storage, due to their cramped spaces, restricted sight lines, and obscure access. Technicians typically prefer to control the AV elements from an area of the venue where they can experience the event from an audience’s point of view, delivering better outcomes for all stakeholders.

In next weeks Techie Tuesday blog we talk Graphic Equalisers and why exactly you need one for your event. In the meantime if you have any words, terms or lingo you would like our AV expert to demystify for you please send your suggestions through to our contact form.

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