Troubleshooting and Problem-Solving

Building Problem-Solving Skills: Strategies for self-reliance in tech troubleshooting

As an educator, you have undoubtedly faced unexpected challenges and have had to think on your feet to troubleshoot issues in a variety of settings. These skills that you have fostered are sure to come in handy when it comes to implementing music technology into your classroom and curriculum. Problem-solving is asking the right questions and looking for solutions.

Step-by-step guide for general troubleshooting:

Identify the issue.

It seems simple, but sometimes defining the issue can be a challenge, especially if multiple pieces of equipment or software are involved. Here are some examples of issues that could arise:

  • I can’t hear the sound coming from my microphone
  • My MIDI keyboard isn’t working
  • My software is frozen
  • I hear loud feedback

Check cable connections and software or hardware settings.

After identifying the issue, start by checking for simple solutions involving settings and hardware connections. Oftentimes, this is where the issue lies. Here are some things to check first:

  • Is my USB cable coming loose?
  • Did I engage phantom power for my condenser microphone?
  • Are the correct input and output selected in my digital audio workstation (DAW)?
  • Is my track record-enabled?

In the rare case where you can’t find any solutions online and nothing that you try resolves the problem, most software and hardware companies have customer support systems in place to help you. Check the company’s website for contact information.

Restart software and devices.

If all of your settings and connections look good but the problem persists, quit the software and reopen it. If this doesn’t work, you can shut off your device(s), wait a few seconds, and turn them back on and try again.

Search Google and YouTube.

If a hard reset still didn’t solve your problem, it may be time to start digging for answers. Chances are that other people have had the same problem as you, and you are likely to find blog posts, forums, or YouTube videos with people discussing or troubleshooting your problem. When searching for help online, it is important to include the right information so that you find the answers you are looking for. In your search, make sure you mention the software or hardware that you are using, the operating system and device that you are using, the correct technical term for the issue you are having, and any error messages or keywords that could point you in the right direction. Here are some examples of effective Google searches:

  • Logic Pro X Novation Launchpad X not connecting
  • Ableton 12 crashing with NI Kontakt 7 Windows 11
  • Garageband latency with Focusrite Scarlett 2i2

Google searches that are too generic and don’t include specific detail may get you some results, but it’s more likely that you end up with irrelevant information before finding something of use. Here are some examples of Google searches that are too broad:

  • Microphone not working
  • Is my MIDI keyboard broken
  • Why won’t Ableton work

Contact support and customer service.

In the rare case where you can’t find any solutions online and nothing that you try resolves the problem, most software and hardware companies have customer support systems in place to help you. Check the company’s website for contact information.

Pivot to an alternative activity.

In music technology, oftentimes there are several components involved, and it is almost certain that issues will occasionally present themselves. In a classroom environment, these roadblocks can potentially disrupt the cadence of your lesson plans and curriculum, so if the problem isn’t easily solved, it is helpful to have a few back-up activities prepared that you can pull out just in case. It can also be helpful to document issues that you run into and their solutions so that you can figure it out faster the next time and easily share solutions with your students.

Table of contents