Show dictionary · Power & Electrical
Distro (Power Distribution)
Also: PD · power distro
A distro (power distribution unit) takes a large incoming circuit (cam-lock feeder or a big multipin) and breaks it into many smaller, individually breaker-protected circuits: soca runs, twist-locks, Edison outputs. It is the tree trunk between the power source and everything a department plugs in.
In practice
Every department of scale rolls its own: lighting distros feed soca and relay circuits, audio distros feed amp racks (often with isolation to keep dimmer hash off the mains), video distros feed walls and processing with sequenced turn-on. Metering per leg keeps three-phase loads balanced, which is half the job of using one.
The distro is also where a show’s electrical safety concentrates: breakers sized to the cable actually leaving the box, ground continuity, and the discipline of one owner per distro on big shows. When something dies mid-show, the distro’s meters and breaker map are where the diagnosis starts.
How you’ll hear it
"Video distro is on legs one and two; rebalance before you add the spare processor."
Related resources
Part of the eventools.io Show Dictionary, a free glossary of live event production terminology.