How do you set up your system for an average show?

[Silas Pradetto]

Based on the thread about speeding up load-in and load-out, it made me think about different ways of preparing for the worst when setting up a show.

So, when setting up a show where there are going to be several bands, with no riders, and the first band isn't going to show up earlier than an hour before the show starts (enough time for them to set up and a brief line/sound check), how do you prepare your stage layout and sound system infrastructure to handle anything the bands may throw your way?

A quote from the other thread:

...When I set up a stage for a show, I plan ahead for virtually any band setup I can expect. Here is what I do:

• Stage power quad boxes dropped near the drummer (hat side usually), plus on either side of the drummer, and also downstage left and right. If the stage is very wide, I will get downstage center also.
• I have drop snakes for the drummer, and sometimes one for downstage center. The digital snake goes mid-stage left or right, lining up with the front of the backline usually.
• I'll usually put out four vocals in the front plus one on the drummer if I know it's needed.
• For backline, I start with a pair of 906s stage left and right, a single DI stage left and right, and a stereo DI.

I usually label each mic or DI with gaff so we know where it goes, and so the mics stay in order. The above list of preparations covers about 90% of rock bands, and we can do 5 minute changeovers all day without a tangled mess at the end.

All it really comes down to, as Tim said, is good help. Keep the slack coils at the point of use, so they can easily be moved around without tangling with anything else. This is especially critical for things like powered monitors that have two cables going to them. Also, everything should be coiled properly, over-under, so the cables pay out properly when moved. As long as cable routes are planned out, everything is long enough, and the help is paying attention, a festival situation can be handled quite easily without any issues.

While the OP was primarily about speeding up load-in and load-out, the above advice should help with that too. I don't think we've had a show yet that takes more than an hour to coil every cable on the stage, using only 2-3 guys. In fact, the whole rig is usually out the door in an hour, with me working by myself...

I work with a lot of Spanish bands who don't really even believe in soundcheck; they show up 5 minutes after doors (really), set up, and start playing. Half the time, it's musicians that have never played together before, and they somehow pull off an amazing gig, provided that I'm prepared and clued-in to what they need.

 

[RYAN LOUDMUSIC JENKINS]

Re: How do you set up your system for an average show?

I have three systems that are all set up the same, this way we know where everything goes no matter what. Stage snakes go down stage in the middle, in front of drummer and opposite side of stage from monitor world. We provide two stringers, one upstage for backline and one down stage for pedal boards. Drum mics are all labed and patched, ready to go. We clamp them to the closest overhead stand to the drum they go on. It takes about 15 seconds to mic drums. I always have sr and sl guitar amp mics on stage ready to go. Always have a bass DI ready to go. When a band gets on stage, we are ready to go within a couple minutes.

We also set up our monitors the same everytime unless we have a rider showing something different. Three mixes down stage plus a drummers wedge. On bigger shows, drummer gets a sub and we have side fills too. We use an NL8 cable into a handle little breakout box to send monitor mixes to the front of stage which keeps it clean and fast. We always have three vocal mics up front ready to go and we remove what we don't need when the band gets there.

Because of the nature of our events, we often have no idea what we will end up with. We have gotten really efficient at our work and everytime we find an easier or quicker way to do something, I will implement it for the next events.

 

[Lee Dickinson]

Re: How do you set up your system for an average show?

Drop snake near drums, drop snake downstage center. Four vocals across the front plus drum vocal. 4 toms, 2 overheads, kick drum, and a spare channel for whatever other percussion thing might show up (second kick, congas, etc) Guitar cab mic on each side of stage, DI on each side of stage plus a bass DI. This gives me five instrument channels, which is enough 90% of the time, but I have more channels available in the DSC snake if needed, and plenty more still in the main snake head. Usually just one power stringer across the back, with a quad box down center.

Bigger shows will get a drop snake on the far side of the stage just for cleanliness on a big deck; power stringers upstage and down.

 

[Kip Conner]

Re: How do you set up your system for an average show?

I'm a firm believer in the saying "It's all about the load out." This doesn't mean that we cut corners to the point having half the PA on the truck before the band is finished. What it does mean is that there is someone that is in charge of prepping the load out as the act is playing. We do this by having cases for everything so that when it returns to the shop we don't have to re-pack. I have several 22x22" cubes that hold xlr, mics, power, snakes- it's sometimes a lot of half filled cases, but I would rather have more cases than necessary than over packing a case and having to dig in to the bottom of xlr's for a short sub snake.

At set-up no cable gets unwrapped without plugging in the cable tester -it's easy to do while it's still wrapped. When you are working with several bands and you have to pull some lines up and add some lines it takes 5 seconds to check a cable.

In a festival situation, the guy that I mentioned before that preps the load out is also in charge of playing A3 patch manager (though he does no patching). His or her job is find the band that is on deck and confirm their stage plot and input list is up to date and then he and the monitor guy work through their paperwork so it matches our festival patch list. He will also ask what people like to hear in their wedges and write it down by order of the loudest so the monitor guy can begin dialing in mixes. Most importantly xlr's that are in the festival patch are numbered so they don't get mixed up band members start unplugging lines and running with their gear.

 

[Rick Stansby]

Re: How do you set up your system for an average show?

Most importantly xlr's that are in the festival patch are numbered so they don't get mixed up band members start unplugging lines and running with their gear.

I know this is a common practice, and works for some people, but I don't do it. I label the subsnake boxes well, and make sure to have plenty of subsnakes around the stage, so the mic cables are short. I pull up most of the mic cables between acts, to keep the stage clean. It is very common for me to do "ethnic" acts that have dancers DS, then rock bands with monitors, DIs, Keyboards and vocals downstage. I need to be able to clear everything out after a rock band, then put it all back after the african/mexican/etc. band. I label the ends of each monitor cable, so they can be coiled at the corners of the stage when not in use, and over-night. Subsnakes get labeled with instrument name and channel number, that way when someone asks which channel was used for the DI, it can be answered quickly. I use a festival patch, with 3-5 DS vocals, drum vocal, drums, bass, guitars, and utility channels. Often the utility channels are Y'd to multiple subsnakes. That way I can use 6 utility channels, and I can get 4 from the backline or 4 from downstage.

 

[Lee Dickinson]

Re: How do you set up your system for an average show?

We label the XLR cable end instead of the mic or DI. That way, we don't lose the label when we swap out a mic or switch from a DI to a direct out of an amp or something.

 

[Tim Weaver]

Re: How do you set up your system for an average show?

I hire a clean, sober, and smart patch guy to wrangle the stage. However he wants to keep things straight is up to him. I don't get involved because I would just be F'ing up his mojo. It's the same reasone he doesn't come out to FOH and tweak the mix.

We do have an understanding that inputs need to be patched as if viewed from FOH. Gtr 1 is on stage right and Gtr 4 is on stage left, and so on. I basically come up with a festival input list that leaves a bunch of holes for surprise instruments. It's up to the stage monkey to pin the deck and it's up to me to be listening in the cans to find out where everything is. By the time the band has a basic monitor mix I'm ready to rock at FOH. Typically There is little to no com talk between anybody. We are all on the same page so we don't have to explain where the congas were placed on the input list.

The monitor engineer is usually the guy that places drum mics on the new kit and moves guitar/bass mics into place while the stage monkey pins lines. The Monitor guy will also deal with moving wedges around if needed.

During a set the stage monkey is also responsible for making sure the monitor and FOH guys have plenty of water/food. He is typically the only person that will be able to leave the stage for any length of time, while the bands are playing.

 

[gordon mcgregor]

Re: How do you set up your system for an average show?

My usual way of dealng with a multi band set ups like Lee's except if I know which band has the largest line up then I'll build to that and collapse it in from there as required. I also name the cable end so that when the inevitable " I must use MY mic" happens it goes on the right cable. the other thing I do is attach a sheet to the wall or onto the mainstage box with the desk channel patch that way if some swapping around get's done then "the 5th guitar is in keys 2" situation is easily put back without relabling everything. My last multi act thing was me myself and it for most of 2 days and I managed to keep my stage running on schedule pretty much bang on I'm pleased to say. G