I have been thinking about this... and then Dave Rat went and published an article before I could write it up. Well I figured I would write it up anyways.
One of my current bands uses a nonstandard stage arrangement for bluegrass festivals. Typically I will have 10-15 minutes to get it onstage and setup to the point where I can check levels. Here is my current strategy.
1. Advance, advance, advance: make absolutely sure everyone knows what I am bringing and how I plan to get it on stage and off.
2. Show up with stage plot in hand so the stage crew knows exactly what is going on. Extra input list to FOH. Confirm the location of the stage box and power drops.
3. The band is on IEMs with self contained split and monitor board for onstage. This includes our drop snake at center stage and the tails to the stage box.
4. I carry my own complete mic package so I have basic gains/eq the same from show to show. I also carry mic stands and two cable looms. Basically if we need it onstage I have it.
5. Prior to changeover I set up the six mic stands with the appropriate mics. 3 of the six also get side arms for instrument mics. The mic stands are numbered by position corresponding to the stage plot. I have two cable looms (one for SR and one for SL). Both ends of the loom are labeled. At the female end, the labels correspond to our input list. From there on, everything is by channel number. The male end is labeled with a channel number where it goes into our drop snake, which goes to the same number in the splitter which comes out on the tail to the stage box. All the FOH has to tell me is the first open channel I can use and everything is in numbered order from there.
6. Each musician brings their instruments and stands onstage (6 people play 14 different instruments). I patch the mountain dulcimer, each musician with a DI patches their own.
7. At this point, I get to run to FOH. Hopefully everything is zeroed. One musician gives me a level check. I can set all the other levels relative to that (that is the beauty of using the same mics show after show). I then run a sequential line check where I set gain and eq for all 16 channels.
8. The band soundchecks one song (verse and chorus) so I can check relative level of instruments vs vocals and double check channel dynamics where I am using them. Usually after the first song the band leader tweaks their monitor mix (which is also very consistant from show to show because of the consistancy of the stage setup and the mic package). During a second soundcheck song I usually check vocal effects. At some festivals this soundcheck is done with headphones, but at manybluegrass festivals it is done with the system live. Being successful at this requires a tech who is familiar with the band and for the band to practice how they are going to soundcheck. The band opens live with a short intro instrumental to give me a final level check, before ripping into the first song.
9. After the band finishes playing, each musician removes their instruments and instrument stands from the stage. The mic looms are unplugged as are the tails and drop snake. Everything can then be wheeled off stage, and cleaned up at my leasure during the next act.
One of my current bands uses a nonstandard stage arrangement for bluegrass festivals. Typically I will have 10-15 minutes to get it onstage and setup to the point where I can check levels. Here is my current strategy.
1. Advance, advance, advance: make absolutely sure everyone knows what I am bringing and how I plan to get it on stage and off.
2. Show up with stage plot in hand so the stage crew knows exactly what is going on. Extra input list to FOH. Confirm the location of the stage box and power drops.
3. The band is on IEMs with self contained split and monitor board for onstage. This includes our drop snake at center stage and the tails to the stage box.
4. I carry my own complete mic package so I have basic gains/eq the same from show to show. I also carry mic stands and two cable looms. Basically if we need it onstage I have it.
5. Prior to changeover I set up the six mic stands with the appropriate mics. 3 of the six also get side arms for instrument mics. The mic stands are numbered by position corresponding to the stage plot. I have two cable looms (one for SR and one for SL). Both ends of the loom are labeled. At the female end, the labels correspond to our input list. From there on, everything is by channel number. The male end is labeled with a channel number where it goes into our drop snake, which goes to the same number in the splitter which comes out on the tail to the stage box. All the FOH has to tell me is the first open channel I can use and everything is in numbered order from there.
6. Each musician brings their instruments and stands onstage (6 people play 14 different instruments). I patch the mountain dulcimer, each musician with a DI patches their own.
7. At this point, I get to run to FOH. Hopefully everything is zeroed. One musician gives me a level check. I can set all the other levels relative to that (that is the beauty of using the same mics show after show). I then run a sequential line check where I set gain and eq for all 16 channels.
8. The band soundchecks one song (verse and chorus) so I can check relative level of instruments vs vocals and double check channel dynamics where I am using them. Usually after the first song the band leader tweaks their monitor mix (which is also very consistant from show to show because of the consistancy of the stage setup and the mic package). During a second soundcheck song I usually check vocal effects. At some festivals this soundcheck is done with headphones, but at manybluegrass festivals it is done with the system live. Being successful at this requires a tech who is familiar with the band and for the band to practice how they are going to soundcheck. The band opens live with a short intro instrumental to give me a final level check, before ripping into the first song.
9. After the band finishes playing, each musician removes their instruments and instrument stands from the stage. The mic looms are unplugged as are the tails and drop snake. Everything can then be wheeled off stage, and cleaned up at my leasure during the next act.