Logistics - Set-Up & Tear-Down

[Geri O]

Great post. However it just seems like over explained common sense to me.

Do you know anyone who walks the huge PA speakers into the venue and plops them down way across the room where they have to move them again? Do you know anyone who runs mic cables before everything is in place?

I'm not trying to bust your chops. It's just that this isn't some major discovery in my view. I don't know any professional bands that struggle with setup and tear down time....or having to move everything long distances multiple times.

I hate to say it, but yes, I know folks that will plop a big speaker just inside the door instead of moving near its final location. Not only that, but they will leave the two-wheel dolly under that item and walk back out to the vehicle for the next big item and look around for the dolly! Argghh...

Then those same folks, realizing the error of their ways and not wanting to commit any more such transgressions, simply pack up and leave at the end of the gig...

 

[walterw]

great stuff!

Tear-Down: I believe that one of the keys to a good set-up is a good tear-down the gig before!...What I do: I start with the inglorious task of wrapping cables! I remove each cable one at a time, in reverse order that they were installed.

- Mic cables first, starting nearest to the stage box. Remove the mic from the stand and return it to the mic case, and stow the stand in the stand case.

the only thing different i can think of adding (and maybe this is my background in more "combat rock" situations with multiple strange bands) is that step one to me is rescuing all the mics first!

get 'em off the vocal stands, get 'em off the drums, just get them away from danger, from both theft and breakage while there are other people on stage stomping around packing their own gear and doing who knows what.

even if it means stashing them in a pile behind the amp rack until you've gathered them all, just get the expensive, fragile and easily pocketed stuff secured first. (these days i guess that means securing all the various tablets and laptops before even getting to the mics!)

 

[dreamadream99]

I think front to back. Drum set first, then backline (amps, mains), frontline (mics, monitors), then lights.

 

[Frankjohnson]

great stuff!

the only thing different i can think of adding (and maybe this is my background in more "combat rock" situations with multiple strange bands) is that step one to me is rescuing all the mics first!

get 'em off the vocal stands, get 'em off the drums, just get them away from danger, from both theft and breakage while there are other people on stage stomping around packing their own gear and doing who knows what.

even if it means stashing them in a pile behind the amp rack until you've gathered them all, just get the expensive, fragile and easily pocketed stuff secured first. (these days i guess that means securing all the various tablets and laptops before even getting to the mics!)

Thats funny you say that - on single band gigs (my band) not an issue - but for the Jam I run/do sound at absolutely.

I am fortunate in that I have a couple of really good volunteer helpers, who do the heavy lifting, cable rolling, mic retrieval, etc.
I work on shutting down the computers, saving settings I want to (2 laptops sometimes a tablet), one guy sweeps for mics, another turns off speakers, while another gets stands, one or two work on cables, and by that time, I am helping take down speakers if there are any still up, and we are putting the entire system in the storage space. I use that Big Dewalt box for the cables, power, smalls, etc...... - and then we roll up the 300 lb 15x18 shag rug (we don't have a stage so....) and taking the drapes (moving blankets off of the windows (again this and the shag help sound wise in the room). If I have a gig, I take the XR18 (in rack) and my laptops. I have a bag of mic/speaker stands just for my band, cables and the smaller husky rolling box all loaded, and have some mics dedicated just for us. I also have separate K12s, Monitors, and a KW181 for the band. When Needed I merge some of this for bigger gigs, at the venue, or for my band, but for the most part, have worked hard to accumulate two separate systems.

 

[40Hz]

Rule 1: buy stuff with wheels
Rule 2: if it doesnt have wheels, how can I make it have wheels (cases)

Moving stuff a couple times isnt a huge deal if you are just rolling it a few feet out of the way. When you have to physically pick it up and move it a few feet it becomes a much larger issue. For instance, my speakers dont come out of the case until they are ready to be put on stands of on the floor if they are monitors. But if I am in a small venue and have to shuffle some things because there just isnt room to have all the gear ideally laid out in front of the stage then I want to roll it, not pick it up.

I am also in the process of trying to streamline a little more and just ordered a couple sub snakes. Less 25'+ cables to deal with and less of the possibility of a rats nest near the mixer where everything converges.

We also use some of the road cases as stands to save time loading out and back in cases at the end of the night. We are using speaker cases to set moving head lights on to get different elevations on the lights. Kills two birds with one stone. I dont have to bring the cases back out to the trailer, they just stay on stage.

This. The wheel is a wonderful invention. Roll it if you can. Only carry if you must.

 

[walterw]

This. The wheel is a wonderful invention. Roll it if you can. Only carry if you must.

+1 more.

i just joined a long-running band that has their act together enough to have all their gear in rolling road cases that go right onto a trailer with a lovely ramp door. they even had a spare road case to hold all my bass stuff minus one 1x15 cab, and that could just ride on top.

i had my own nice hand truck that i would bring out to help matters, and i stopped bothering because it mostly just got in the way.