Tips for efficient load-in/setup/breakdown/load-out

[Piranha]

I'm starting to play out more these days, and besides my bass rig, I am now covering the PA. My bandmates are good about helping with carting the gear in, but I always feel rushed in setting up the PA and then my bass rig.

We are playing mostly smaller venues and my PA consists of 2x QSC K10.2 mains on stands, a small QSC sub, and a Behringer XR-18 stage box mixer. I mix from the stage with an iPad via an external WiFi router/switch. We have 4 vocalists who each bring their own mic, stand, and floor monitor. My keyboard guy provides a single signal from his personal mixer which goes into the PA. I will occasionally mic up the bass drum and setup a pair of drum overheads, but lately have been blowing that off for time constraints. The places we play don't really need it. For the two guitar amps (18/22 watt combos) and bass amp, we just use the stage sound.

It just seems to take me too long to get the PA setup and also to break it down and pack it up at the end of the gig. My current routine is:
- set the speakers on the stands, and run power to them.
- place the mixer, WiFi router, and sub and run power to them.
- run audio cables for the sub and speakers
- bring up the mixer, run some music through it to verify the signal path is good
- connect the floor monitors and verify that signal ath
- connect mics, set gains, and then set levels and EQ
- connect keyboard signal, set gain, and then set level and EQ

It seems most of my time is consumed with setting levels and EQing for feedback. I save off scenes at each new venue, but I've only used a saved scene once so far and I still needed to tweak it again. Most of the places are concrete floors, at least one wall of windows, and 10- to 12-foot high ceilings to give you an idea of the acoustic space. I could probably ditch the sub if I could get the keyboard player to bring his own amplification.

All that being said, I am wondering if y'all have any tips for more efficient set up of the PA and dialing in levels and EQ quickly.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Break Down
- delegate specific roles to each of the other people omin your band. I usually volunteer to roll the cables as it’s the job that takes the longest (and I’m a perfectionist).

- Put one person on cables. Colour coded Velcro ties are handy.
- put 1-2 people on FOH & subs. Put in bags, placed on trolley, rolled out to your car.
- you do mixer, wifi, etc. Delicate & detailed stuff.



Set up.
You need plenty of time for ringing out the PA, setting EQ & levels. No shortcuts there sorry.

Maybe have a rotating roster for one band member to get there early to help you load in & set up PA. Write down the steps in order and hand it to them so they know what to expect as you go along.
After PA is finished being set up, then they can unload their gear & set up.

 

[drpepper]

Maybe consider finding (admittedly easier said than done) and developing an equally paid band member whose role is as sound tech?

 

[two fingers]

I'm starting to play out more these days, and besides my bass rig, I am now covering the PA. My bandmates are good about helping with carting the gear in, but I always feel rushed in setting up the PA and then my bass rig.

We are playing mostly smaller venues and my PA consists of 2x QSC K10.2 mains on stands, a small QSC sub, and a Behringer XR-18 stage box mixer. I mix from the stage with an iPad via an external WiFi router/switch. We have 4 vocalists who each bring their own mic, stand, and floor monitor. My keyboard guy provides a single signal from his personal mixer which goes into the PA. I will occasionally mic up the bass drum and setup a pair of drum overheads, but lately have been blowing that off for time constraints. The places we play don't really need it. For the two guitar amps (18/22 watt combos) and bass amp, we just use the stage sound.

It just seems to take me too long to get the PA setup and also to break it down and pack it up at the end of the gig. My current routine is:
- set the speakers on the stands, and run power to them.
- place the mixer, WiFi router, and sub and run power to them.
- run audio cables for the sub and speakers
- bring up the mixer, run some music through it to verify the signal path is good
- connect the floor monitors and verify that signal ath
- connect mics, set gains, and then set levels and EQ
- connect keyboard signal, set gain, and then set level and EQ

It seems most of my time is consumed with setting levels and EQing for feedback. I save off scenes at each new venue, but I've only used a saved scene once so far and I still needed to tweak it again. Most of the places are concrete floors, at least one wall of windows, and 10- to 12-foot high ceilings to give you an idea of the acoustic space. I could probably ditch the sub if I could get the keyboard player to bring his own amplification.

All that being said, I am wondering if y'all have any tips for more efficient set up of the PA and dialing in levels and EQ quickly.

It's time to delegate tasks to others.

1) Each vocalist should be running cables for their own mics AND monitors.

2) The drummer should be hooking up his own mics.

3) Each member should have at least ONE TASK that has absolutely nothing to do with their job on stage. In my band, I set up my rig, run all of my own cables to the mixer, and own/set up the lights.

4) Get better as saving scenes and using them next gig at the same venue. Sure, you'll have to tweak them every time. But it's a much better starting point.

5) Your band needs to consider going IEM (In Ear Monitors). Does it take some getting used to? Yup. Is there a learning curve? Yup. But it's TOTALLY worth it. One of the best things about it is that your monitor mix is less susceptible to room conditions. Again, sure, you'll need to tweak things a little. But your starting point will be very similar in every venue.

6) Each member needs to handle his/her own monitor mix. Even if you stick with outdated wedges, you do not need to spend a lot of time getting half a dozen mixes right.


They're grownups. They are part of an organization. If you are a control freak (and I'm not saying you are) LET GO of some tasks. INSIST that others do more than just show up and play. Your problem is easy to diagnose. YOU are doing too much. It may not be as easy to fix, depending on the character of your band mates.

 

[DwaynieAD]

My biggest piece of advice, and this comes from a gripe, because I've seen more than one band do this, and man is it annoying, I just wanted to add one more comma, was setting up the entire drum set on stage, and then breaking down the entire drum set on stage.

Actually funny enough the band coming on after the offending bands drummer walked on stage and just carried the offenders drum set off stage. Funny to watch.

I could gripe all day honestly but there is always some nuance. Like obviously you're gonna get a lot of "arrive on time" but in my area there was a club that if you showed up on time you'd end up playing to an empty floor as they filtered thru the door no matter what time slot you were supposed to have. That eventually became a race to the bottom of being late. Way more problems in that club than just that, obviously.

More to your question. Put together as much as you can off stage. Carry as much as you can off stage before tearing down. Also from the way you tell it it seems like you're doing too much back and forth and too much knob fiddling. 99% of audiences as long as you aren't feeding back and blowing out ear drums its probably good enough. Set it up, dial it in, and get a move on. It also kind of sounds like you're not familiar enough with your equipment if it's taking that long to adjust.

 

[stubborne]

I am in the same situation as you with nearly the same PA setup (we run 2 subs). After 5 years, this is what I've learned... Each member is responsible for their own cabling! I lay out and power the XR18/router first (usually tucked nicely near/under a tom or drum stand because drummer always arrives first thank God). I also get power runs to both sides of the stage. Guitar runs cable for his mic, drummer runs cables for his kick/snare (sometimes full kit), keys runs stereo cables from his mixer. All singers cable their own vocal mic (we all sing). While this is happening, I'm arranging FOH speaker connections/power and I'm responsible for only 2 monitors - mine and center stage. Drummer/keys has personal monitor, they power, place and cable.

It only took a couple years to train them where to connect on the XR18 (kidding, only a few months lol). So, my work can be completed relatively quickly. After a relatively easy learning curve with the XR18, I've got it dialed in for pretty much any gig (most are the same type venue) with only small, very small, tweaks required. I really only have 2 scenes - one for pretty much every gig and one for outside. We've been up and running within 50 minutes but really takes about 1.25 hrs comfortably. We allow for plenty of time and I try to relax. Trust me, the first year or so, nobody talked to me when I was working on FOH. I learned to settle down.

Recently, I changed it up a bit and started setting my bass rig up first. For some reason, I feel more relieved that work is complete after finishing FOH. I can tune up and we're ready to run through sound check. It all comes together pretty well doing this routine.

Tearing down?? Well, that depends on where we play. Some gigs the crowd is overly appreciative and we're moving pretty slow at the end of the night. Plus, it's nice to sit down, enjoy some whiskey and watch the singer actually tear stuff apart because he's hot to get out of there quick.

 

[Geogio]

A nice dolly with pneumatic tires.

 

[Reedt2000]

It's time to delegate tasks to others.

1) Each vocalist should be running cables for their own mics AND monitors.

2) The drummer should be hooking up his own mics.

3) Each member should have at least ONE TASK that has absolutely nothing to do with their job on stage. In my band, I set up my rig, run all of my own cables to the mixer, and own/set up the lights.

4) Get better as saving scenes and using them next gig at the same venue. Sure, you'll have to tweak them every time. But it's a much better starting point.

5) Your band needs to consider going IEM (In Ear Monitors). Does it take some getting used to? Yup. Is there a learning curve? Yup. But it's TOTALLY worth it. One of the best things about it is that your monitor mix is less susceptible to room conditions. Again, sure, you'll need to tweak things a little. But your starting point will be very similar in every venue.

6) Each member needs to handle his/her own monitor mix. Even if you stick with outdated wedges, you do not need to spend a lot of time getting half a dozen mixes right.


They're grownups. They are part of an organization. If you are a control freak (and I'm not saying you are) LET GO of some tasks. INSIST that others do more than just show up and play. Your problem is easy to diagnose. YOU are doing too much. It may not be as easy to fix, depending on the character of your band mates.

Yup, this ^

The in ear monitors aren't 100% necessary, but what @two fingers says about them isn't wrong

The other option is show up earlier and charge the band for your services, on top of the pay you get as a performer. Really, you should get a bigger taste now (IMHO) for the additional work, let alone if the PA gear is yours.

 

[5andFretless]

There are 12 of us when we play weddings and cooperate parties. Everything but our instruments arrive in a rented van driven by the sound engineer. Our setup is probably a lot bigger and more complicated than yours, but the basics still apply.

- It is loaded in the van opposite of how it will be brought in and setup. So, it comes out of the van in the order it gets put on stage.
- If it doesn't need to come apart, either for safety during transport or ease of handling, it is left assembled.
- Everything is labeled - Everything. What it is, where it goes, and what it plugs into. Literally tab A goes in slot B.
We limit the number of people that move stuff around and we have a single person - the sound engineer - coordinate everything.
- When we tear down it is the reverse, but not so anal, because it will get unloaded the next morning in the storage area until next time.
- We use refrigerator dollies to move the heavy stuff, because those are designed to go up and down stairs, and you never know.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

We all pitch in. I'm usually #1 cable roller (I can't be trusted around electronic anything). Drums first. Amps second. Monitors third. Mains fourth. Mic hookups fifth. Everybody brings their own mic stands; mics stored in a box; each one has a name label. We're saving our merch money for IEMs. Which we'll be able to afford in 2025, maybe?

edit: Anyone who'd like to contribute to the future of my stinky little bar band, click here: Redhead Merch

 

[Reedt2000]

Also, if there's no bass drum in the PA (which I think there should be, at least a touch for that danceable punch), then no need for the sub

 

[two fingers]

Also, if there's no bass drum in the PA (which I think there should be, at least a touch for that danceable punch), then no need for the sub

Yeah if you're not micing the kick, the venue is small enough for your rig to carry the room. Ditch the sub.

 

[Slevage]

When I was in a similar situation,
Each band member ran their own lines to the mixer. Vocal Mics, DI,
Instrument mics including drum mics,
As each member finished their setup,
they helped others. Drummer and keys usually need help.
At the end of the night, all hands.
I subbed for an 11 pc band (6horns).
11 guys plus a sound man could break down and load the bus in 30 minutes (40 minutes if they didn’t hustle). Subs and two trapezoid tops plus monitors.

 

[2112]

1. Drummer handles his own kit, we run short XLRs for the drum mics. He gets there first and sets up his kit so nobody's in his way. Setup and teardown each take about 30 minutes.

2. We (I) own our FOH mixer as well as two snakes. On gig night me, Beautiful Wife, and our guitarist bring it in and hook it up/tear it down. The mixer is in one 12u rack with front-panel XLRs, everything's clearly labeled. Snakes go to front row (keys, vox, guitar) and back row (drums, bass). Setup and teardown each take about 15 minutes. Our backup rig is identical to our main rig, so if it's needed, it's a drop-in replacement that's seamless to everyone, which means no snags during load-in, performance, or load-out.

3. Everyone else handles their own rig, including the mic cables they need to get to the snakes, which are very clearly labeled so it's nearly impossible to mess up, even for musicians.

4. We hire a dedicated sound guy. He is not a member of the band, we keep a list several deep to fill the role for each gig. They bring and handle the heavies and drum mics and, well, maintain the sound.

5. If someone finishes with their end early, they help the others.

Load-ins are staged (1) drums, (2) FOH mixer/snakes/drum mics, (3) everyone else. Our load-outs usually take around 30 minutes all-in.

 

[Killing Floor]

Snake everything you can. Assign duties, the singer can place the mics on everything for example. It’s a team effort.
There is no I in team but there is a me in team. Also Met a mate at Mt Tam, ate meat. Point is there are lots of words you can spell with team.

 

[Samatza]

For setting up I nominate two helpers to lug the gear, we get there early and take our time setting up. We use a digital desk so every setting is saved. Takes about 1hour to set everyone up.

Tear down it’s all hands on deck, I roll and pack cables, speakers, stands and other hardware by the others. This takes about a half hour.

I feel more comfortable having time to set up, sound check and the have some dinner and relax before the first set. I stress out if I have to rush and then just get up and play but that’s me.

 

[Mickp]

Lots of great ideas here, but just to throw in one different perspective...I quickly accepted that I would do all the setup and acquired a zen attitude. Now I enjoy the quiet routine, almost always alone, going through my process methodically, enjoying my organization and the nice gear. I'll even set up things like keyboard stands and mic stands for the others, just so I can lay everything out. My standard is to arrive 2 hours before start - I hate being rushed! At tear down, I do get help with some heavy stuff and cables etc, but I like to see that everything is in its right place.
We're generally playing within an hour drive from home, and I'm lucky in that I can pretty much always spare the time.

 

[mrcbass]

It is loaded in the van opposite of how it will be brought in and setup.

This has been the number one improvement in my personal rig load in/out. Being able to drop things once, where they will stay, is a lot more efficient than making random piles of gear and then plotting.

But it seems to me, that OP's biggest issue is establishing sound levels for each venue. Should be able to make better use of saved settings. Shouldn't need more than 5 or 6 "stock" samples ("small quiet room", "small noisy room", "large quiet room", "large noisy room", "small outside venue", "large outside venue"). Pick the one that suits the current gig and make the necessary small adjustments. Then save that setting as a specific venue setting. It gets a little easier every time you revisit a venue.

As has been mentioned several times, each mic station (stand, mic, cable) is taken care of by it's user. There does need to be some group minded care taken with cable routing, but easily enough taught.

And yeah, if at all possible have each person manage their own monitor mix via tablets - OP should only be concerned with FOH mix.

 

[QweziRider]

- delegate specific roles to each of the other people omin your band.

That, right there. Even for setup, if possible.

One of my BLs supplies the PA. My bass rig is set up in 10 minutes, so I have more time to kill than anyone else in that band. I figure if I'm using his PA for my vocals, the least I can do is help setup and tear it down. So setting up the speakers and running his cables for that is something I took on. Tear down at the end of the night too. It's simple enough even I can do it and it saves him a bit of time and frustration.

 

[theduke1]

I'm starting to play out more these days, and besides my bass rig, I am now covering the PA. My bandmates are good about helping with carting the gear in, but I always feel rushed in setting up the PA and then my bass rig.

We are playing mostly smaller venues and my PA consists of 2x QSC K10.2 mains on stands, a small QSC sub, and a Behringer XR-18 stage box mixer. I mix from the stage with an iPad via an external WiFi router/switch. We have 4 vocalists who each bring their own mic, stand, and floor monitor. My keyboard guy provides a single signal from his personal mixer which goes into the PA. I will occasionally mic up the bass drum and setup a pair of drum overheads, but lately have been blowing that off for time constraints. The places we play don't really need it. For the two guitar amps (18/22 watt combos) and bass amp, we just use the stage sound.

It just seems to take me too long to get the PA setup and also to break it down and pack it up at the end of the gig. My current routine is:
- set the speakers on the stands, and run power to them.
- place the mixer, WiFi router, and sub and run power to them.
- run audio cables for the sub and speakers
- bring up the mixer, run some music through it to verify the signal path is good
- connect the floor monitors and verify that signal ath
- connect mics, set gains, and then set levels and EQ
- connect keyboard signal, set gain, and then set level and EQ

It seems most of my time is consumed with setting levels and EQing for feedback. I save off scenes at each new venue, but I've only used a saved scene once so far and I still needed to tweak it again. Most of the places are concrete floors, at least one wall of windows, and 10- to 12-foot high ceilings to give you an idea of the acoustic space. I could probably ditch the sub if I could get the keyboard player to bring his own amplification.

All that being said, I am wondering if y'all have any tips for more efficient set up of the PA and dialing in levels and EQ quickly.

I would suggest that once you have your setup complete take pictures of all the board settings and use them to preset the pa. The settings should not change much from gig to gig. It also helps if all vocalists use the same make and model of mic as they will all eq the same. In my band we all use Shure Beta 58 mics and our pa and monitors settings change very little between venues.
I hope this helps
Duke