Members DcSoundOp Posted March 26, 2015 Members Share Posted March 26, 2015 Mixing monitors for touring artist Cristina Pato during her second trip to the DC area this month for her WPAS feature concert. Happy to answer questions if anyone has any! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wesg Posted March 26, 2015 Members Share Posted March 26, 2015 Out of curiosity, do you normally get monitor mix requests in your riders, or do you set them up ad-hoc by asking the musicians what they want? I'm having a bit of trouble with a local venue that likes to rush soundcheck (I have taken longer showers). I had been giving them monitor mixes below the stage plot, but it was apparent they never bothered reading them. Last time, I didn't bother with that, and just gave the sound guy a basic stage plot and input list. I didn't even clue in until showtime (7 minutes after sound check) that he hadn't asked me what I wanted in the monitors. Trying to figure out how to work efficiently with folks who are in a non-ideal situation can be frustrating. Insight as to minimal information I can provide a sound provider to get good results would be helpful. It needs to be minimal because if it's too much, it won't get read (which may be what happened previous times). Wes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DcSoundOp Posted March 26, 2015 Author Members Share Posted March 26, 2015 Great question Wes! Typically we get all of the info we can in advance. The promoter I work with the most often typically copies the various crew on e-mails as soon as a contract is in place, the first such e-mail requesting any technical info that was not included in the contract (many tours include a current stage plot and rider along with their original contract). The best thing we can receive is a current stage plot and input list. It doesn't have to be fancy, just clear and simple. Noting where things are needed (A/C power, monitor wedges, mics, etc.) is the most helpful, along with a simple input list of what the show needs. In monitor world, I'm typically looking to know if the act is carrying any in ears, or if it's a show on wedges. That helps me in getting prepped before the band arrives. Also, I tend to ignore the order that might be listed on mixes on a stage plot. It's almost never done in a logical order, and I want it to match what I'm seeing visually when I'm mixing. I typically go from FOH Left (Down Stage Right or DSR) across the stage to House Right, so it's in order from FOH perspective. So if I had three mixes across the front, it would be [Mix 1 - DSR / Mix 2 - DSC / Mix 3 - DSL]. Then I would go across the backline the same way. This keeps things consistent for me and lets me move quickly when responding to a request for a change in a mix. I always talk to the musicians about their individual needs and mixes, and always try to lead the sound check in a way that gets them to play as a group more, rather then working everything in isolation. This makes the process go quicker and avoids excessive monitor volumes, as we build the mixes in context, rather then in a bubble, so to speak. The best tour managers will typically carry paper copies of their plots and input lists with them to each gig. It's always helpful and appreciated, even if we've seen it before on e-mail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted March 27, 2015 Members Share Posted March 27, 2015 Try to get in contact with someone from the band. I've had a few riders that were out of date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted March 27, 2015 Members Share Posted March 27, 2015 I used to provide sound for a Scottish act called Silly Wizard way back in the dark ages... pretty fun stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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