Jump to content

Decode PA Speak


Thunderbroom

Recommended Posts

  • Members

My band just got info from the venue that we are playing next weekend. It's copied below with the portions I'm unclear about in bold. Before I contact the guy and ask stupid questions, I figure I'd get some clarification from the learned masses here.

 

 

Please forward an input list (w/ inserts)/stage plot to this mail. The 2 wireless units should have XLR cable outs. Please bring cables with male XLR tails for the wireless units. I am planning on being the FOH engineer that evening. I think I will have an LD as well. Let me know if you carry an LD. If so, I won't hire one for the evening. We use light jockey as the FOH lighting console w/ 8 K of cans and 12 scanners/intelligent lights. We also have video on three (3)- 9' x 12' screens. Please let me know if you have any video production/media for the show. If not, we usually just project the image of the band on our screens during the performance. Load in can be at 1:00 pm and sound check at 1:30 pm on Friday -or- Load in any time after 1:00 pm and line check is at 9:00 pm. You may load in through the front door. Showtime is 10:00 pm depending on the turnout. Three (3) 45 min. sets. I assume there is NO opener. One (1) merch booth can be set up in the back of the room. Artist can take 100% of merch sales.

 

Band to supply full compliment of microphone stands.

 

 

Just looking for clarification on the highlighted portions.

 

Input list and inserts...

 

Wireless mic cables (aren't cables just standard XLR cables?!?)

 

LD? What's an LD?

 

Mic stands? Is this typical (never run into this before? Does this mean the drummer will need to bring mic stands?

 

I'll likely contact the guy specifically about the mic stands but the other stuff I'm sure you folks are all over.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 62
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

Our wireless units have 1/4" outs (mine and yours). If the units he's talking about are like that, he wants you to have adaptors.

 

Input list with inserts - All of the lines/mics/direct feeds to the board. Inserts are effects you want added at the board.

 

I don't know about LD

 

I've always had to provide my own mic stands.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Our wireless units have 1/4" outs (mine and yours). If the units he's talking about are like that, he wants you to have adaptors.


Input list with inserts - All of the lines/mics/direct feeds to the board. Inserts are effects you want added at the board.


I don't know about LD


I've always had to provide my own mic stands.

 

Are you sure about the mics? I'm talking about the Shure ULXS Microphones that our singer's use.

 

So...just give him a list of how many channels we're gonna need for the show? Got it. I've got most of this info on the stage plot I created last week.

 

LD?

:(

 

We've never had to supply mic stands with the PA was provided.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Input list and inserts...


Wireless mic cables (aren't cables just standard XLR cables?!?)


LD? What's an LD?


Mic stands? Is this typical (never run into this before? Does this mean the drummer will need to bring mic stands?


I'll likely contact the guy specifically about the mic stands but the other stuff I'm sure you folks are all over.

 

This is actually VERY standard fare, if you gig in places that have a proper PA, lights and the like, get used to this lingo quickly.

 

Input list = how many channels at the FOH you need and where they will be assigned.

 

eg. 16 channel board. 4 mics to the drums, 3 singers, 2 guitars, 1 bass DI, etc. Even better if you can provide a stage plot diagram. Google image it, you'll find an example somewhere. If not, I'll maybe scan some old one of mine when I get home.

 

LD = Lighting Director :wave: (I do that too in addition to guitar teching)

 

Odds are the mic stands in question are for the singers, people abuse them, club stops providing them. That is a relevant question about the drum mic stands, they are different depending on what mics you have.

 

Did I miss anything?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Our wireless units have 1/4" outs (mine and yours). If the units he's talking about are like that,
he wants you to have adaptors.


Input list with inserts - All of the lines/mics/direct feeds to the board. Inserts are effects you want added at the board.


I don't know about LD


I've always had to provide my own mic stands.

 

 

I did miss one, and this is what he means. He has an XLR snake, and knows that wireless tend to spit out 1/4" so bring the right cables or sing with a lead.

 

I reread the mic stand part... yes you need your own, all of them. They have none, if they normally don't have bands, this validates it further.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I'd also ask if he has DI's, how many and if they are active/passive, and maybe even check the output impedance of your wireless units. Many are at line level, so require a DI box of their own when going to XLR, an adapter won't cut it in this case.

 

And this is NOTHING as far as a technical rider goes. I normally deal with ones that would make Kindness' eyes roll back in his head for all the technical legal mumbo jumbo tagged into it all.

 

Try being the Stage/Production Manager for an arena show with 7 semi's of gear and over 150 crew. THAT is a fun night at the races. :eek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • CMS Author

Are you sure about the mics? I'm talking about the Shure ULXS Microphones that our singer's use.


So...just give him a list of how many channels we're gonna need for the show? Got it. I've got most of this info on the stage plot I created last week.


LD?

:(

We've never had to supply mic stands with the PA was provided.

 

 

Give him the stage plot which helps a lot, but what he wants is an actual list:

 

1. Kick drum

2. Snare

3. Rack tom

4. Drum Overhead

5. Lead vocal

6. Bass DI

7. Guitar DI

8. Backing vocal

....so on, ad nauseum.....

 

and be sure to give him a phone number so he can call with questions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I'll post one of our Starfront ones for you when I get home. "with inserts" means if you have certain things you need inserted into a channel, he needs to know what they are. For example, I have a compressor and a gate inserted on my kick channel, and a gate inserted on my snare. If you have any vocal processors that require being used as inserts, that's the place to tell them.

 

LD is indeed the lighting director.

 

Load-in at 1:00 for soundcheck at 1:30? That's pretty harsh.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Here's a copy of our tech rider... it's pretty old now, and we changed it many times.

ssp2.jpg

 

Here's a later stage plot we adapted based on some changes to our setup, and added a light truss. I don't have a full copy of the plot from this, just the picture:

ssp.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Here's a copy of our tech rider... it's pretty old now, and we changed it many times.

ssp2.jpg

Here's a later stage plot we adapted based on some changes to our setup, and added a light truss. I don't have a full copy of the plot from this, just the picture:

ssp.jpg

 

Rig O' Doom, eh?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

Nice, but keep in mind that this needs to be faxable, so maybe trim back on the colours, or have an alternate version prepared. It should be easily readable in the dark too.

 

 

One more thing...

 

With my stage plot, as a tech you'd know pretty much what we're wanting, right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...