What do you set up first at a gig?

[rickzjamm]

I know this is probably an apples / oranges thing but what order do you set up? I'm a creature of habit, I get to the venue (after the P.A.'s set up), claim my footprint then it's keyboards and the heavy artillery, then I run cables. A buddy of mine does the opposite the other thinks it's the right way. There's no right way but in your opinion what's the best way?

[timwat]

For me best way is

 

First: rack, stand, monitors (basic footprint).

Second: All cabling, pedals

Last: Keyboards are always last.

 

That way you're not climbing all over your gear to run wires, you're also able to make footprint adjustments much easier, etc.

 

I've mentioned here before, I've spent time practicing set up / tear down in my living room and I would suggest that is the fastest way to set up (based on timing myself). My 0.02, would love to hear what others are doing too.

 

 

[Sven Golly]

Keyboards are always last.

 

This. Absolutely this.

 

Of course, if the rig is properly prepped, you'll have cables snaked at appropriate lengths, pedals mounted to a board, and everything falls into place almost effortlessly.

 

Right?

 

 

[rickzjamm]

Everything is labeled and a pedaltrain jr is ready to just put in place. I like Timwat's approach. So Timwat, when you tear down do you reverse the process?

[timwat]

Absolutely - always reverse order. I always want to put the boards out of harm's way as quickly as possible, and the routine makes it easy and fast when, say, that Cuervo rep in the crowd has been feeding you shots on stage all last set.

 

This also leaves more time to discuss the finer points of my harmonic approach with the more fetching members of the audience.

 

Tim

[timwat]

by the way, credit where credit is due. I didn't come up with this approach, I read it in an article a few years agoin KB Mag.

 

The article advocated you set up from backstage to front, and from footprint, cables, boards last.

 

And it suggested practicing it at home.

 

So, all to say, that article was aces.

[SpaceNorman]

I follow the same order Timwat recommended. Placement of the big stuff - which my bandmates and I refer to as "boxing it up" always comes first. For me, that's figuring out where stand, rack, monitors and bench are going to fit. With that in place - I run all my power and speaker cables. Once that's done - I put my keyboards in place on the stand and cable up my keyboard snake and pedals.

 

As far as I'm concerned - the secret to a speedy setup is a) having room to move (which is why putting placing the actual keyboards comes late in the process) - and b) careful cable planning. In my case, careful cable planning translates to:

• A custom length power whip with two "quad outlet" boxes on it. (One box sits at the base of the keyboard stand serving the keyboards themselves. The other roughly 6 feet behind it serving the rack and powered speakers.)
  
• Exact length keyboard power cables - just long enough to run from the keyboards to the "quad box" at the base of the stand.
  
• Exact length speaker cables (which for me are 5' long to run from the patch panel on the rack to the powered speakers). I carry two 15 foot "spares" just in case additional length is needed).
  
• A custom keyboard snake that carries ALL connections from the keyboards to the rack (Left & Right output plus MIDI IN and MIDI OUT from each keyboard - 8 connections total)

A cabling setup that eliminates cable slack to the greatest degree possible - and incorporates "snake cables" to eliminates running multiple individual cables - goes a long way to speed up setup and tear down. It has the added benefit of making for an aesthetically pleasing rig that doesn't leave you trampling on or tripping over a sea of cabling "spaghetti" all night long.

[Sven Golly]

Everything is labeled and a pedaltrain jr is ready to just put in place.

 

You're all set!

 

So Timwat, when you tear down do you reverse the process?

 

Not to speak for him, but as I do the exact same thing, yes.

[J. Dan]

I place stand, rack, keys, then cable last - mainly because it helps to get the 2 hard shell keyboard cases and rack lids (which I stash inside the cases) off stage and packed away.

 

Teardown's a bit different - unplug all the cables, pack up the keys and get them out of the way so I can take down the stand. Then cables, then rack.

[EscapeRocks]

First thing I do is claim and mark my territory. Much like a cat. I pee the outline of my stage footprint. It keeps others away

 

Seriously though:

1. Keyboard stand

2. Rack stand

3. Rack

4. Keyboards

5. Cables.

 

A bit different than you all. My cables are all snakes, so wiring up is a 20, maybe 30 second affair.

 

I'm always first to the venues, so no one is stepping over me. Plus, our show is well defined, so everything is setup the same way/place every show.

 

 

 

 

[Moonglow]

I set-up after PA, lights, and drums, in the following order:

 

1. Stand

2. Keyboards

3. Rack

4. Monitor

5. Sustain pedals

6. Electrical wiring (don't plug in to receptacle; that's the very last thing I do)

7. Audio/MIDI wiring

 

I like positioning my keyboards/rack/monitor in between the drums and the PA column on my side of the stage first. I find it helpful to define my "zone" and set the foundation before doing the wiring.

 

[rickzjamm]

Great advice, thanks all (especially like the "marking your territory"!!!!! Now how to keep the guitar player from taking up half the real estate on stage!!!!!

[J. Dan]

6. Electrical wiring (don't plug in to receptacle; that's the very last thing I do)

 

That used to be true for me as well, until I got the Kronos. Now I plug it in and turn it on so it can boot while I hook everything else up. That way when I'm done plugging in my cables, pedals, midi, and fire up my monitor, the Kronos only has another 1:45 to go instead of the full 2:00

[marino]

I place stand, rack, keys, then cable last

This

 

 

[Joe Muscara]

First?

 

http://www.thebeveragestore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/500x500/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/h/shiner_bock_1.gif

 

[HSS]

+1

[bloodyMary]

KB stand

keyboard

pedals and wiring

monitors

keytar

 

teardown:

 

keytar first (pack into it's case)

KB (in the case, out of harms way)

take keyboards offstage

collapse KB stand and tack offstage

finally the cables/pedals/power/mixer - they all go in a single bag

 

[theGman]

I try to get my keys cases, etc. out of the way quickly, so I do:

 

Stands (to claim space)

Keyboards / Amp (at this point I put my cases in the best place; since everyone else leaves they lying around, this is pretty easy and advantageous when loading out)

 

Wiring. (I can take my time on wiring, since by now the guitar guys have discovered ??? that they have to actually put their cases, etc. someplace OTHER than on the stage floor, so I nearly have the stage to myself.)

 

Paul

[JeffLearman]

Definitely, mark the territory first. I carry all the gear in first, though of course the keyboards don't come onto the stage in their cases/bags.

 

Next, monitors, stand, stool, and powered mixer.

 

Then I run power and speaker cables, and place my chain of foot pedals, running their cables to the back.

 

Then keyboards, guitar amp/cab modeler if I'm using it, and line cables, and power it all up, check my monitor and foot pedals.

 

Last, FOH connection.

 

I don't see much point in running the audio line cables without the keyboards there to plug them into. But if I used powered monitors, I'd probably run the power and line cables to the monitors before placing the keyboards.

 

At one venue where I often play, space is tight and I'm right against the first patron table on one side, with a guitarist and vocal mic and vocal monitors just to my other side, and to get from front to back of my rig I have to thread my way all the way to the other side of the stage area (waiting for guitarists, bassist, and harp player to step out of the way), so I have to minimize going from front to back of the rig.

[The Real MC]

After thirty years of gigging, it comes down to this

 

1) keyboard stand(s)

2) AC power cord (can't believe no one mentioned this!!!)

3) monitor

4) racks

5) keyboards

6) pedal devices

7) mic stand + mic

8) cabling

[bloodyMary]

First?

 

http://www.thebeveragestore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/500x500/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/h/shiner_bock_1.gif

 

 

I always try to set up as fast as I can so I have plenty of time to enjoy cold beverages and mingle.

 

I usually take 5 minutes to set up, then it's 30-90 minutes of drum/bass/guitar soundcheck before I need to get on stage again to check my keys.

[John Tweed]

I'm a cables-last guy.

 

1 stand

2 keyboards, monitor

3 pedalboards - I have my expression, sustain and other pedals and mixer velcroed to a small sheet of mdf; another one for power supplies

4 cables

 

Tear down is

1 unplug keyboards and pack them in cases

2 remove stand and fold up (it's a hercules z-stand)

3 coil free cables and put in leads case

4 coil attached leads on pedal boards and then

5 pedal boards into leads case

 

The problems for me with the cables-first:

1 double handling of cables, first time to lay them out, second to connect them

2 cables underfoot and in the way while I'm trying to position the boards

 

The advantage of getting the boards in position and the cases out of the way early means the band collectively has more room to move setting up in what is often a confined space.

 

 

 

 

[DanL]

Mark territory

Get beer

Place rack and stands

Open rear of rack and run cables (up the uprights of the stand and hook them over the appropriate tiers)

Set foot pedals in place

Place bottom tier board on stand and plug it in

Place top tier board on stand and plug it in

Place Moog on side stand and plug it in.

Power up so Moog can warm up.

Set up PA.

 

Teardown- keys in cases, pedals put away, cables that are not attached to the rack put away, stands torn down, then I coil up all the cables that go into the rack.

 

I have all of the audio cables snaked together, and all of the power cords are attached to a strip which plugs into the rack, they are all snaked as well. Once all my gear is in the venue, it takes maybe 10 minutes to set up.

[KeyMoe]

I place stand, rack, keys, then cable last - mainly because it helps to get the 2 hard shell keyboard cases and rack lids (which I stash inside the cases) off stage and packed away.

 

Teardown's a bit different - unplug all the cables, pack up the keys and get them out of the way so I can take down the stand. Then cables, then rack.

 

+1

 

[richforman]

Hmm, I do it differently, do it "wrong" it sounds like according to most. First task is to place my amp where I want it and my Spider Pro stand and then I place the two keyboards on top of it - to make sure that other band members who I might be in close quarters with will have enough room for themselves and their gear and for us all to get on and off without us bumping into each other, and also to be able to then quickly move the keyboard cases out of the way. Set up and place my mic stand if I'm doing any singing at that particular gig. Then I find a place to plug in my power strip, and only then start pulling my cables and ac cords from my bag and connecting everything and placing the cables under the clip holders on my keyboard stand's column. After the last song, I first unplug/disconnect all those cables, pedals and the power strip and my d.i., "wind them" and place them back into the big duffel bag and only then retrieve the cases from wherever they're stashed and pack the keyboards and amp back into them. If it's gonna be a long haul from the stage area to the car I will then pack everything on my roller cart or if it's not too far, sometimes it's not worth the time to even use the cart and I'll just carry the pieces out one at a time.

[HammondDave]

Hmm, I do it differently, do it "wrong" it sounds like according to most. First task is to place my amp where I want it and my Spider Pro stand and then I place the two keyboards on top of it - to make sure that other band members who I might be in close quarters with will have enough room for themselves and their gear and for us all to get on and off without us bumping into each other, and also to be able to then quickly move the keyboard cases out of the way. Set up and place my mic stand if I'm doing any singing at that particular gig. Then I find a place to plug in my power strip, and only then start pulling my cables and ac cords from my bag and connecting everything and placing the cables under the clip holders on my keyboard stand's column. After the last song, I first unplug/disconnect all those cables, pedals and the power strip and my d.i., "wind them" and place them back into the big duffel bag and only then retrieve the cases from wherever they're stashed and pack the keyboards and amp back into them. If it's gonna be a long haul from the stage area to the car I will then pack everything on my roller cart or if it's not too far, sometimes it's not worth the time to even use the cart and I'll just carry the pieces out one at a time.

 

+1

[Bill W]

For me, it's keyboard stand, keyboard, pedals, cables (power and line out), then guitar processor and wireless for guitar. We only play places that have PA and monitors, so there aren't any amps to haul around for me.

[NewImprov]

Depends on where we are playing, but it's usually this order:

 

Claim my perimeter by setting up powered monitor, stand for rack (if I'm using it) and 1 or 2 keyboard stands (arranged in an L if I'm using the big system). Then rack onto stand, and keyboards onto stand, then stowing away keyboard cases and rack panels. Finally, wiring stuff up. I'll usually try to get AC run to my location on stage pretty early, in case other players end up blocking outlets, etc.

[RABid]

... First task is to place my amp where I want it and my Spider Pro stand and then I place the two keyboards on top of it - to make sure that other band members who I might be in close quarters with will have enough room for themselves and their gear and for us all to get on and off without us bumping into each other, ...

 

This is how I always start. Band members cannot always visualize how much space keyboards and drums take. When going to a new venue with a small stage my first goal is always to mark out my required space.

[OB Dave]

It really depends on the gig, the load-in, the stage setup, etc. Tonight it's Leslie first, then keyboard stand, then keyboards (NS2 and SK-1). Then the throne, then all the cables and pedals. Last two things are the K10s and the music rack.