Pre-requisites¶
Cabling¶
Make sure you have enough power and audio cables for everything, then add at least two spare power, speaker and audio cables
There are many different ways of cabling a stage but adhering to certain rules when supplying power to amps and routing sound-signal cables from amps and mikes to the mixing desk will make this a simple task. Some things to keep in mind:
- Try and avoid running power and audio cables together
- Never run cables across the stage. Go around everything.
Keep spare power extensions handy. Sooner or later you’ll have to bring power to the stage from somewhere in the depths of the kitchen / store-room / whatever. Be prepared for this.
In most small-stage environments the signals generated by the various cables should not interfere with each other too much, but in some environments routing cables correctly can improve sound problems dramatically. This is especially true when you are using a single-phase power supply to drive your sound equipment as well as lighting.
Lighting can cause real problems with your PA sound if you are powering your light rig from the same source as your sound equipment. Where possible you should find out if the venue has more than one power phase available. Most actually have a three-phase system and you should make sure that you separate the power for lighting from the power for the sound system and backline. This obviously requires adequate cabling.
Redundancy¶
The idea is to have a backup for every system and cable on stage. By ‘system’ I mean an assemblage of components used by one person to get their sound from their voice / instrument to the mixer.
Note
Every musician must have access to a tuner on stage.
Electric guitars¶
An instance of a ‘system’ would be the guitar rig, which consists of:
| Item | Back up ? |
|---|---|
| Guitar | |
| Picks [plectrums] | |
| Strings | |
| Guitar strap | |
| Guitar stand | |
| Cable from guitar to effects | |
| Effects unit | |
| Power supply for effects | |
| Patch cords for effects | |
| Cable from effects unit to amp | |
| The amp itself | |
| Channel switch pedal if needed | |
| Power cable for the amp | |
| Spare fuses for the amp | |
| Mike for the guitar amp or | |
| Cable from the amp to the mixer | |
| Mike stand | |
| Mike clip |
As you can see, the path from guitar to mixer is made up of many components, any of which might break down at any time. If you don’t have adequate backup for any of these components you will be in trouble at the gig.
Acoustic guitar¶
Similar to the electric guitar but usually doesn’t include an amp.
| Item | Back up ? |
|---|---|
| Guitar | |
| Picks [plectrums] | |
| Strings | |
| Guitar strap | |
| Guitar stand | |
| Cable from guitar to effects | |
| Effects unit | |
| Power supply for effects | |
| Patch cords for effects | |
| Cable from effects unit to DI | |
| DI box | |
| Cable from DI to the mixer |
Vocals¶
Singers will need:
| Item | Back up ? |
|---|---|
| Their mike | |
| A cable from mike to mixer | |
| Mike stand | |
| Mike clip | |
| Music stand [optional] | |
| Light for the music stand | |
| Power for the light |
Kit¶
The drummer must bring with him a carpet large enough to place the entire drum kit on, but no bigger than that [unless you like the ‘lounge’ feel!]. This is critical when you’re expected to play on a bare floor, and can be used as a basic template around which all your back-line gear can be arranged.
The drummers system can be listed as follows:
| Item | Back up ? |
|---|---|
| Carpet [where required] | |
| Drums | Spare vellums |
| Cymbal stands | |
| Cymbals | |
| Drum sticks | |
| Drum tuning key | |
| Kick drum pedal | |
| Mikes | |
| Mike cables | |
| Mike stands | |
| Mike clips |
Bass guitar¶
Similar to the guitar system, but some bass players use a DI to split the sound from their bass and feed this directly into the PA mixer instead of using an amp line-out or mike:
| Item | Back up ? |
|---|---|
| Guitar | |
| Picks [if necessary] | |
| Strings | |
| Guitar strap | |
| Guitar stand | |
| Cable from guitar to effects | |
| Effects unit | |
| Power supply for effects | |
| Patch cords for effects | |
| Cable from effects unit to amp | |
| The amp itself | |
| Channel switch pedal if needed | |
| Power cable for the amp | |
| Spare fuses for the amp | |
| DI for the mixer feed | |
| Cable from the DI to the mixer |
The PA¶
Stage monitors¶
Lighting¶
Marking your cables¶
It is a good idea to mark your cables clearly. Getting into a bun-fight over which cable belongs to whom is not worth the trouble. Use some electrical tape for this - it comes in different colours, so pick one and wrap it round the end of each of your own cables.