Help: Tech Rider for Digitakt, Octatrack and other pieces of gear

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

I’m playing a show in NYC May 17, and the artist I’m opening for told me to prepare a tech rider. I need some help speaking the language that sound techs will understand.

Here is what I’ll be using, and how. I’ve included some information below that may well be redundant to you guys. So, maybe a few of you can kindly scan what I’ve written below and add to it, then maybe give me some notes on how this tech rider should look. And if anything looks inaccurate, like output information, don’t be too harsh. haha I appreciate all help in advance!

Also, I’m thinking of running these four pieces of gear through a Mackie 802VLZ4 8-channel Mixer before sending it out to the board. I need to keep it affordable, so let me know if you think this is the best option.

Instruments:

Digitakt

  • Stereo Output
  • The brain of the setup
  • Features most of each song’s sounds, typically spread between 5 and 8 individual tracks, as well as two or three MIDI tracks.
  • Onboard Effects

Korg Minilogue analogue synthesizer

  • Audio Output: quarter-inch monophonic output
  • Effects Pedals:
    • Z. Vex Instant Lo-Fi Junky
    • DigiTech Digiverb
    • TC Electronic FlashBack Delay/Looper
    • Earthquaker Devices Night Wire Tremolo
    • Will be used to play synth notes and sequences over top the Digitakt

Octatrack

  • Stereo Output
  • Onboard Effects
  • Will cue 5 different ambient interludes between the full tracks played on the Digitakt and Minilogue

Korg Volca Beats

  • 3.5mm stereo mini jack to quarter-inch stereo pair
  • Will be used for additional sequenced percussion
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#2

45 AM

Feel free to label the “synths” as “Primary Drums” “Primary Lead” or whatever.

Now, if you’re running through that Mackie of yours, you just need, “Synth rig - stereo output - 2 DI boxes”

Keep in mind that the sound engineer doesn’t care what a piece of gear is… just what is bass, what it drums, what is that sound that I need to tame for front of house…

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#3

Honestly you don’t need this much detail, is the venue supplying the mixer? In that case you will say something like “Venue Supplies” then the model/make of the mixer or an adequate substitute

Then you list the gear as ‘artist supplies’, you also need the dimensions of your setup to account for table space (like 1 x 1.5 meters for example)

After this is your monitoring requirements, and what outputs you will supply to FOH (for example, stereo pair to FOH from Supplied mixer)

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#4

Cool. So maybe the Digitakt, since it will have most of the percussion, would be Primary Drums? It also also has a lot of synthesized sequences as far as melodies and one-shots.

I don’t have DI boxes. Is this something a well-established venue would have? Pardon the ignorance. I haven’t played live in ages. haha

#5

This is more of an input list… But yeah DIs are standard, but that’s a lot of DIs… so if you want front of house to have that much control over all your levels (which can go either way…), you should specify that you need 7 DIs.

Now… your other option is to run the Volca and DT into the OT, use direct monitoring, and that becomes one stereo pair. Leaving your mono synth with its own DI. 7 DIs now become 3.

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#6

No, I was thinking of purchasing the mixer so I could control things myself a bit as far as EQ and maybe even volume in parts. Is this smart?

Also, the venue isn’t likely to have a small mixer that I can use beside my gear, would they?

Thanks for notes on artist supplies and dimensions for setup and table space! I hadn’t thought about that. I was going to request a table, but that was all I’d considered.

The monitoring is something I’ve been thinking about. What’s the best way to monitor a setup such as the one I’m using? Again, I haven’t played live in ages.

#7

Very smart, unless you want to piss off the sound guy and band you are opening for by hogging a ton of inputs!

No

Use Cue outs on your own mixer, have them go to the monitor. Request two monitors, L&R, and make sure they are LOUD af.

So basically I’d request 4 ins. Two for FOH (L/R) and two for your CUE outs (L/R to monitors). Make sure Sound guy does not EQ your monitors much, so you can get a good representation of what you are sending to the FOH. Sound person will EQ your main mix to get it to feel good in the room. You don’t want to be hearing that on stage.

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#8

Thanks for the input! I had a good chuckle at “make sure they are LOUD af.” I will be sure they go to 11. :level_slider:

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#9

By run them into the OT, do you mean run each instrument (DT, Mini, Volca Beats) through one of the 8 MIDI tracks? I’m still learning the OT, and I’m worried about complicating matters on that machine. I’m using it to trigger ambient loops (think My Bloody Valentine/Boards of Canada/Spiritualiazed). So, there will be one ambient loop on Track one that will be the intro as I prepare the first song on the DT, then a second ambient loop on track 2 of the OT as I prepare the second song on the DT, and so on. I’m worried that if I run stuff into the OT, I’ll have problems. haha

#10

I mean, plug the Volca (stereo) and DT (stereo) into the four inputs of the OT. Opening the OT mixer, turn up both direct monitoring channels (stereo pairs)… this will pass the output of the DT and Volca through the OT’s outputs, along with whatever the OT is doing. You’ll have to balance your levels a bit, but it’s a decent option.

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#11

Nice. Good advice! So this would be an alternative to me using a mixer like the Mackie I was considering buying?

#12

By the way, I really appreciate everyone’s generosity here in helping me out. It’s relieving some of the stress of getting everything worked out for the show.

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#13

Here’s my take on it.
An input list / tech rider/ stage plot is a document that saves time.

The document will evolve and change over time as your setup and needs change.

It saves time because an a good engineer will know exactly what to do by looking at it.
It tells them:
How you’ll be setting up the stage
What equipment you need from them to make your show work, and kind of where it’ll be placed
What kind of equipment you’ll be bringing to the venue for your show, and kind of where it’ll be placed

I knocked this one out custom for you using Pages on my phone as an example.
*you could add *suggested dimensions

Google will show you tons of examples as well, but the 'nauts have come through with absolute real-world questions and suggestions.
*I say this as a guy who shows up to various stages all the time as a drummer, and sometimes these plots make it into the hands of the people who need it as you hand it to them!

Think broad strokes, but get the info across so they can be pinning the stage while you’re preparing to get your rig situated while they do that.
Blank 3.pdf (19.3 KB)

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#14

Depends on the budget, I’ve supplied adequate mixers for touring artists when it wasn’t feasible that they bring it themselves (international acts for instance). If you’re not travelling a great distance and want to supply the mixer anyways, then just do that, as I said since you are sub mixing you’d want to just identify what outputs would go to FOH.

If you think you’d be ok with whatever the venue provides as far as monitoring go for it, but you might want something more specific like (15" stereo monitor pair placed on stands as in diagram). Showing up and just having floor monitors for Live PA is no fun.

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#15

If you want to have the most control over your sound live, the best bet is to mix onstage and just send the stereo outs to the sound board. There are less expensive optiins for a mixer (behringer 1002b comes to mind). Unless you are playing at a venue that does a lot of electronic acts the sound person will more than likely be familiar with doing sound for a “band” setup and not an electronic music setup.

Additionally, if possible bring your own stand to set up your equipment on. Yes the venue will probably have tables but you may end up having to share them with other acts.

Don’t forget a surge protector and also long cables for sending your mix to the board

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#16

Great input, and that’s a nice diagram you were able to create quickly on your phone!

#17

All good notes! I’m definitely thinking of bringing my own stand, and for the reason you state. And I hadn’t thought about bringing extra long cable for sending the mix to the board, so I’ll be getting those for sure.

And I’ll have a look at that Behringer 1002b now.

#18

Oh, and this is the Mackie mixer I was referring to. The Mackie 802VLZ4 Mixer, not the larger, more expensive models. Bu that Behringer looks like it would do as well.

#19

Exactly. You’d then just need two DIs for the stereo OT out (that’s carrying your other two synths) and, one DI for the mono out of the Minilogue.

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#20

We recently downsized the mixer on stage, meaning we had to have an extra DI for a polyphonic synth on stage. Apparently the synth was barely audible FOH with the rest of the mix, but it was far too loud in our monitor mix. It’s definitely safer to have all your levels controlled on stage, otherwise always check how the mix sounds FOH during soundcheck if possible. :slight_smile:

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