My Live Rig Explained (pretty pics inside)

[Maximus]

Ok so i finally got some free time to do this, i think i actually finished tweaking my live rig :) this setup is the one i will use for 2010 it is 5 years in the making, out of triyng stuff out, buying, selling, trading gear.
the purpuse of this is that some of this might be useful for somebody, i dont mean to sound pretencious, but if it helps even one of the forum members then it the tread is worth the effort

So the Gear List

1 Korg Triton Extreme With MOSS
1 Roland Juno-G
2 Korg PS-1 Footswitches
1 Roland FS-5U Footswitch
1 Ultimate Support Silver Apex
2 Ultimate Support Long Tribars
1 Ultimate Support Super Clamp
1 Ultimate Support Apex Mic Boom
1 Shure Beta 58 Mic
1 Alesis Multimix 8FX
1 QSC K10
1 SKB ATA 61 Key case
1 Rockbag 61 Key soft case
1 QSC K10 Bag
1 MOBO Trolley

A Lot Of Neutrik Plugs
Proel Cable
Planet Waves Cable
And more stuff

So this is the rig i use with my covers band and as a hired gunn, it is sonically very ample it can do a lot of sounds and genres, the rig is optimized for portability, versatility, and playability.

I use 2 61-key synths for easier transportation, this is a work-rig, no roadies i transport everything at 2:00 am, and in a good season i play 2-3 times a week so it adds up.


http://photos3.hi5.com/0116/895/126/acLFA6895126-02.jpg

So this is the players view, notice the lower tier holding the mixer.


http://photos1.hi5.com/0114/606/060/Hw4YCo606060-02.jpg

This the back view


http://photos1.hi5.com/0115/626/456/zghI8v626456-02.jpg

The goal here was to keep the audio and control cables as clean as possible, all is going out Stereo, color coded for easy hookup red for the Juno, and Blue for the triton and an additional line (yellow) for the seq' bass, i've use only angled plugs so there's no mechanical strain on the cables, it works great, i don't suffer from false contacs.


http://photos1.hi5.com/0115/067/984/Z6srYQ067984-02.jpg


This is a closer look at the mixer its also color coded to the corresponding part, i've used small velcro belts on these cables so that i don't have to deal with a lot of sort cables, it saves time on the setup/teardown and its harder to lose. i've used planet waves cable for this because its not very flexible, so that it will not sit or hang too much, and it worked out great, notice that the plugs are all neutrik

In the Mixer i use the C-R out for my own volume so that i don't mess up the FOH volume.
In the line goin out (stereo) to the FOH i've used neutrik's silent plug so if i plug/unplug my rig, and the line is open it dosen't pop the FOH speakers.


BTW: im still unsure about the mixer, im thinking of selling it and buying a Yamaha MG82CX it wil probably be cleaner and i would love the compression on my vocals, so i will apreciate your opinions and feedback on this.

[Maximus]

http://photos1.hi5.com/0118/023/520/aUg.mn023520-02.jpg

This is the players view of the mixer

Ok, Im not leaving my mix to the FOH guy i dont care how good he is, (arena gigs don't count)

This was a desicion that i took and the solucion that i found, using a mixer/PA instaed of an amp for my amplification, when i used an amp if i wanted more volume or a change in tone i had to turn around, and distract myself from playing for any adjustment, so basically i transported that to my front.

i can tweak the balance/tone of the keys and vocals on the fly as i've mentioned all is color coded: blue for the triton, red for the juno, Green for the vocals, White for the C-R (my personal volume), and black (so that i don't touch it) for the master FOH mix.

http://photos2.hi5.com/0115/314/525/8ij4TS314525-02.jpg

The Pedals are also color coded, the blue is the triton and the red is the roland, Green for the FS-5U wich i use for seq start/stop and program up, depending on tha act, i've also used 3M's visibility tape on the pedals so that i can see them in low light situations.

Also notice that the 2 korg pedals are joined toghether by a small aluminium ruler this is to insure that the pedals are always at the same distance from each other this way you can memorize what keyboard you want to sustain without looking, or sustain both at the same time, it also stops both pedals from running around on stage without duct tape

http://photos4.hi5.com/0116/181/387/s.UeEg181387-02.jpg

on a closer look to the pedals you can see that its actually one cable, like the ones used on home entretaniment systems, this is to keep it clean and save time on setup/teardown, it has 3 divisions for the 3 pedals. i've also used neutrik plugs to insure a long problem free, maintinence free life, it has work so far.

http://photos4.hi5.com/0117/547/131/4mZpym547131-02.jpg

These are the connections to my Pa, notice the angled plugs to avoid connector damage in case of a roll over accident.
i use 2 lines because im running everything stereo so if i plugged only one i would get either L or R.
I wholeheartedly recomend these speakers, if i wasnt' becoming an weak adult i would buy the other one.

[Maximus]

http://photos4.hi5.com/0116/599/591/ubPtOo599591-02.jpg

Since im running everything in stereo i need 2 cables for all out audio so i've used velcro belts to tie them all up, and keep em clean and organized, it also saves setup/teardown time because i fold 1 cable instaedof 2

http://photos4.hi5.com/0116/065/847/fXi.mh065847-02.jpg

This is a very simple Mod to do, power suplies usually come with a stage unfriendly 2 foot power chord, so i took mine apart and changed the cable for a longer heavier duty one, and a heavy duty plug, now i usually dont need a extension chord.

http://photos3.hi5.com/0117/195/298/V.od1F195298-02.jpg

But when you do need a extension chord, dont use the xmas tree one, i've made this heavy duty one, and everybody is always borrowing it, i've actually sold 3 of them to other musos, it is unbealibable that no one in the bussiness has them for sale, it is grounded, with heavy duty parts you could tow a car with this, it is very simple to make and very useful.

http://photos3.hi5.com/0116/594/418/S18ODa594418-02.jpg

These are very simple ones: a note book for charts and set/patch list, a pen althou i would recomend Staedler's triplus porta office, it has a roller a ballpen a highlighter and a mechanical pencil it is a great product, ear protection, if the gig gets loud, and a grounded plug adapter (self explanatory).

[Maximus]

http://photos4.hi5.com/0118/081/363/4ZIYko081363-02.jpg

Well when i started giging i used a backpack like everybody else to transport my cables, pedals etc, as i was adding more and more stuff the backpack was getting heavier, messier and i could hear things clang inside, so one day i've noticed that the girl lead singer in one of my bands was transporting her gear on a trolley so i stole her idea and it worked out great everithing is organized and protected, and i dint have to carry anything on my back.

http://photos2.hi5.com/0112/370/461/sTVLu.370461-02.jpg

So This is everything packed up an ready to go, 5 bulks, so this brings me to my final advice, when you save up for a new piece of gear always save more money so that if you buy a keyboard you also buy a case a sustain pedal and a set of cables all at the same time, that way you can ask for a discount, and your new investment will be protected from the start, dont carry a 3K keyboard on a towel and dont ask the bass player for a cable (he probably dosent have one for himself)

So i hope you found some of this useful in you setup, please coment, im open to sugestions, questions and critisizms, and i would love for the experienced players to Share their own Rig tricks (hammond toby im looking at you). :biggrin:

[Bigs]

Nice :) How long does it take you to set it up and tear it down?

[Maximus]

Nice :) How long does it take you to set it up and tear it down?

Well it takes about 20 - 30 minutes either way, but in a hurry it can be done in 10 it is complicated to set up, but i make almost no compromises on it

[mmichaelc]

Nice rig. I definitely agree with some of your statements, it's always good to be organised and to know what cable is going to which synth etc.

[RAN7ARAVE]

heey you have QSC's

i was thinking about two K8's

how does the 10 sound ?

is it better than MAckie ?

[Maximus]

heey you have QSC's

i was thinking about two K8's

how does the 10 sound ?

is it better than MAckie ?

Yes they are :biggrin:

if you want them your your own amplification then i would recomend the K10 or the K12 because you can use them as wedge monitors, and have better bass response, the K8 has better dispersion, but its really meant to use on a smaller venue or a larger venue with the Ksub

[el mae de las teclas]

Its good to be organized, it brings lots of benefits, for example less time in assembling your rig and you minimize most of the problems that might commonly appear during a gig.

I really liked the mixer in front of you. In my case I put it on a side or on my back, and thats not very comfortable when ever I need to make adjustments.

Thanks for sharing.

[glassprison]

Super clean man. I should have taken a picture behind my keyboard a few weeks ago. What a mess!

What's that mixer? I keep thinking it's a Behringer, but the little bit of name I can see on the back tells me I'm wrong.

[orphe]

This is really organised and this made me think i should do the same thing with my cables , thank you for the idea

Super clean man. I should have taken a picture behind my keyboard a few weeks ago. What a mess!

What's that mixer? I keep thinking it's a Behringer, but the little bit of name I can see on the back tells me I'm wrong.

It's an alesis

[glassprison]

This is really organised and this made me think i should do the same thing with my cables , thank you for the idea



It's an alesis

Ah, ok. I've never used an alesis board......

Yeah, now I'm planning on getting some right angle 1/4" for my keyboard, since I have to get some new ones anyway.

Thanks for this thread Maximus. It's very helpful.

[Maximus]

Yup its an alesis multimix 8 althou i probably sell it, nothing wrong with it but the yamaha mg8cfx has a compressor that i could use for vocals + its a Yamaha, i have an mg10/2 for my home rig and it's an excellent piece of gear especially for keys

[Maximus]

Ah, ok. I've never used an alesis board......

Yeah, now I'm planning on getting some right angle 1/4" for my keyboard, since I have to get some new ones anyway.

Thanks for this thread Maximus. It's very helpful.



Glad i could help man, try to get the neutrik plugs, i know it looks like i work for them, but the reason that the whole rig is wired with them is because they never fail, they can take a beating and the signal is very clean. They are expensive, but to me there worht it

[glassprison]

Glad i could help man, try to get the neutrik plugs, i know it looks lime i work for them, but the reason that the whole rig is wired with them is because they never fail, they can take a beating and the signal is very clean. They are expensive, but to me there worht it

I know about Neutrik.......but, I've never seen them on 1/4".

Does anybody make 1/4" cables with those already equipped?

[King_Ellesar]

can i have your MOSS EXB?

[HammondToby]

Keep in mind, that the mg8cfx is deeper than the alesis, so it would come out a lot more and might get in the way.

Best
HammondToby

p.s.: nice organized set.

[Maximus]

I know about Neutrik.......but, I've never seen them on 1/4".

Does anybody make 1/4" cables with those already equipped?

Mogami :)

can i have your MOSS EXB?

Emmm.... No..

unless you can get me a Z1 (drool)

Keep in mind, that the mg8cfx is deeper than the alesis, so it would come out a lot more and might get in the way.

Actually theres still room for it, i usually pull the mixer a litlle far out, so its more of a question of: is it worth it?.

BTW do you use some custom stuff in your Rig Toby?

[HammondToby]

The Yamahas are quite good for the price, as they can produce at large numbers to keep the price low. I don't know, how the comp works, sorry, but I know the Yammys as good sub mixers, as long you don't have to use the EQ in extreme positions.

I'm working on a similar thread, as the response is quite big here. Have to set all up right and take some (good) pictures ... might take a month or so, as I'm very busy at the moment and my stuff is all over different rehearsal rooms, locations and studios.

But I use a TRamp by Jens Lüpke (http://tasteundtechnik.de/135501.html) as a custom Rhodes preamp, as it lightens the set dramatically, as I don't have to lug around the Twin Reverb or the JazzChorus. The linked site is in german, but there are sound clips on the bottom of the page.

Best
HammondToby

[el mae de las teclas]

Emmm.... No..

unless you can get me a Z1 (drool)





Off topic......

Man, I love the MOSS! Actually that's the only thing keeping me from selling my Triton Classic.

[Grey Loki]

...stage unfriendly 2 foot power chord...

Would that be playing Bb, fifth and octave on a ukulele at the opening of your set? :D

[Mantarkus]

Cool gear.
Not sure if you have it with you but I also carry a small flash light, a multimeter for checking those wierd looking outlets and testing continuity on cables, and a set of tools, like pliers and screwdrivers... oh and extra fuses. Sometimes the non musical extras you can have are life savers.
My advice to everyone is don't tell anyone from the band what extra items you got or they'll rely on you everytime for what they should get themselfs. Just the thought of the cables the bass players asked for and never returned.....

David C.

[PinkFloydDudi]

Great little writeup and fantastic pictures.

I used tape to keep my cables together, although I'm thinking the velcro straps would be a much better idea as it allows for the cables to rotate when winding them up to put them away.

I will hopefully do something similar to this with my setup (which includes a rack module and in-ears) when I get some free time.

[Maximus]

Would that be playing Bb, fifth and octave on a ukulele at the opening of your set? :D

Hehehe, i actually had to explain that to my guitar player.....

@pinkfloyd

i've tried tape, messy cables after a couple of gigs, and if you need an extra cable for an emergency you can't separate them that easely, velcro is the best solution i've found, and its also cheap.

i've done the in ears thing (wired) with this kind of setup, (blown amp, behringer of course) but the mixer was at my back and i wasn't used to in ears so i kept fiddling with the adjustments and found this to be very distracting and unconfortable, so thats how i decided to move the mixer to my front.

So please let us know how it works out with your rack and in ears.

[PinkFloydDudi]

Hehehe, i actually had to explain that to my guitar player.....

@pinkfloyd

i've tried tape, messy cables after a couple of gigs, and if you need an extra cable for an emergency you can't separate them that easely, velcro is the best solution i've found, and its also cheap.

i've done the in ears thing (wired) with this kind of setup, (blown amp, behringer of course) but the mixer was at my back and i wasn't used to in ears so i kept fiddling with the adjustments and found this to be very distracting and unconfortable, so thats how i decided to move the mixer to my front.

So please let us know how it works out with your rack and in ears.

What you said makes complete sense. The other problem with tape is that the cables can't move. So if for some reason I need to bring a certain cable around some object or obstruction, I can't just pull 1 cable through to go around it.
No question velcro is the best for it.

In-ears can be a pain in the ass, but man when they work, I find them to be unbeatable. (There is a reason the majority of mega-professionals use them). The easiest way to make them work for everyone, is if your entire band uses them and you have your own separate in-ear system. That way you can tweak it to perfection, and then no matter where you are playing, your monitors will always be perfect.

The bar has been set pretty high for these threads! I could easily take a picture today of the absolute mess of cords I currently use...but now thanks to you, I have to clean everything up and make it look pretty! lol


Edit: I'm tempted to buy some keyboard (which would make my live rig up to 4)...just so I can wear a cape and then point people to your rule as the reason. lol

[Maximus]

BTW: im still unsure about the mixer, im thinking of selling it and buying a Yamaha MG82CX it wil probably be cleaner and i would love the compression on my vocals, so i will apreciate your opinions and feedback on this.

Just bought the Yammie, i coldn't stay away from compresing my vocals ill even use it at tomorrows gig :biggrin:, so if you're in the neiborhood....

Alesis Multimix 8 USB for sale, like new, all originals included.