cheddatom Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 How long does it take you to set up? If I'm on bass I plug my pedalboard into a DI and tune up. It takes abut 20 seconds. I play a lot of drums and can set up my full kit in about 5 minutes. If I'm on a "shared kit" it's about the same as every other drummer seems to sit about a foot lower than me. My main band is generally ready within 10 minutes. Most bands seem to take significantly longer. I've waited over an hour for the "headline" drummer to set up for soundcheck at a multi band gig. It really winds me up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertbass Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 Bearing in mind that we all turn up together in the van, from arriving to ready for sound check, about an hour. Depending on the usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikel Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 If you have a routine, as a band, for setup, it can be very quick. We take about 15 mins from load in to full setup. If we do it on a first come first served basis it can take for ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony p Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 I can set my bass and amp up in 5mins, plug my semi acoustic into a di and give it a strum etc in same, but I find that's only half the picture.... Sound guy still has to check levels, overall mix, monitor mix etc etc that's what always seems to take time, also with a semi acoustic based sound like ours, sometimes there's massive feedback issues to sort. We played a festival this year where despite having an hour to set up we still started late due to problems with the ( supplied) PA system not working properly , the poor sound engineer was literally pulling his own hair out and still forgot to put a di into my bass amp! It was a case of if it's ok out front we'll live with the rest... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 (edited) Our Youngest plays bass in our band; it takes him about fourteen seconds to be ready, once the head is lifted onto the cab. He plugs in the bass and that's that..! From then on he'll be helping the singer and myself set up my kit; I say that five minutes is about right. The longest is the six cymbals, despite having the stands pre-set to their respective positions. I've looked at several 'quick-fit' solutions, but nothing, so far, has replaced the tried, tested, but slow method of wing nuts, felts and penny washers. So be it; it's not that bad. At least I'm sitting down for that part..! Total set-up for the whole band, from opening the van doors, would be around thirty to forty minutes, our PA and sound check included (no lights...). Edited November 7, 2017 by Dad3353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyquipment Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 5 minutes if I’m focused. 10-15 mins if I’m having to move stuff around in the room etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrig Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 I'm sure some do, but I haven't played with any drummers who don't take at least 30 minutes to set up, and the current one takes about 45 minutes. Me? about 5 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 If using full rig of amp/cab/pedals/bass etc less than 10mins, prob 5 or so. As a band we rarely do gigs where we have to use all of our own backline. The best i saw was Booze & Glory, they could do their whole backline in about 15 - 20mins including drums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted November 7, 2017 Author Share Posted November 7, 2017 [quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1510054961' post='3403542'] I'm sure some do, but I haven't played with any drummers who don't take at least 30 minutes to set up, and the current one takes about 45 minutes. Me? about 5 minutes. [/quote] See the drummer taking 30+ minutes to set up his kit seems pretty standard and generally tolerated. I don't understand! If I have to stand there waiting for them it's a real wind up. Thankfully there's normally a pub I can escape to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gottastopbuyinggear Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 It takes "me" about 5 minutes to set up - one speaker on top of the other, amp on top, pedal board (battery powered) on the floor, plug everything in... It then takes me anything up to an hour to set the PA up, because most of the rest of the band "don't understand that technical stuff", so I've volunteered to do it. The PA is spread among the band for storage, so we usually have a mixture of band members arriving late with their designated bits of kit, and one or more of "I've forgotten my mic stand", "Have you got a spare mic cable?", "Have you got a spare mic?", "Has anyone got a mains extension"... To be fair things have got a bit more slick of late, but (bearing in mind that I don't sing) there was a time when I was routinely taking 2 mics and mic stands to every gig just in case! Even though the agreement is that people bring their own mic and instrument cables I still bring enough to cover everyone, and I quite often end up using mine as I get fed up waiting for people to get the knots out of theirs, which they've hastily stuffed into their bags at the end of the last gig rather than coiling up in a nice neat OCD fashion as I would. Which brings me on to the time spent to pack up, which usually extends to the following morning for me, when I get up and re-coil all the cables that my band mates have packed up for me! Ooh, that ended up a bit cathartic! And don't get me started on the lights - I move on to setting them up when the PA's done... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrig Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 [quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1510059925' post='3403595'] See the drummer taking 30+ minutes to set up his kit seems pretty standard and generally tolerated. I don't understand! If I have to stand there waiting for them it's a real wind up. Thankfully there's normally a pub I can escape to [/quote]I usually get to the venue first to set my rig up, then sit and have a pint while I wait for the drummer to set up. But whats even more annoying than our drummer taking ages to set up, he is always late, the last gig we arranged to be there and set up at 7.30pm for a 9.15pm start, he turned up 8.25pm which left us very little time to do a sound check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockfordStone Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 i can do it in about 5-10, breakdown about the same time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gottastopbuyinggear Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 [quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1510060564' post='3403607'] I usually get to the venue first to set my rig up, then sit and have a pint while I wait for the drummer to set up. But whats even more annoying than our drummer taking ages to set up, he is always late, the last gig we arranged to be there and set up at 7.30pm for a 9.15pm start, he turned up 8.25pm which left us very little time to do a sound check. [/quote] Our drummer routinely turns up two hours in advance of start time so no problem there. Biggest issue I have with him is the first stomp he'll do on his kick pedal when he's setting up - invariably does it when I'm right next to his kit but with my back turned so don't see it coming, and it scares the hell out of me every time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricksterphil Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 About an hour but then we're still fairly new as a band so haven't settled into a routine yet. Did a gig on Sunday night, all set to go when the pedal came off the bass drum and it took 30 minutes of fiddling to re-mount it (electronic kit - it's a very small venue). Some good-natured bantering from the audience ensued and when the pedal was finally fixed we launched into it and the gig went down a storm thankfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 [quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1510059925' post='3403595'] See the drummer taking 30+ minutes to set up his kit seems pretty standard and generally tolerated. I don't understand! If I have to stand there waiting for them it's a real wind up. Thankfully there's normally a pub I can escape to [/quote] Pet hate is a drummer that very slowly and deliberately takes at least an hour to set up his kit. WTF?? I wouldn't mind so much, but it's inevitably impossible to set up yourself as he will also strew his cases and boxes over the WHOLE stage area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikel Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 [quote name='thebrig' timestamp='1510054961' post='3403542'] I'm sure some do, but I haven't played with any drummers who don't take at least 30 minutes to set up, and the current one takes about 45 minutes. Me? about 5 minutes. [/quote] I drum in a band and I use a marked rug, memory locks on the convenient stuff and tape on the tricky stuff. Takes 10 mins start to finish. Thats for a 5 drum kit, hi-hat 4 cymbals and a couple of cow bells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted November 7, 2017 Author Share Posted November 7, 2017 [quote name='mikel' timestamp='1510064426' post='3403658'] I drum in a band and I use a marked rug, memory locks on the convenient stuff and tape on the tricky stuff. Takes 10 mins start to finish. Thats for a 5 drum kit, hi-hat 4 cymbals and a couple of cow bells. [/quote] Very professional! I tend to set up my cymbals on their stands before I get to the stage if possible, then just whack them on there and I'm ready to go I know a drummer who calls himself a pro, and is "endorsed" by a cymbal company and a stick company - he takes between 1 and 1.5 hours to set up. Granted it's a big setup but FFS he tweaks and tweaks and it's still not right! He clamps his side snare onto his hat stand it it falls over multiple times before he gets the legs right. Drives me nuts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 [quote name='Gottastopbuyinggear' timestamp='1510060108' post='3403599'] It takes "me" about 5 minutes to set up - one speaker on top of the other, amp on top, pedal board (battery powered) on the floor, plug everything in... It then takes me anything up to an hour to set the PA up, because most of the rest of the band "don't understand that technical stuff", so I've volunteered to do it. The PA is spread among the band for storage, so we usually have a mixture of band members arriving late with their designated bits of kit, and one or more of "I've forgotten my mic stand", "Have you got a spare mic cable?", "Have you got a spare mic?", "Has anyone got a mains extension"... ***************************************************************** And don't get me started on the lights - I move on to setting them up when the PA's done... [/quote] +1 to all the above EXCEPT that Mrs Happy (aka Bluejay) does the lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barneyg42 Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 Depends on whether I get there before the singer and guitarist (married) Even if it’s a venue we play regularly and always set up in the same way and place they seem to spread the pa/bags/-amps etc all over the shop! Then there’s a couple of venues where we are on something like a raised dining area with a small access step at the front. Of course putting a bag or PA speaker in this gap is ideal!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalpy Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1510062752' post='3403638'] Pet hate is a drummer that very slowly and deliberately takes at least an hour to set up his kit. WTF?? I wouldn't mind so much, but it's inevitably impossible to set up yourself as he will also strew his cases and boxes over the WHOLE stage area. [/quote] We had to train ours to set up on the dance floor and then move his kit in once we’d finished plugging everything in. He marks his territory with his drum mat and we work round that. He grumbled about it to start but when we pointed out we weren’t pulling cables around his zildjians and bumping into his drums all the time he saw the positive. And it’s half an hour quicker for all of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 If there's enough space to not be tripping over each other and in each others way it's a lot quicker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Steve Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 again, depends on the band and the set up. If I'm being DI'd then it's set up whatever pedals I have (might be a board, might just be a tuner and an amp simulator) into the DI box, tune up and then adjust whatever backline I'm going through on stage to see if I am likely to get enough volume to hear myself over the drums (I tend to be pretty relaxed about how much I can hear on stage so it's not a biggie) If it's through backline rather than DI then it probably adds a few minutes to the process, and at a gig where I'm providing the backline I'm probably also bringing a spare bass and some stands, and possibly also providing the PA. But still boils down to plug in, tune up, do some basic checks for tone (not much) and wait for the soundcheck. I tend to be fairly relaxed about the set up - drummers take a bit longer but the more experienced ones tend to do as much before they get on to the stage as possible. What mostly winds me up are guitarists when you get to the soundchecking part of the evening...actually, when they're setting up too, all the dicking around with their amps for unnoticeable differences in tone, which they then repeat when the soundcheck actually starts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebigyin Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 I would always muck in and help set up p.a, lights ect as i have Fronted many cover Bands and also played Bass with bands but i would take about 10 minutes setting up my Bass gear usually always a suitable combo, no effects just plug in and play, i use foam mutes at the bridge on either a Fender Jazz or Precision that's all I have used i find they help with any unwanted overtones if you're playing at loud volumes at certain venues....plus i never or rarely change strings or buy a set of used strings i hate the brightness of new strings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steantval Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 [quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1510048519' post='3403430'] How long does it take you to set up? If I'm on bass I plug my pedalboard into a DI and tune up. It takes abut 20 seconds. I play a lot of drums and can set up my full kit in about 5 minutes. If I'm on a "shared kit" it's about the same as every other drummer seems to sit about a foot lower than me. My main band is generally ready within 10 minutes. Most bands seem to take significantly longer. I've waited over an hour for the "headline" drummer to set up for soundcheck at a multi band gig. It really winds me up! [/quote] Is your drum kit carried in pro flight cases, if so it would take well over 5 minutes just to take the full kit, stands and cymbals out of them before actually putting the kit together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted November 7, 2017 Share Posted November 7, 2017 Half an hour to 40 minutes (plus load-in) for my bass gear plus the PA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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