Backline Technical
Introduction
The audio system is the crew's. The instruments are the band's. The backline technician looks after the band's: the guitars and basses, the amplifiers and pedalboards, the drum kit, the keyboards, and all the small things that keep them playing -- strings, heads, batteries, cables, picks and sticks.
It is a job done mostly out of sight. The technician works in the wings, at a small table lit by a single lamp, with a view of their player and a case of spares within reach. When a string breaks, a head splits or a pedal dies, they are on stage and off again within a verse, and the audience never knows. On a good night nobody notices them at all, which is exactly the point.
This book teaches that job: what backline is and how it is specified, the instruments and amplifiers by name, how guitars are set up and strung, how drums are headed and tuned, how keyboard rigs are built and protected, how a show is supported from the side of the stage, and how a rig travels from city to city.
Backline is spoken almost entirely in brand and model names: a Twin, a JCM800, an SVT, a Nord. The equipment is named throughout, because a technician who cannot read a backline rider cannot do the job.
How to Use This Book
The first two chapters set out the job and the equipment. The next four take each instrument family in turn -- guitars and basses, amplifiers, drums, keyboards -- and can be read in whatever order matches the work in front of you. The last four cover daily preparation, supporting the show, safety and the career.
Each chapter ends with a reference table, a procedure, a failure table written symptom first, a practical exercise and a checklist.
Keep a notebook
Write down each instrument as you found it and as the player wants it: string gauge and tuning, the action, the amplifier's settings, which pedals in which order, drum sizes and head choices, the keyboard's patch list. Your value is that the rig arrives tomorrow exactly as it was tonight, and memory does not do that across a twenty-date run.
A note on the words
The same object carries different names depending on who is speaking. A valve amplifier and a tube amplifier are the same thing; a head and a cabinet together are a stack; backline itself means the band's own instruments and amplification rather than anything the PA does. This book uses the words most widely understood on a stage and names the alternatives where they matter.
A note on safety
Three hazards belong to this job in particular. A guitarist is earthed through their strings, so a fault between backline power and audio power can put a player's body in the path: power backline and audio from the same properly earthed distribution, never defeat an earth to cure hum, and treat any tingle from a guitar or a microphone as an emergency. A four-by-twelve cabinet and a road case of drum hardware are heavy and awkward, and back injuries end more backline careers than anything else. And tech world sits beside the amplifiers, one of the loudest positions on the stage, so wear plugs for the whole show.
Where this book sits
This book assumes you have read A2 & Stage Audio Fundamentals, or that you already know what is in it.
If none of that is true yet, read A2 & Stage Audio Fundamentals first.
What pairs with this
- Monitor Engineering — the person mixing what your players hear
- Live Sound Production — the show day around the backline
Where it leads
These are not steps in an order. Take whichever one fits.
- Stage Audio & IEM Systems — the audio side of the stage your backline plugs into
- Touring Fundamentals — taking the rig on the road
What Backline Is
Backline is the band's musical equipment: everything on stage that makes the music before the audio system picks it up. The name comes from where it used to stand -- in a line at the back of the stage -- and it has stayed even though the equipment now stands wherever the band wants it.
The artists' instruments and gear, and the tech who keeps them.
The backline tech's role
The backline technician sets the equipment up, prepares it before every show, keeps it working during the show, and packs it away afterwards. They restring and tune guitars, change drum heads, check every cable, every battery and every pedal, and hand instruments to players during the show.
They also look after the players. A good technician knows how their musician likes their instruments set up, what they will ask for before they ask, and what to do when something goes wrong in the middle of a song. The relationship is close and built on trust, and many technicians work with the same artist for years.
What counts as backline
Backline covers guitars and basses and their amplifiers, the drum kit, keyboards and their stands, and all the pedals, stands, cables and small parts that go with them. It does not cover the PA, the monitors, the microphones or the stage boxes; those belong to the audio crew, and the boundary between the two is where most cooperation on a stage happens.
Backline can belong to the band, travelling with them, or be hired locally for the show. On a large tour the band carries its own rig. On a fly-in date, a festival or a one-off show, much of the backline is rented from a backline company near the venue, to a list the band sends in advance.
Guitar, bass, drum and keyboard technicians
On a small show one backline technician looks after everything. On a large tour the work divides by instrument: a guitar technician, often one per guitarist; a bass technician; a drum technician; and a keyboard technician, who is increasingly also the person who runs the computers and playback rig.
Each specialism has its own skills -- the guitar technician's setups and string changes, the drum technician's heads and tuning, the keyboard technician's patches and redundancy -- and its own workstation at the side of the stage. This book covers all of them, because most technicians begin as generalists before they specialise.
The backline rider and festival backline
A band's backline rider lists the equipment they need at each show: exact amplifier and cabinet models, the drum kit configuration with shell sizes and cymbal stands, keyboards and stands, and anything else. A good rider also says what can be substituted and what cannot. "Fender Twin Reverb, or Fender Deluxe Reverb -- no solid state" is a useful rider line; "guitar amp" is not.
Festivals and some venues supply a house backline: a standard set that every act on the stage shares, typically a drum kit shell pack, a couple of guitar amplifiers and a bass rig. Acts bring their own snare, cymbals, pedals and guitars, and add them to the shared equipment during a short changeover.
When backline is hired, the technician checks every item against the rider on arrival, before the band sees it, and reports any substitution or fault immediately. A hired amplifier with a noisy valve found at load-in can be swapped; one found at soundcheck usually cannot.
Who looks after what
On a large tour the backline divides by instrument.
| Technician | Looks after | Daily essentials |
|---|---|---|
| Guitar technician | Guitars, amps, pedalboards, wireless packs | Strings, tuning, cables, batteries |
| Bass technician | Basses, bass rig, DI and pedals | Strings, tuning, DI, cabinet |
| Drum technician | Kit, hardware, cymbals, pads, triggers | Heads, tuning, sticks, the drum rug |
| Keyboard technician | Keyboards, computers, playback, stands | Patches, backups, redundancy |
How to do it
- Lay the rider next to the delivered equipment and tick every item.
- Power every amplifier into a speaker and play it; listen for noise and crackles.
- Check every drum for its size, heads and hardware.
- Power every keyboard and confirm it matches the rider model.
- Report every substitution or fault to the production manager at once.
- Label every hired item so it returns to the right company.
What goes wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A solid-state amplifier arrives when the rider said valve | The rider allowed a vague substitution, or it was ignored | Write substitutions explicitly; report the mismatch at load-in |
| A hired amplifier crackles at soundcheck | It was not played on arrival | Power and play every hired amplifier before the band arrives |
| Hired items go home with the wrong company | Nothing was labelled | Label hired backline by supplier on arrival |
Practice it
Using a real backline rider.
- Every item is named by model.
- Every substitution rule is written down.
- Hired items are checked and played on arrival.
- Faults are reported the moment they are found.
- Everyone knows which technician looks after what.
Backline Gear
Backline equipment is a small world of very famous objects. A handful of amplifiers, cabinets, drum kits and keyboards appear on stages everywhere, and riders refer to them by name. Knowing them is the first step to setting them up.
The instruments and equipment you'll work with.
Instruments and gear
The core of any rock or pop backline is the same: electric guitars and their amplifiers, an electric bass and its rig, a drum kit, and one or more keyboards. Around them sit the pedalboards, stands, tuners, cables and wireless packs that make them work on a stage.
Each family has its own chapter later in this book. This chapter is about recognising the equipment and putting it in the right place.
Setting up the backline
Backline goes up to the stage plot, which shows where each player stands and where their equipment sits. The technician places everything to the plot and then adjusts with the player, because a plot drawn months ago rarely survives contact with a real stage exactly.
Placement serves several people at once. The player needs their amplifier where they can hear it and their pedalboard where they stand. The audio crew needs amplifiers facing the right way for their microphones and not blasting into vocal microphones. The lighting crew and the audience need sightlines. Amplifiers are often raised on stands or angled up so they point at the player's ears rather than their knees, which lets them run quieter.
The drum kit sits on a drum rug, marked with tape at every stand and pedal position so it goes up identically every night. On touring shows it usually lives on a rolling riser that can be set up in the wings and rolled into place.
The standard backline you will meet
Guitar amplifiers are dominated by a few names. The Fender Twin Reverb and Fender Deluxe Reverb are the classic clean valve amplifiers and the most common festival guitar amps in the world. The Marshall JCM800 and JCM900 heads, on a Marshall 1960A four-by-twelve cabinet, are the classic rock stack. The Vox AC30, the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier and the Orange Rockerverb are common rider requests, and the Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus -- a solid-state amplifier with a famously clean sound -- is a festival staple.
The guitars themselves are dominated by a few designs too: the Fender Stratocaster and Fender Telecaster, the Gibson Les Paul and Gibson SG, and for bass the Fender Precision Bass and Fender Jazz Bass. Most other electric guitars are variations on these, and knowing how each is built -- a floating tremolo on many Stratocasters, a heavy set neck on a Les Paul -- tells you how it will behave when restrung. For bass, the Ampeg SVT-CL head on an Ampeg SVT-810E eight-by-ten cabinet is the standard rock bass rig, and the one most festival backlines supply; Darkglass, Aguilar and Markbass amplifiers are common alternatives. For drums, kits from DW, Pearl, Tama, Ludwig and Gretsch, with cymbals from Zildjian, Sabian, Meinl and Paiste. For keyboards, the Nord Stage and Nord Electro are the most common stage keyboards, alongside the Yamaha Montage, Korg Kronos and Roland Fantom.
Knowing these by sight means reading a rider quickly, spotting a wrong substitution at load-in, and knowing roughly how each one is set up and how it fails.
The standard backline, by name
Rider vocabulary. Know them by sight.
| Family | Common models | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Clean guitar amps | Fender Twin Reverb, Fender Deluxe Reverb, Roland JC-120 | The festival standards |
| Rock guitar amps | Marshall JCM800, JCM900 on a 1960A cabinet; Vox AC30; Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier; Orange Rockerverb | Valve, loud, heavy |
| Bass rigs | Ampeg SVT-CL on an SVT-810E; Darkglass, Aguilar, Markbass | The 8x10 is the festival standard |
| Drum kits | DW, Pearl, Tama, Ludwig, Gretsch | Shell sizes matter on the rider |
| Cymbals | Zildjian, Sabian, Meinl, Paiste | Usually carried by the drummer |
| Stage keyboards | Nord Stage, Nord Electro, Yamaha Montage, Korg Kronos, Roland Fantom | Often paired with a computer |
| Electric guitars and basses | Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, Precision Bass, Jazz Bass; Gibson Les Paul, SG | Most others are variations on these |
How to do it
- Mark positions from the stage plot on the stage.
- Lay the drum rug to its tape marks and build the kit on it.
- Place amplifiers, angled or raised toward their players' ears.
- Place pedalboards and keyboards where the players actually stand.
- Agree amplifier direction with the audio crew for their microphones.
- Walk the stage with each player and adjust.
What goes wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The guitarist cannot hear their amplifier and keeps turning up | Amplifier points at their knees | Tilt or raise it toward their ears, and run it quieter |
| Guitar amplifier spill in the vocal microphone | Amplifier aimed across the stage at the singer | Re-angle it, with the audio crew |
| The kit is set up differently every night | No marks on the drum rug | Tape every stand and pedal position on the rug |
Practice it
At the next show you work or attend.
- Everything is placed to the plot and adjusted with the players.
- Amplifiers point at their players, not across the stage.
- The kit is built to the marks on the drum rug.
- The audio crew agrees with the amplifier directions.
- You can name every piece of equipment on the stage.
Guitars and Basses
Guitars and basses are the instruments a backline technician handles most -- restrung, tuned, adjusted, checked and handed over dozens of times a week. The craft is in making them play and stay in tune exactly the way their player expects, every night, in every climate.
Strings -- changing, stretching and the schedule
Strings wear out. They lose brightness, stop holding tune and eventually break, and a string played hard on a loud show dies faster than one on a sofa. Many touring guitar technicians restring every guitar before every show, or every other show; at the very least, every guitar is restrung on a written schedule rather than when it sounds dull.
A new string stretches, and until it has stretched it will keep going flat. After fitting a set, stretch each string gently along its length, retune, and repeat until it holds. Guitars with locking tuners need fewer wraps round the post and settle faster. A guitar restrung and properly stretched in the afternoon is stable by the show; one restrung ten minutes before is not.
Change strings one at a time on guitars with floating tremolo bridges, so the bridge tension stays balanced. Keep every player's exact string brand and gauge in stock -- a different gauge changes the feel and the setup.
Setup -- relief, action and intonation
A guitar's setup is how it is adjusted to play. Three settings matter most. Neck relief is the slight forward curve of the neck, set by the truss rod inside it. Action is the height of the strings above the frets. Intonation is whether the guitar plays in tune as you go up the neck, set by moving each string's saddle forwards or backwards.
Necks move with temperature and humidity, and a guitar flown from a dry climate to a humid one can change its relief overnight, which changes the action and can cause buzzing. Small truss rod adjustments -- a quarter turn at a time, then a pause for the neck to settle -- are part of touring maintenance. Anything more than that is a job for a qualified repairer.
Check intonation by comparing the harmonic at the twelfth fret with the note fretted there. If the fretted note is sharp, the saddle moves back; if flat, forward. A player's guitars should all be set up the same way, so they feel the same when one is swapped for another mid-show.
Tuning, tuners and alternate tunings
Every instrument on stage must agree on pitch, normally concert pitch with A at 440 Hz. Technicians tune with a strobe or high-accuracy tuner, such as a Peterson StroboStomp, a TC Electronic PolyTune or a Boss TU-3, and tune every guitar immediately before it goes on stage, because a guitar tuned an hour earlier in a cold wing drifts under hot stage lights.
Many bands use different tunings for different songs -- drop D, a half-step down, open tunings -- and the usual answer is a separate guitar for each tuning rather than retuning between songs. The technician keeps a written list of which guitar is in which tuning and which songs it plays, and labels each guitar clearly.
Electronics, cables and pickups
Most guitar faults on stage are not the guitar at all. They are the cable, the jack or the battery. A cable that crackles when moved, a loose output jack, or a dead battery in an active bass cuts the sound, and all three are found in seconds with a known-good replacement.
Check every guitar's output jack is tight before every show, keep spare cables in the tech case, and change the batteries in active basses and acoustic pickups on a schedule. Pickup and wiring faults inside the guitar are for the repair bench, not the side of the stage; the stage answer is a spare guitar.
Guitar and bass wireless
Players who move use instrument wireless: a small transmitter on the strap plugged into the guitar, and a receiver at the amplifier or pedalboard. Shure's GLX-D16, which combines a receiver and a tuner in a pedal, and Line 6's Relay G10 are common on smaller stages; on large shows guitar packs run on the same professional systems as the vocal microphones, such as Shure ULX-D.
Instrument wireless follows the same rules as any wireless system: coordinated frequencies, fresh batteries every show, and a spare pack and a cable ready in case the radio fails.
Bass rigs
A bass rig is usually an amplifier head on a large cabinet -- the Ampeg SVT-CL on an SVT-810E eight-by-ten is the classic -- and the audio crew normally takes the bass both by DI and by a microphone on the cabinet. Many rigs have a DI output built into the amplifier; the technician and the audio crew agree whether the DI is taken before or after the amplifier's own tone controls.
Bass cabinets are heavy -- an eight-by-ten can weigh over forty kilograms -- and are moved on their wheels or by two people, never lifted alone.
String gauges and why players care
String gauge is the thickness of the strings, usually quoted by the top string in thousandths of an inch: a set of tens starts with a 0.010 inch top E. Heavier strings feel stiffer, sound fuller and stay in tune better under a hard pick; lighter strings are easier to bend. Players are particular about gauge because it changes the whole feel of the instrument.
A change of gauge also changes the setup. Heavier strings pull the neck further forward, increasing relief, and sit differently in the nut slots. Never change a player's gauge without asking, and expect to adjust the truss rod and intonation if they decide to change.
Fret buzz, and what causes it
Fret buzz is a string touching a fret it should not. Buzz on the open strings and first frets points at a low nut or too little relief. Buzz in the middle of the neck points at too little relief. Buzz high up the neck points at low action or a high fret. Buzz on one note only usually means one fret is higher than its neighbours.
Much buzz is inaudible through an amplifier and matters only if the player can feel it or hear it through the pickups. The road fixes are small truss rod and action adjustments; high frets and nut problems are for the repair bench.
Acoustic guitars on stage
Acoustic guitars are on a great many stages and bring their own problems. Most carry a pickup -- a piezo under the saddle, a soundboard transducer, or both -- often with a small preamplifier; systems from LR Baggs and Fishman are the most common. The signal goes to the audio system through a DI, sometimes through the player's own preamplifier pedal first.
An acoustic guitar is a hollow box, and on a loud stage it feeds back easily, usually at a low boomy frequency. A soundhole cover or feedback buster blocks the soundhole and is often the simplest cure; a notch filter on the preamplifier handles what remains.
Acoustic guitars are more sensitive to humidity than electric ones. In a dry climate their tops and fingerboards can shrink and crack, and the frets can stand proud of the fingerboard edge. Case humidifiers are standard touring equipment for acoustics.
Guitar setup at a glance
Three settings decide how a guitar plays.
| Setting | Adjusted with | Symptom when wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Neck relief | Truss rod, a quarter turn at a time | Buzzing, or strings too high mid-neck |
| Action | Bridge or saddle height | Hard to play, or buzzing |
| Intonation | Saddle position | In tune open, out of tune up the neck |
Tuners and wireless, by name
The equipment in every guitar technician's case.
| Item | Common models | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuners | Peterson StroboStomp, TC Electronic PolyTune, Boss TU-3 | Tune immediately before it goes on |
| Guitar wireless | Shure GLX-D16, Line 6 Relay G10, Shure ULX-D | Coordinated like any wireless |
How to do it
- Restring with the player's exact brand and gauge, one string at a time on floating bridges.
- Stretch each string and retune, repeating until it holds.
- Check the output jack is tight and the cable is sound.
- Check intonation at the twelfth fret.
- Label the guitar with its tuning and songs.
- Tune it again immediately before it goes on stage.
What goes wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A new string keeps going flat | Not stretched | Stretch and retune until it holds |
| The guitar buzzes after a flight | Neck relief changed with the climate | A small truss rod adjustment, a quarter turn at a time |
| The sound cuts out when the player moves | Cable or output jack fault | Swap the cable; tighten the jack; hand over a spare guitar if needed |
| A guitar is out of tune under the lights | Tuned too early in a cold wing | Tune immediately before handover |
Practice it
With a guitar you are allowed to work on.
- Every guitar has fresh, stretched strings of the right gauge.
- Every guitar is labelled with its tuning and songs.
- Output jacks are tight and cables sound.
- Wireless packs have fresh batteries and a spare is ready.
- Every guitar is tuned immediately before it goes on stage.
Amplifiers, Modellers and Pedalboards
Between a guitar and the audio system sits a chain the technician owns: pedals, their power, a switching system, and an amplifier or a modeller. Each link can fail, and one of them -- the valve amplifier -- can hurt you if it is treated carelessly.
Valve and solid-state amplifiers
Valve amplifiers -- tube amplifiers in American usage -- use glass valves to amplify the signal and are prized for how they sound when pushed. They are also heavy, hot, and fragile: valves wear out, and a failing valve produces crackles, loss of volume or a sudden loud squeal. Touring technicians carry spare valves for their players' amplifiers and know which ones fail most.
Solid-state amplifiers use transistors and are lighter, more robust and more consistent, but many guitarists prefer valves for their sound. Riders often specify one or the other, and substituting solid-state for valve is a common and unpopular mistake.
Valve amplifiers need a few minutes on standby to warm up before the valves are asked to work, and most have a separate standby switch for exactly that purpose. Switching a cold valve amplifier straight to full operation shortens valve life.
Amplifier safety -- loads and high voltage
Never run a valve amplifier without a speaker connected. A valve amplifier's output transformer needs a load; with nothing connected it can be damaged in seconds. Check the speaker cable is connected and the impedance selector matches the cabinet before switching from standby.
Inside a valve amplifier are voltages high enough to kill, and the filter capacitors can hold a lethal charge after the amplifier has been unplugged. Changing a valve that plugs into the back panel is routine; opening the chassis is not. Internal repair belongs to a qualified amplifier technician, and a backline technician who is not one should leave the chassis closed.
Modellers and profilers
Many rigs now replace the amplifier with a modeller: a digital unit that recreates the sound of amplifiers, cabinets and effects. The Kemper Profiler, the Fractal Axe-Fx III, the Line 6 Helix and the Neural DSP Quad Cortex are the names you will meet. They send a signal straight to the audio system by DI, often with no amplifier or cabinet on stage at all.
For the technician, a modeller is a computer. Its presets are its sound, so they must be backed up, and a spare unit loaded with the same presets is the equivalent of a spare amplifier. Firmware is never updated on a show day.
Pedalboards, power and switching
A pedalboard is a small signal chain: tuner, drive, modulation, delay, reverb, often a wireless receiver and a switching system. The most common pedalboard fault is power. Pedals need clean, isolated power; a cheap daisy-chained supply introduces hum and noise. Isolated supplies such as the Strymon Zuma, the Voodoo Lab Pedal Power and the Truetone CS12 give each pedal its own clean output.
Larger boards use a switching system, such as an RJM Mastermind or a Boss ES-8, so the player can change several pedals with one press. Every patch cable on a board is a possible fault, so boards are built with good cables, fixed down, and checked by pressing every switch before every show.
Bass amplifiers and cabinets
Bass amplifiers work on the same principles, and many bass players favour the Ampeg SVT valve heads, which carry all the same safety rules. Bass cabinets must be matched to the amplifier's impedance, and connecting two cabinets to a head designed for one can overload it.
Valves, and which ones fail
A valve amplifier has two kinds of valve. Preamp valves -- small, usually 12AX7s -- shape the tone and are relatively long-lived. Power valves -- larger, such as EL34s in many Marshalls and 6L6s in many Fenders -- do the heavy lifting, run hot, and fail far more often. A failing power valve can glow unevenly, crackle, lose level, or blow the amplifier's fuse.
Power valves are usually replaced as a matched pair or set, and changing them can require the amplifier's bias to be adjusted, which involves the high-voltage internals and is a job for a qualified technician. On the road, carry a spare amplifier for each player and a set of the right valves for the repairer, rather than rebiasing in the wings.
The rig chain, by name
The names on a guitar technician's rider.
| Link | Common models | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Modellers | Kemper Profiler, Fractal Axe-Fx III, Line 6 Helix, Neural DSP Quad Cortex | Back up presets; no firmware updates on show day |
| Pedal power | Strymon Zuma, Voodoo Lab Pedal Power, Truetone CS12 | Isolated outputs prevent hum |
| Switching | RJM Mastermind, Boss ES-8 | Press every switch before the show |
Valve amplifier safety
Two rules that protect the amplifier and you.
| Rule | Why | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| Always connect a speaker load | The output transformer can fail without one | Speaker connected, impedance matched, before standby off |
| Leave the chassis closed | Lethal voltages and stored charge | Internal work only by a qualified technician |
| Warm up on standby | Protects valve life | A few minutes before playing |
How to do it
- Connect the speaker cable and match the impedance selector to the cabinet.
- Switch on with standby engaged and wait a few minutes.
- Take standby off and play through every channel.
- Listen for crackles or loss of level that suggest a failing valve.
- Check the pedalboard's power and press every switch.
- Confirm the audio crew's microphone is on the cabinet where they want it.
What goes wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| An amplifier crackles or cuts out | A failing valve or a bad connection | Swap to the spare amplifier for the show; replace the valve afterwards |
| Hum on the pedalboard | Shared, non-isolated pedal power | Use an isolated supply |
| A modeller loses its sounds after an update | Firmware changed on show day without a backup | Back up presets; never update on a show day |
| Bass head overheats | Cabinet impedance too low for the amplifier | Match the cabinets to the head's rating |
Practice it
With a valve amplifier and a pedalboard.
- Every valve amplifier has a matched speaker load.
- Amplifiers warmed on standby before use.
- Pedalboards run on isolated power and every switch has been pressed.
- Modeller presets are backed up.
- A spare amplifier or modeller is ready.
Drums
The drum kit is the largest and loudest instrument on most stages, and the one the audio crew spends most microphones on. The drum technician keeps it sounding right and exactly the same every night, and keeps a snare head ready to change in the time it takes the band to play a verse.
Drum heads
Every drum has two heads: the batter head, which is played, and the resonant head underneath or at the front. Batter heads wear and eventually break, the snare fastest of all. Heads from Remo and Evans are the standard -- the Remo Emperor and Powerstroke 3 and the Evans G2 and EMAD are common choices -- and a drummer's rider names the exact heads they want.
Many drum technicians change the snare batter head every show or every few shows, and the toms and kick on a schedule. The fastest protection against a broken head mid-show is a spare snare drum, tuned and ready at the side of the stage, rather than a head change.
Tuning a drum and a kit
A drum is tuned by its tension rods, tightened a little at a time across the head in a star pattern, so the head is evenly tensioned all round. Tap the head an inch in front of each rod: every point should sound the same pitch. Tools such as a DrumDial or a Tama Tension Watch measure the tension, but the ear remains the final judge.
The kit is tuned as a set, with toms stepping down in pitch from the smallest to the largest, and the relationship between batter and resonant heads shaping how long each drum rings. The technician tunes to the drummer's taste and records it, so the kit sounds the same in every room.
Muffling and resonance
Drums ring, and on a loud stage with microphones inches away a lot of ring is unwanted. Muffling controls it: small gel pads such as Moongel on the head, thin rings laid on top, or a pillow inside the kick drum touching the heads. Too much muffling kills the drum; too little leaves it ringing into every microphone.
Agree the drum sound with the drummer and the audio crew together at soundcheck. The technician shapes what the drum does; the audio crew shapes how it is heard. A drum that rings badly is far easier to fix at the drum than at the console.
Hardware, pedals, cymbals and the drum rug
Drum hardware -- stands, clamps, the throne, the kick pedal -- takes a beating every night. The kick pedal, often a DW 9000 or Tama Iron Cobra, is the part most likely to fail: a spring, a beater or a strap. Carry spares for all three, and a complete spare pedal for the drummer's main kick.
Cymbals crack and wear their felts and sleeves. Replace felts and sleeves before metal grinds on metal, and carry spare stands, wing nuts and memory locks. The drum rug, with every position taped, is how the kit goes up identically every night.
Electronic drums, pads and triggers
Many kits combine acoustic drums with electronics: a sample pad such as a Roland SPD-SX beside the kit, or triggers such as a Roland RT-30K fixed to a drum shell so each hit fires a sample. These feed the audio system by DI and, like any electronic instrument, have presets that must be backed up and cables that must be checked.
Triggers are sensitive to how they are mounted and to what else on the kit is hitting them, and a trigger that double-fires or misses is usually a mounting or sensitivity setting, adjusted at soundcheck with the drummer playing.
Snares, wires and the strainer
The snare drum has a set of metal wires stretched across its bottom head, which give it its crack. The strainer is the lever that engages and releases them and sets their tension. Too loose and the snare buzzes in sympathy with everything else on stage; too tight and it sounds choked.
Snare buzz caused by other drums or the bass guitar is one of the most common complaints from the audio crew. Adjusting the wire tension, retuning the toms slightly away from the snare's pitch, or releasing the strainer during songs where the snare is not played are the technician's tools.
The kick drum, the port and the beater
Most touring kick drums have a hole cut in the resonant head, called a port, which lets air escape, shortens the boom, and lets the audio crew put a microphone inside. A pillow or blanket inside touching one or both heads controls the ring further.
The beater hits the same spot thousands of times a night and wears through the batter head. A small impact patch where the beater lands protects the head and adds attack, and it should be checked every show. The drummer's choice of beater -- felt, plastic or wood -- changes the sound of the kick as much as the head does.
Sticks, and what the drummer uses
Drummers break and drop sticks, and most keep spares in a stick bag on the floor tom within reach. The technician keeps the bag stocked with the drummer's exact model -- Vic Firth and Promark are the most common makers -- and a second supply in the tech case. Brushes, rods and mallets for particular songs are laid out in set-list order.
Drum heads and hardware, by name
The consumables a drum technician stocks.
| Item | Common choices | Change or check |
|---|---|---|
| Snare batter head | Remo Emperor, Evans G2 or similar | Every show or every few; spare snare ready |
| Kick batter head | Remo Powerstroke 3, Evans EMAD | On a schedule |
| Kick pedal | DW 9000, Tama Iron Cobra | Springs, beaters and straps; spare pedal |
| Muffling | Moongel, rings, a pillow in the kick | Agreed with drummer and audio crew |
| Pads and triggers | Roland SPD-SX, Roland RT-30K | Back up presets; check mounting |
How to do it
- Keep a spare snare drum tuned and ready beside the riser.
- When a head breaks, swap the whole drum, not the head.
- Move the snare microphone clip if it is on the drum.
- Change the broken head off stage, after the show if necessary.
- Retune the repaired drum to the drummer's recorded tuning.
What goes wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A drum sounds different every night | Tuning not recorded; heads worn | Record the tuning; change heads on schedule |
| A tom rings into every microphone | Too little muffling or uneven tension | Even the tension, then add muffling with the drummer's agreement |
| The kick pedal fails mid-song | Spring, strap or beater worn out | Swap to the spare pedal; replace parts on schedule |
| A trigger fires twice or misses | Mounting or sensitivity | Adjust at soundcheck with the drummer playing |
Practice it
With a snare drum and a drum key.
- Heads are fresh to schedule and tuned to the drummer's record.
- The kit is built to the marks on the drum rug.
- Spare snare, spare pedal and spare stands are ready.
- Muffling is agreed with the drummer and the audio crew.
- Pad and trigger presets are backed up.
Keyboards
A modern keyboard rig is part instrument and part computer. Some of it is a stage keyboard with its own sounds; some of it is a controller playing software on a laptop. The keyboard technician's craft is making that reliable enough to trust in front of an audience.
Stage keyboards and controllers
Stage keyboards such as the Nord Stage and Nord Electro, the Yamaha Montage and the Korg Kronos carry their own sounds and connect to the audio system by DI, usually in stereo. Controllers carry no sounds of their own: they send MIDI to a computer running software instruments, commonly Apple MainStage or Ableton Live.
Keyboard stands matter more than they look. A wobbling stand under a heavy player is distracting and eventually dangerous; stands from König & Meyer or Ultimate Support are built for the road. Sustain and expression pedals must be the ones the player expects, because a sustain pedal with reversed polarity works backwards.
Computers, patches and redundancy
When the sounds live on a computer, the computer must be treated like show-critical equipment. The usual practice is two computers running identical setups, with an audio switcher that changes to the backup automatically if the main one fails -- the same redundancy used for playback rigs.
Every patch and preset is backed up, on the computer and off it. Operating system and software updates are never done on a show day, notifications and automatic updates are turned off, and the computers do nothing else.
Organs and Leslie speakers
The Hammond B-3 and C-3 organs, played through a Leslie rotating speaker such as the Leslie 122, are among the most famous and the heaviest instruments a technician will move. The Leslie's rotating horn and drum produce the characteristic swirl, and the audio crew usually mikes the horn and the drum separately.
Many players now use portable organs such as the Hammond XK-5 or the organ sounds in a Nord, which are far easier to tour. When a real B-3 and Leslie are on the rider, they need a proper crew, a lift or ramp, and a technician who knows how to set the Leslie's speed switching.
Acoustic pianos
An acoustic grand piano, such as a Yamaha C7 or a Steinway D, is usually supplied by the venue or a piano hire company, and it is tuned by a professional piano tuner, not by the backline technician. The technician's job is to book the tuner at the right time -- after the piano is in position and the stage lighting is on, because temperature changes its pitch -- and to keep everyone from leaning drinks and equipment on it.
MIDI, interfaces and the signal chain
MIDI is the control language between keyboards and computers. It carries which note was played and how hard, not sound, over a USB cable or a traditional five-pin MIDI cable. Each connection has a channel, and a rig with several controllers depends on each one being on the channel the software expects.
The computer's sound leaves through an audio interface, such as one from RME, MOTU or Focusrite, into DIs and the stage box. The interface is part of the show-critical chain: it needs its driver installed and tested, its sample rate matched to the software, and a spare available. When sound stops but the computer is running, the interface and its USB connection are the first things to check.
Keyboard rigs, by name
The instruments and software on a keyboard rider.
| Type | Common models | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stage keyboards | Nord Stage, Nord Electro, Yamaha Montage, Korg Kronos, Roland Fantom | Own sounds; stereo DI |
| Software | Apple MainStage, Ableton Live | Two computers and a switcher |
| Stands | König & Meyer, Ultimate Support | Built for the road |
| Organs | Hammond B-3, C-3 with Leslie 122; Hammond XK-5 | Heavy; the Leslie is miked separately |
| Acoustic pianos | Yamaha C7, Steinway D | Tuned by a piano tuner, not the technician |
How to do it
- Set up stands to the player's height and check them for wobble.
- Connect keyboards to their DIs in stereo and check every output.
- Start both computers and confirm the switcher passes the main one.
- Test every patch the set uses, in order.
- Check sustain and expression pedals work the right way round.
- Disable updates and notifications on both computers.
What goes wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A sustain pedal works backwards | Pedal polarity differs from what the keyboard expects | Use the right pedal or set the keyboard's pedal polarity |
| Software instruments stop mid-song | The single computer failed or updated itself | Two computers, a switcher, and updates disabled |
| The piano drifts out of tune during the show | Tuned before the stage lighting warmed it | Book the tuner after the piano is in place and lit |
Practice it
With a keyboard rig you can access.
- Stands are solid and at the player's height.
- Every output reaches its DI.
- Both computers run and the switcher is proven.
- Every patch in the set has been tested.
- Updates and notifications are off.
Tuning, Prepping & Maintaining
The show is won or lost in the afternoon. A backline technician's day is a routine -- restring, tune, check, test, lay out spares -- repeated the same way every day, so that nothing is left to memory when the lights go down.
Keep every instrument show-ready.
Tuning and prepping
The daily preparation follows a fixed order. Instruments are restrung and stretched early, so they have hours to settle. Drums are reheaded where due and tuned. Every amplifier is powered up and played through every channel. Every pedalboard switch is pressed. Every battery -- in wireless packs, active basses, acoustic pickups, tuners and pedals -- is replaced or charged.
Then everything is tuned once more immediately before it goes on stage, because instruments drift as the stage warms under the lights. The last check before doors is a walk past every instrument with the set list in hand, confirming each one is in its place and in its tuning.
Maintaining and repairing
Between shows, instruments are cleaned, frets and fingerboards wiped, hardware tightened, and small faults fixed: a loose jack, a scratchy volume control cleaned, a broken solder joint redone, a worn cymbal felt replaced. A technician keeps a log for each instrument of what was done and when.
Knowing the limit matters. Fret work, neck resets, major wiring and amplifier internals go to a qualified repairer at the next opportunity. The road answer to a serious fault is a spare instrument, not a repair in the wings.
The workbox and the tech case
A technician's workbox travels with the rig and holds everything needed to keep it running: strings in every gauge, drum heads, sticks, beaters, picks, spare cables, patch cables, batteries, valves, fuses, pedal power leads, a soldering iron, string winders, truss rod keys, a drum key, a multimeter, gaffer tape and a torch.
The tech case at the side of the stage during the show is smaller: the spares that might be needed in the next ninety seconds. Spare guitars on stands, tuned. A spare snare. A spare pedal. Cables, picks, sticks and a torch, each always in the same place so it can be found in the dark.
What goes in each case
The workbox keeps the rig running; the tech case keeps the show running.
| Where | Holds | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Workbox | Strings, heads, valves, fuses, tools, solder, meter | Travels with the rig; restocked weekly |
| Tech case | Spare guitars, snare, pedal, cables, picks, sticks, torch | Same place, same order, every show |
| Instrument log | Strings, heads, setups, repairs, dates | Written the day the work is done |
How to do it
- Restring and stretch early; rehead drums on schedule.
- Power and play every amplifier and press every pedal switch.
- Replace or charge every battery in the rig.
- Lay out the tech case in its fixed order.
- Tune everything immediately before it goes on stage.
- Walk the stage with the set list before doors.
What goes wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A guitar drifts out of tune in the first song | Restrung too late, or tuned too early | Restring early; tune just before handover |
| A spare cannot be found during the show | The tech case was laid out differently | Same place, same order, every show |
| The same fault recurs on one instrument | No log, so the history was lost | Keep an instrument log |
Practice it
Before your next show.
- Everything is restrung, reheaded and settled.
- Every amplifier, pedal and battery is checked.
- The tech case is laid out in its fixed order.
- Every instrument is tuned just before it goes on.
- The instrument logs are up to date.
Supporting the Show on Tour
During the show the backline technician lives in tech world: a small position at the side of the stage with a view of their player, a rack of spare instruments, and the tech case within reach. Their job is to be ready for the one moment in the night when they are needed.
Be the artist's gear support, every night.
Supporting the performers live
The technician watches their player, not the show. A player who looks toward the wings is asking for something, and the technician must see it at once. Before each song the right instrument must be ready; after each song the one coming off must be checked, retuned and returned to its stand.
Most of the night is preparation for the next change. The set list, annotated with which instrument, which tuning and which pedal settings each song needs, is the technician's script.
Backline on tour
On tour the rig lives in flight cases, packed the same way every night so it unloads in the right order. Guitars travel in cases with their strings slackened slightly for long flights; amplifiers travel in padded cases with their valves protected; the drum kit travels in cases sized to each drum.
International tours add paperwork. Equipment crossing borders is often listed on an ATA carnet, a customs document that lets it travel temporarily without duty, and every serial number must match. Instruments made with protected materials, such as some rosewoods, may need additional permits. The production manager usually owns this; the technician makes sure the list matches what is in the cases.
Tech world
Tech world is the area at the side of the stage where the backline technicians work during the show. Each technician has a small station -- a guitar rack, a work light, a tuner, the tech case -- in sight of their player and close to the stage entrance they use.
It is shared with the monitor engineer and the stage technicians, so it is kept tidy and its paths clear. A technician who spreads across the wings blocks the people who need to reach the stage in an emergency.
Instrument changes mid-show
An instrument change is a practised move. The technician walks on with the new guitar already tuned and its strap ready, the player lifts the old one off, and in one motion the new one goes on and the old one comes away. The cable or wireless pack is changed in the same movement, and the technician is off stage before the next song starts.
Wireless makes changes easier, because each guitar can carry its own transmitter. With cables, the technician unplugs and replugs with the amplifier muted or the volume down, so the audience does not hear a bang.
Emergencies during the show
When a string breaks, the answer is the next guitar, not a new string. When a snare head breaks, the answer is the spare snare. When a kick pedal breaks, the spare pedal. When a pedalboard dies, the technician runs a cable around it straight to the amplifier so the player at least has a sound.
The technician moves quickly and calmly, stays low and out of the light, and deals with the cause after the show. Performers remember how a fault was handled far longer than the fault itself.
Signals between player and technician
Players signal their technicians during the show much as they signal the monitor engineer. A tap on the headstock usually means "check my tuning" or "bring the next guitar". A shake of the guitar can mean something has failed. A pointed finger at the amplifier means a problem with the sound. Agree the signals with each player during the first rehearsal, and answer every one with a nod so they know it has been seen.
Climate, humidity and flying with instruments
A tour crosses climates, and instruments react. Wood swells in humidity and shrinks in dry air, which changes neck relief, action and tuning, and can crack acoustic guitars. Technicians let instruments acclimatise in their cases before opening them in a new climate, use humidifiers in acoustic cases, and check setups after every big change.
On fly dates, guitars travel in hard cases with strings slightly slackened, and the most valuable instruments often travel as cabin baggage or with a dedicated courier. Airline rules on instruments vary and change, so the production checks them before every flight rather than relying on memory.
First action in a backline emergency
The spare first; the repair after the show.
| Emergency | First action | After the show |
|---|---|---|
| Broken string | Hand over the next guitar | Restring and check the saddle |
| Broken snare head | Swap to the spare snare | Rehead and retune |
| Broken kick pedal | Swap to the spare pedal | Replace the spring, strap or beater |
| Dead pedalboard | Run a cable straight to the amplifier | Find the failed pedal or power |
| Dead amplifier | Switch to the spare amplifier or modeller | Check valves and fuses |
How to do it
- Tune the incoming guitar immediately before the change.
- Walk on low and out of the light, strap ready.
- Lift the old guitar away as the new one goes on, in one movement.
- Change the cable with the volume down, or switch wireless packs.
- Leave before the next song starts.
- Retune and check the returned guitar at once.
What goes wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A loud bang during a guitar change | Cable unplugged with the amplifier live | Volume down or mute before changing cables |
| A change takes too long and the song starts | Guitar not ready or not tuned in advance | Prepare every change from the annotated set list |
| Equipment held at a border | Serial numbers do not match the carnet | Check every case against the carnet list |
Practice it
With a colleague acting as the player.
- Every change is prepared from the annotated set list.
- Tech world is tidy and its paths are clear.
- Every emergency has a spare and a rehearsed first action.
- Returned instruments are checked immediately.
- The cases match the carnet.
Safety on the Backline
Backline work has hazards that are easy to forget because the equipment is so familiar: electricity through a player's body, heavy cabinets, and the sound level beside a stack of amplifiers every night.
Electrical safety
A guitarist is connected to their amplifier through the strings, which are earthed through the amplifier. If a microphone they touch with their lips is powered from a different circuit with a fault, the player's body can become the path between the two. This is a real and potentially fatal hazard, and it is why backline and audio equipment on a stage should be powered from the same distribution, properly earthed.
Never remove or defeat the earth on an amplifier or any backline equipment to cure hum; cure hum in the audio path instead. Use residual current protection -- an RCD, called a GFCI in North America -- on backline power where it is available, and treat any tingle from a guitar or a microphone as an emergency: stop, and find the fault before anyone plays again.
Lifting and moving
A four-by-twelve cabinet, an eight-by-ten bass cabinet, a Hammond organ and a road case of drum hardware are all heavy and awkward. Move them on wheels where they have them, with two people where they do not, and never lift a cabinet alone to put it on top of another. Back injuries end more backline careers than anything else.
Hearing
Tech world is beside the amplifiers and the side fills, which makes it one of the loudest positions on the stage. Wear filtered or custom-moulded earplugs for the whole show, taking them out only to check an instrument, and protect your hearing during the long afternoon of soundchecks as well.
Backline hazards
Familiar equipment, real hazards.
| Hazard | Cause | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Electric shock | Player bridging two differently powered, faulty circuits | Same power distribution, earthed; RCD or GFCI; never lift an earth |
| Back injury | Lifting heavy cabinets and cases | Wheels, two people, never alone |
| Hearing damage | Hours beside amplifiers and fills | Filtered or custom earplugs all show |
| Valve amplifier internals | Lethal stored voltage | Leave the chassis closed |
How to do it
- Power backline and audio from the same distribution.
- Confirm every piece of equipment is earthed; never defeat an earth.
- Use residual current protection where available.
- Treat any tingle from a guitar or microphone as an emergency.
- Stop, find the fault, and only then continue.
What goes wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A player feels a tingle from the microphone | Earth fault between two differently powered circuits | Stop the show on that position until the fault is found |
| Hum cured by lifting an amplifier's earth | A dangerous shortcut | Restore the earth; cure hum in the audio path |
| A technician's back is injured on load-out | A heavy cabinet lifted alone | Wheels or two people, always |
Practice it
Before your next show.
- Backline and audio share an earthed distribution.
- No earth has been lifted anywhere.
- Residual current protection is in place where available.
- Heavy items are moved on wheels or by two people.
- You wear hearing protection all show.
Mastering Backline
The best backline technicians are trusted with some of the most personal objects a musician owns. This chapter sets out the whole skill set and the path through a career built on it.
A skilled, artist-facing touring instrument craft.
The complete backline tech
A complete backline technician can read a rider and check hired equipment against it. They can set up a stage to the plot, restring and set up a guitar, head and tune a drum kit, build a reliable keyboard rig, bring a valve amplifier up safely and keep a pedalboard quiet. They prepare the same way every afternoon, hand over instruments invisibly, deal with any emergency with a spare first, and pack the rig to travel.
Developing as a backline tech
Most backline technicians begin as local crew or at a backline hire company, learning the equipment by preparing it for other people's shows. From there the path runs to technician for a local band, then for touring acts, often specialising as a guitar, drum or keyboard technician, and sometimes moving on to stage management or production management.
Skills that open doors are genuine: guitar setup and basic repair, drum tuning, keyboard and computer redundancy, soldering, and fluency with the standard equipment by name. Recommendations from musicians carry a technician from one tour to the next more than any qualification.
Practical sign-off
Backline is learned doing real shows. The learner sets up and places backline, tunes and preps instruments, maintains and repairs gear, and supports the show live. A mentor signs off when the learner can tech backline for a show.
- Identified and set up backline instruments and gear
- Tuned and prepped instruments show-ready
- Maintained and repaired backline gear
- Supported the performers and their gear live through a show
Working with the audio crew and the performers
Backline and audio share the stage and serve the same players. The audio crew needs amplifiers facing their microphones, drums tuned and muffled so they do not ring, keyboard DIs clean, and warning of any change. The monitor engineer needs to know when an instrument changes and what it sounds like. A technician who tells them things before they ask makes everyone's show easier.
With the players, the relationship is personal. A technician learns how their player likes everything set up, what they will ask for, and how they react under pressure. Discretion, calm and consistency are the qualities that keep technicians working with the same artists for years.
The backline career path
Learned on the equipment, carried by recommendation.
| Stage | Doing | Next |
|---|---|---|
| Backline hire or local crew | Preparing and checking equipment | Technician for a local band |
| Band technician | One band's whole rig | Touring technician |
| Touring specialist | Guitar, drum or keyboard technician | Senior or crew chief roles |
| Beyond backline | Stage or production management | Running shows |
How to do it
- Work at a backline hire company or as local crew and learn every standard model.
- Learn to restring, set up and intonate a guitar properly.
- Learn to head and tune a drum kit evenly.
- Learn to solder a cable and fix a jack.
- Keep a log of every instrument you work on.
What goes wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| You are capable but not re-hired | Inconsistent preparation or poor communication | Same routine every day; tell the crew and players before they ask |
| You cannot read backline riders confidently | The standard equipment was never learned by name | Work at a hire company; learn every standard model |
Practice it
Over the next month.
- Players stop worrying about their instruments.
- Your afternoon routine is the same every day.
- The audio crew hears about changes from you first.
- You can name and prepare every standard model.
- Musicians recommend you to other musicians.
Glossary
| Action | The height of the strings above the frets. |
| Amp | An amplifier for an instrument, such as a guitar or bass. |
| Backline | The artists' instruments and musical equipment on stage. |
| Backline rider | The list of backline a band needs at each show. |
| Backline tech | The crew member who looks after the backline. |
| Batter head | The drum head that is played. |
| Carnet | A customs document letting equipment travel temporarily without duty. |
| Drum rug | The rug the kit sits on, taped at every stand and pedal position. |
| Drum technician | A backline technician specialising in drums. |
| Festival backline | Shared equipment supplied for every act on a festival stage. |
| Guitar technician | A backline technician specialising in guitars and basses. |
| Instrument change | Swapping an instrument during the show. |
| Intonation | Whether an instrument plays in tune as you go up the neck. |
| Isolated power | A pedal supply giving each pedal its own separate output. |
| Leslie | A rotating speaker used with organs. |
| Modeller | A digital unit recreating amplifiers, cabinets and effects. |
| Muffling | Material added to a drum to control its ring. |
| Neck relief | The slight forward curve of a guitar neck, set by the truss rod. |
| Resonant head | The drum head that is not played. |
| Setup | Placing and connecting the backline for a show; also how an instrument is adjusted to play. |
| Standby | A valve amplifier setting that warms the valves before use. |
| Tech case | The case of spares within reach during the show. |
| Tech world | The area at the side of the stage where backline technicians work during the show. |
| Tension rod | One of the screws that tighten a drum head. |
| Trigger | A sensor on a drum that fires a sample when it is hit. |
| Truss rod | The adjustable rod inside a guitar neck that sets its relief. |
| Tuning | Getting an instrument to the correct pitch. |
| Valve amplifier | An amplifier using glass valves, also called a tube amplifier. |
| Workbox | The case of tools and consumables that travels with the rig. |
What the gear actually looks like
Every device named in this book, in one place. Recognition is the whole point of Chapter 4 — use this page to attach a picture to each name before you meet it on a dock at six in the morning.
Find the destination.
Work along the path between them.