Behind the scenes with Rascal Flatts

Posted by on Jul 15, 2010 in blog, Featured | 1 comment

This post has been sitting in my drafts literally for months and for some reason I never finished it off to post it.  Mindy and I had a great opportunity last February to hang out with the audio crew on the road with Rascal Flatts when their tour came through Detroit.  Jon Jon Garber (Flatts FOH) was a gracious host for the day and the entire experience was a great case study in excellent live production.  Please enjoy my photos and commentary of that day…

Load-in underway at 11a. 8 hour drive last night equals very late start. Lighting Provider First PA hang going up Another array ready to go Crown 8000 iTechs. Lots of them. This is house right amp world. An idential setup lives house left as well.
Four hangs per side, plus sidefills One of the LED HD video walls being built & cabled. Shader controls & playback All video content originated from two Doremi units. Monitor & stage split gear waiting to go into place
Progress...1p Sound Image power distro for amp world house right. Identical unit for house left. Dimmer beach. Rows of DMX splitters for distribution to LOTS of moving fixtures. Lamp strike...
Drum tuning begins backstage Snake splits up top, I/O cages for the two Studer desks below (FOH & Monitors) Patch points from the subsnakes Monitor outboard FX. Stuart runs FX in true stereo to and from the verbs...says it makes a big difference in the stereo separation for ear mixes. All units connected AES/EBU Wireless rack...mics up top, IEMs down below, using two PWS GX antenna distros
More progress. 2:30p Bass world. Monitor world waiting for line check one set of Helical antennas FOH is built and in place...
Back side of house left amp world Joe Don Rooney's guitar amps. Royer's & 57s. Opener Darius Rucker is touring with a Pro6 at FOH & Monitors. Had fun getting the nickle tour from FOH engineer Billy Huelin. FOH rack. My fav's were an old DBX 165 in excellent condition and a Summit down at the bottom. RF's set list in the FOH Studer
3:30p Ludwig kit with a classic tuning/sound. Same kit we have at KCC Troy, actually. New heads every 2-4 shows. Fun visit with the drum tech. Shure mics throughout - SM27's on toms, SM7 on snare, Beta52/Beta91 in the kick. The kit sounded great! Drum subsnakes
A piano shell was lowered from the grid for a jam breakdown set. CP300 inside. The grid Backside of the stage...this is one of the three elevators that the guys use to enter and exit the stage. The backside of all racks controlling the LED video panels. 4:15p. Line check underway.
FOH during line check Two big ol' Barco projectors for the RF opening. Stage left backstage...monitor world is off screen to the left, then bass world & snake patch/split world All of Jay's basses
The opener's Pro6 in monitor world The Studer at monitor world for Rascal Flatts Set list in bass world with notes on which bass to use when Our passes for the day LD with a Grand MA desk
Ambience mics for the IEM's. One set of AT 835s like what I use for the outside pair, panned hard left/right, set of Beyer on the inside panned at 9 & 3 o'clock Set list in guitar world...lots more notes! The PA hang...there's another hang to the left for side stage. Video control behind the stage in the loading dock
During the opener's set, Billy making things go loud Was fun to check out the Pro6. Billy has been mixing for Hootie since 1992 - started with them in clubs in Charleston. House EQ curve in System Architect. The tunnel to the elevators for the guys' entrances. Rascal Flatts heading to the stage with their management guys
Here we go! From monitor world Backstage - Rascal Flatt's band Stuart Delk is one of the best there is. He started with the band 8 years ago (the beginning). Was cool to get a tour of the Studer Vista and pick his brain about RF, antennas, verb in ear mixes, and ambience.
Pyro during Me & My Gang!
Jon Jon Garber was an awesome host for the day. Got to ask lots of questions, was included in discussions, and met lots of people.
His mix was pretty rockin as well! The crowd was in it from the first downbeat to the end.
The guys going down the elevators. Load-out is underway. Such a great day but time to go home. Can't wait for next time!

One Comment

  1. 15-07-2010
    Rich Emery says:

    Great post! It’s always fun to see pictures like this. Thanks for sharing
    Rich

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