Soundcheck Prep: What to Send Your Engineer Before You Arrive
A soundcheck that runs 90 minutes instead of 45 is a soundcheck that eats into your set, strains the relationship with the venue, and leaves the band starting their first song already tired. Most of the delays are caused by information that could have been shared days in advance: what channels the engineer needs to build, what monitors each player requires, what the stage layout looks like.
None of this should be figured out in the venue. Here is what to prepare before you arrive, how to format it so the engineer can actually use it, and how to share it without four separate PDF attachments.
The Cost of Arriving Unprepared
Section titled “The Cost of Arriving Unprepared”The house engineer at a Thursday night pub gig might have 30 minutes from the time you arrive to when doors open. A corporate event’s AV team might have two hours — but also three other acts on the same stage.
When you arrive with a patchlist in your head rather than on paper, the engineer is writing down what you tell them in real time, asking clarifying questions, and hoping they got it right. When you arrive with a patchlist sent 48 hours ago, they have already built the initial channel layout and spent those 30 minutes doing something useful.
The band that makes the engineer’s job easier gets better treatment — faster checks, more time dialling in the mix, a sound person who is already invested in making the show work.
The Patchlist: Your Engineer’s Most Important Document
Section titled “The Patchlist: Your Engineer’s Most Important Document”The patchlist is a channel-by-channel breakdown of every input on stage. It tells the engineer what they are building before a single cable is plugged in.
A complete patchlist row includes:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Channel | 1 |
| Source | Kick drum (inside) |
| Mic / DI | Shure Beta 52 / Beta 91A (if dual-mic) |
| Stand type | Short boom on floor |
| Notes | No phantom, low-cut at 80Hz |
The notes column carries the information that causes surprises at soundcheck when it is missing:
- Instruments that need phantom power (condenser mics, active DIs)
- Sources where you want a pad engaged at the preamp
- Stereo pairs that must go to adjacent channels
- DI outs from keyboards that go to two channels
- Click track or backing track outputs and which channel they are on
Keep it scannable. Engineers read patchlists on a phone in a noisy venue with one hand while doing something else with the other. Dense paragraphs do not get read. A clean table with one row per input does.
Building a Patchlist That Works for Any Venue
Section titled “Building a Patchlist That Works for Any Venue”The house engineer at a bar does not have the same rig as the A1 at a theatre. Write the patchlist for the instrument and source, not for a specific mic model — the engineer may not have your preferred microphone, but they know how to mic a snare drum with what they have if they know it is a snare drum.
Specify: instrument type, source (DI vs. mic’d, overhead vs. clip), stand type, phantom and pad requirements, any stereo routing.
Leave optional: preferred mic models (note as a preference, not a requirement), EQ settings (the engineer has their own approach), effects (discuss at soundcheck).
A patchlist that works at every venue is one that describes what you have and what it needs — not one that prescribes what the engineer must provide.
The PA Notes Field
Section titled “The PA Notes Field”Some songs have details the FOH engineer should know in advance: a long outro that fades to silence (they do not need to chase a fader), a song where the vocalist moves to a handheld mic mid-song, an intro where the band plays quietly before the first downbeat.
In Gigmeister, you can add per-song PA notes to each entry in your setlist. These notes appear in the Soundman View — the real-time read-only link you share with the FOH engineer. They see the notes for each song as it comes up in the set, before the song starts.
This is the difference between a reactive engineer (scrambling to adapt) and a prepared engineer (already set up for what is coming).
The Stage Plan: Getting Everyone in the Right Place
Section titled “The Stage Plan: Getting Everyone in the Right Place”A stage plan is a visual diagram of who stands where — instrument positions, monitor wedge positions and assignments, amp placement, and cable runs. Its purpose is to get the physical stage set up before you arrive, so you are not spending the first 20 minutes moving amplifiers.
Most bands use the same stage layout for the majority of their gigs. The drummer is in the back centre, the bass amp is stage right, keyboards are stage left, the guitarist moves between centre and stage right depending on song. Build the plan once and reuse it.
What to Include in a Stage Plan
Section titled “What to Include in a Stage Plan”- Musician positions — labelled by name or instrument. If the vocalist and the guitarist share centre stage, show it.
- Monitor wedge positions — which wedge faces which player, and which aux send it is on. “Monitor 1 faces vocals and keys, Monitor 2 faces drums” is enough.
- Amp positions — with a note for whether each goes direct-in (DI) or mic’d.
- Drum kit position and orientation — including whether the kit is elevated on a riser.
- Keyboard and guitar riser positions — if applicable.
- Cable run notes — anything that crosses a walkway or audience area that needs to be addressed before people are moving around.
The goal is for the venue’s crew to have the stage mostly right before you arrive. You will still adjust things — but “mostly right” is far faster than starting from scratch.
Building the Plan Once and Reusing It
Section titled “Building the Plan Once and Reusing It”In Gigmeister’s Rider Pack, the stage plan editor is a visual canvas: drag positions, label them, save. The plan is part of your rider share link. Every venue that receives the link gets the current version.
When your guitarist moves from a combo amp to a Kemper and the input routing changes, update the plan once. Every venue with the link sees the new version immediately. There is no version to recall.
The Tech Rider: What the Venue Owes You
Section titled “The Tech Rider: What the Venue Owes You”The tech rider describes what the venue needs to provide for your show to work. It covers PA system requirements, monitor setup, power, backline (if applicable), and any specialist equipment.
A practical tech rider for a working band without excessive demands:
PA system: full-range stereo system appropriate for the room size, with subwoofers. No specific brand required.
Monitor system: minimum two independent monitor mixes (wedges or IEMs compatible). For larger bands: four independent mixes.
Inputs: minimum 16-channel capability at FOH (more for larger bands — specify based on your channel count).
Power: clean power with a dedicated circuit for the backline if possible. Specify any high-draw requirements (Leslie cabinet, high-powered keyboard rig).
Backline (if venue-supplied): specify exactly what you need. If you bring your own, say so clearly so the venue does not set up something that will not be used.
How Detailed Is Too Detailed?
Section titled “How Detailed Is Too Detailed?”A venue reading a 12-page technical rider for a Thursday bar gig will ignore most of it. Match the detail level to the gig type and the venue’s capacity to respond.
For pub and club gigs: a one-page rider covering channel count, monitor sends, and power requirements is right.
For corporate and private events: two to three pages, covering everything above plus any AV integration (HDMI for visuals, walk-in/walk-out music from a laptop, wireless handheld mics for speeches).
For festivals and theatres: full technical specification with addenda for backline and power requirements.
Include a short “essentials” block at the top — three or four items that are genuinely non-negotiable — for venues that will not read beyond page one. Everything else is a preference.
The Hospitality Rider
Section titled “The Hospitality Rider”The hospitality rider covers what the venue provides for the band off stage: catering, dressing room, parking, and load-in access. Keep it proportionate to the gig.
A sensible hospitality rider for a mid-tier function or event band:
- Parking: clearly marked spaces close to the load-in entrance, held from arrival to departure
- Dressing room: one clean room with chairs, a mirror, and a power outlet per device (or a power strip)
- Water and refreshments: water on stage throughout the show; light snacks or a hot meal for multi-hour bookings
- Meal allowance: a fixed amount per head if catering is not practical
Leave out demands that signal inexperience for your tier — a headlining stadium act’s hospitality requirements do not translate to a private birthday party booking. Unreasonable riders create friction with venues and do not get honoured anyway.
Sharing Everything With a Single Link
Section titled “Sharing Everything With a Single Link”Four separate PDFs in an email — patchlist, stage plan, tech rider, hospitality rider — is how important documents get missed. One gets moved to a folder, one gets forwarded to the wrong person, one is the version from two years ago.
The Rider Pack share link in Gigmeister is a single URL that surfaces all four documents in one view. Send it once in the booking confirmation email. The venue coordinator, the stage manager, and the house engineer can all access the same link.
When you update the patchlist before a run of gigs, everyone with the link sees the new version. No re-send required. No “which version is current?” question at soundcheck.
The link requires no login to view. It is printable. It works on any device. For venues that prefer a physical copy, the engineer can open it on their phone or print it from the URL.
The Soundman View: Setlist Mode for Front of House
Section titled “The Soundman View: Setlist Mode for Front of House”During the show, the FOH engineer benefits from knowing what song is next — especially on variable-order setlists or gigs where the band calls songs from the stage. Gigmeister has a dedicated Soundman View mode built into the setlist page: a cleaner, read-optimised layout showing song titles, order, and per-song notes without the performance navigation controls.
What the Soundman View Shows
Section titled “What the Soundman View Shows”- The full setlist with song order
- The currently playing song (highlighted)
- Per-song notes (PA notes, stage banter cues, instrument changes)
- Duration of each song
The view updates live as the band leader advances through songs.
Using Soundman View at the Desk
Section titled “Using Soundman View at the Desk”The practical setup: a dedicated device (tablet or spare phone) at FOH, logged into the band’s Gigmeister account, open on the setlist in Soundman View mode. The engineer follows the set without a printed sheet, and per-song notes are visible before each song starts.
An engineer who can see “keys-led intro, vocal enters bar 5, big reverb tail on snare in second verse” before the song starts is set up rather than reacting. These notes live on the song in Gigmeister and are visible in the Soundman View alongside the setlist order.
Soundman View is a mode within the authenticated app — the FOH device needs to be logged in. A public no-login share link for the sound engineer (combining setlist and patchlist) is on the roadmap.
The Pre-Show Checklist
Section titled “The Pre-Show Checklist”A consolidated checklist for every gig:
- Patchlist updated and included in rider share link
- Stage plan current and in the rider share link
- Tech rider accurate for tonight’s setup
- Rider share link sent to the venue contact
- Setlist locked for tonight (or finalised at soundcheck)
- PA notes added for any songs with specific requirements
- FOH device logged in and open on Soundman View mode
- MIDI program changes tested against all devices
- Backing tracks verified (levels, routing, trigger settings)
- Calendar event updated with load-in and soundcheck times for all band members
The first time through this list takes a few minutes. After the first gig, it takes 90 seconds to confirm that nothing has changed.
Get Started
Section titled “Get Started”Build your rider pack, share it with venues, and give your sound engineer real-time setlist visibility. Create a free Gigmeister account or read the Rider Pack documentation to set up your production documents.