How are concerts in festivals set up so everything (lighting, sound, screens) is synchronized ?

Posts: 914 - Karma: 6,584

Jul 15 2014 10:45AM

So the last few days I was at a music festival in Switzerland (Openair Frauenfled) and a lot of great artists performed there.

I got me wondering, how do (the big artists) set up their show knowing that some of them like Macklemore get there just a few hours before the show.

There were 2 stages there and all of theme were fitted with all the lights and a bit screen in the back. Between concerts there was about 1h to set up everything they bring with them. But how does it work with the lighting system and the big screen in the back that are already installed ?

All the lights seemed to be synchronized with the music, when they had the screen in the back going it was also synchronize with the music, even when they started a song stopped in the middle and restarted, everything was still synchronized so how does it all work together ??

Is there like a standard for the lighting arrangement on a stage for music and the artist can just plug in a computer with a program and control the light how they want them for the different songs or is there someone changing the lights manually with buttons ?

Is the screen in the back (big ass screen that covers all the back of the stage) just a screen with a VGA or HDMI plug ? I'm wondering because while the concert of Outkast there was a Windows bluescreen error that appeared then the screen was off for 3-4 songs.

Also Macklemore had a show in Dublin the night before being in Frauenfled (Switzerland) how do they travel so they are in a different place every night ?? Plane, private jet, tour bus ?

Asking myself way to many questions...

6 0

bfulmer

Posts: 3053 - Karma: 1,975

Jul 15 2014 11:13AM

tldr;

computers.

6 0

arnie_grape

Posts: 3434 - Karma: 11,404

Jul 15 2014 11:22AM

it's not as complicated as you are thinking. everything is programmed.

6 0

NinetyFour

Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,409

Jul 15 2014 11:27AM

Paging ryano, pretty sure he sets up stages for a living. I'd imagine he has some pretty good insight as to how that all works.

6 0

fujarome

Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561

Jul 15 2014 11:40AM

the stage used is usually a generic stage with certain lighting arrangements etc. then the actual artist production crew shows up with some of their own stuff and their own programs to run it. They might change the lights and the video boards a little bit, but usually not too much. so from what I've seen, it's like 90% same stage, 10% individual artist stuff.

but I've only ever seen the set up for a concert in a stadium/arena. Festivals are probably very different

6 0

joris.blanc

Posts: 914 - Karma: 6,584

Jul 15 2014 11:51AM

cabdriverit's not as complicated as you are thinking. everything is programmed.

Yes I'm sure that everything is programmed, but how is everything linked together.

For example at the Outkast concert, the big screen in the back with animations crashed in the middle of a song with a Windows bluescreen. Even thought the computer managing the screen crashed the music continued like if nothing happened. And it seemed like the visuals displayed where in sync with the music, therefor there must be some kind of link between light, screen and sound.

6 0

iSmokeweed

Posts: 4793 - Karma: 1,370

Jul 15 2014 12:44PM

this is how Feed me does it.

6 0

arnie_grape

Posts: 3434 - Karma: 11,404

Jul 16 2014 10:05AM

joris.blancYes I'm sure that everything is programmed, but how is everything linked together.

For example at the Outkast concert, the big screen in the back with animations crashed in the middle of a song with a Windows bluescreen. Even thought the computer managing the screen crashed the music continued like if nothing happened. And it seemed like the visuals displayed where in sync with the music, therefor there must be some kind of link between light, screen and sound.

well I mostly just go to smaller metal shows but they usually have the computers with the samples and stuff with them up on stage going into the pa and then the soundboard and computer with the visuals on it at the back of the room. I'd imagine at a big festival it'd be the same on a larger scale. if it was outkast they may have had a sound board on stage I dunno about rap setups

6 0