2: Find out who’s playing next week – every week.
A few days before the service, check with the worship leader as to which band is playing and if there are any changes based on the list you got in step #1.
After a while, the worship leader should start emailing you this information each week without being reminded.
3: Determine the stage layout.
Grab some graph paper and draw up your stage. Make a few copies. Now draw a different setup for each band.
Nothing complex, just write the person and their setup like “Chris; Ac. Guitar.” Once you have this for all the bands and the band members, you have your layout.
You can also add notes like “Chris; Ac. Guitar. #5” so now you know which stage jack Chris will be using. This makes mixer setup a breeze.
An alternate approach is creating only one schematic of the stage and labeling all the inputs.
Then use a spreadsheet program to list all the input numbers and enter the usage next to each, for example: “[5] [Acoustic Guitar].” Duplicate the spreadsheet for each band and adjust accordingly.
4: Change the layout.
Yes, after doing all that work, you have to change it; but not immediately. Try these setups with the band(s) and see if they like it. They might say they prefer certain people/instruments to be near each other.
Change it for the next service and if they like it better, then you have a new layout.
Once you have this system in place, you can have the stage set up before the band arrives, they will have more time for practicing the songs, and they will benefit from a familiar setup each week.
Familiarity leads to better music because the chaos and uncertainty will be removed.
Using the above steps, your service setup can be as easy as getting a band list mid-week, comparing it to your existing band layouts, tweaking appropriately, and setting up the stations on the stage before the band even walks into the sanctuary.
What method do you use for determining stage setup? What problems have you encountered? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
Ready to learn and laugh? Chris Huff writes about the world of church audio at Behind The Mixer. He covers everything from audio fundamentals to dealing with musicians. He can even tell you the signs the sound guy is having a mental breakdown.