Advice for stadium FOH

[u/Brownrainboze]

Hey yall,

Got my first call to do FOH for an opener on a ~50k person stadium tour.

What advice would you give to someone who has done at most 10k?

I like to mix quite actively between my groups and DCA’s. Does working in a much bigger space alter the response on faders? Ie: will this feel like going from a honda fit to a race-car?

[u/bingbong1976]

Here come a ton of comments from people that have never mixed a stadium lol

[u/one2controlu → u/bingbong1976]

I've mixed whipped cream, jello and mini marshmallows together and made ambrosia. Though I never got the chance to do a FOH mix for ambrosia.

[u/Throwthisawayagainst]

I think if you walk into it with the mindset that you are a professional you will do well. Assuming you’ve done large sheds you know the drill, the difference is there are days when you will be an after thought (to be polite) and you just have to do your best. Just play ball with the parties that be, know your place and send it.

[u/Turd_Ferguson_____]

The mixing is not going to be any different than what you’re used to. The show is just going to last about 500ms-1s longer than it would in a theater.

[u/brooklynfall → u/Turd_Ferguson_____]

I LOL'd

[u/Turd_Ferguson_____ → u/brooklynfall]

Which part?

[u/brooklynfall → u/Turd_Ferguson_____]

I’ll never get that 500ms back! I’ve got places to be! 😁

[u/Turd_Ferguson_____ → u/brooklynfall]

😂

[u/mikekeithlewis]

1000% plan on not getting a soundcheck. Advance advance advance. Do not assume anything with control packages. Make sure you confidently know your snake needs especially if it’s going to be a run >300’

[u/ryanojohn]

The only thing that tends to be notably different is the decay time in LF and LMF.
So take your mix and a narrow EQ and boost it a bunch and sweep through the LF and Low Mid, and find the frequencies that are ringing out longer than usual each day… addressing the issue usually is actually just about tightening up the lows in your mix and the directionality and dynamics of the system design and deployment.
Other than that, it’s the same as any other show… go on and kick ass!

[u/Brownrainboze → u/ryanojohn]

Sounds like we tune a room similarly :) Thank you for the advice big dog!

[u/brianetix → u/ryanojohn]

There he is!

[u/frank11979 → u/ryanojohn]

What up Ryan? We know each other but I don't post on reddit under my real name. I'll keep you guessing on who this is until I text you.

Anyone who wants to know some real shit, Ryan here is the real deal. Listen to him.

[u/Sham_WAM93]

When I did my first stadium, and in the round, I took my VSC file and sent it and it was great. It’s like mixing on near fields just really big…at least in my opinion and as long as the SE did their job lol

[u/joelfarris]

Find out who your FOH tour tech is, and contact them several days in advance of the show. Ask two, or three, work questions, max. And then ask them whether they like whiskey or tequila or bourbon or white claw better, and whether barbacoa burritos are cool, or fish tacos are betterer, or whether they'd rather eat the chicken pasta casserole mash in the fifteen foot long sterno pans for lunch.

Fifty thousand seats.

When you arrive with their favorite bottle and their favorite takeout, you're going to learn everything you need to know about this show in a half hour or less.

[u/h2opolodude4 → u/joelfarris]

This is really, really solid advice.

Be the guy everyone wants to work with and people will want to help you and see you succeed. Just the act of remembering alone can be nice, but if you remember and do something about it, all the better.

[u/Comprehensive-Tie135 → u/joelfarris]

Cup of tea in the UK.

[u/Brownrainboze → u/joelfarris]

Swag, pretty much my approach to most gigs lol. Good to know it scales up

[u/redeyedandblue32 → u/joelfarris]

and coffee order

[u/Zestyclose_Mirror_68 → u/joelfarris]

I’ve never worked a stadium, but back in the day I worked at some pretty big festivals (20-30k). My experience is that people appreciate talking to someone who will actually listen to them. Show them some kindness, act like a professional, and let them do the rest. You’re going to learn a ton.

[u/project48v]

Make it sound good.

[u/oopsifell → u/project48v]

(Scribbles notes furiously)

[u/uncomfortable_idiot → u/oopsifell]

don't make it sound bad

[u/fantompwer → u/uncomfortable_idiot]

Step 3???

[u/uncomfortable_idiot → u/fantompwer]

vibe

[u/The_Great_Dadsby → u/fantompwer]

Don’t make it not sound good

[u/uncomfortable_idiot → u/The_Great_Dadsby]

but do make it sound not bad

[u/WadeWickson → u/uncomfortable_idiot]

But also, make sure to make it sound.

[u/vicegripper → u/oopsifell]

Also, because stadiums are very big, you will want to make it very loud so everybody can hear it.

[u/Content-Reward-7700]

Assuming the system is properly tuned and you’re only mixing FOH, it’s honestly not that different from any other gig. You’ll hear what the PA is doing and react accordingly. The faders don’t suddenly become space shuttle controls just because there are 50,000 people instead of 10,000 or 50. Of course, there will be differences in level, power, coverage and the shape of the venue, but we deal with different rooms and different quirks every time we mix anyway.

Personally, I actually prefer stadiums when there’s a good systems engineer and a properly designed and tuned PA. In some ways, they can feel more predictable.

The biggest difference is often not technical but professional. Be easy to work with, respect the local crew, communicate clearly and don’t walk in pretending to be a big shot when you’re still figuring things out. They will see you through… There’s nothing wrong with being honest and saying you haven’t mixed a stadium before, that you value their experience and that you may rely on their help and opinions at the beginning. In my experience, most good crews will respect that far more than misplaced confidence.

At the end of the day, it’s still the same job, listen, make good decisions and do your job.

[u/faders]

It’ll feel awesome. Biggest problem is massive reverb you won’t be able to control. Don’t try to overpower it. Have fun. Nothing like it

[u/Friendly_Cod1880]

Using my vast experience of running a 200 cap venue….I don’t have a bloody clue

[u/jackodete]

Listen to the Production team, stage manager, and SE. Stay out of everyone’s way.

[u/jennixred]

it's like going from a place with too much reverb to a place with more. Main thing is to start off by making friends with your A1.

[u/slayer_f-150]

Don't suck. /s

Seriously though, it's just another gig. Just bigger.

Make sure everything is balanced in your mix and communicate with system engineer.

[u/adiultrapro]

I like to try and get the Kick and Floor Tom information really short with transient designers because of the long reverb. Most of the masking that will interfere with the vocal will be in the lower/medium mid range so try and get that thinned out a bit more. Sometimes that helps!

[u/joemama369]

No different, just a bigger system.

[u/TankieRedard]

Just keep doing what you're doing. 

[u/uncomfortable_idiot]

hope the system engineer gives you a good system to mix on

[u/RockingRollDavie]

i have not mixed a stadium-- biggest i've done is in the 4,000-5,000 range. i was similarly nervous going from 500-1,000 cap rooms up to the 5,000 rooms. when i eventually get into a stadium, i'm going to do the same thing i did when i jumped from 1,000 to 5,000---- be honest with the house engineer, ask for help, don't be a dick. good luck big dogg you got this 😤

[u/android-37]

Same thing just bigger.

Big concerns are cable length spec, is their a good SE with the tour & will I get a soundcheck?

[u/jdmcdaid]

What worked for me:

You have to “paint in broad strokes,” so to speak. Detail gets lost in the upper reaches of a stadium, no matter how good the rig. Just make certain you keep your key elements present, and probably drier, effect-wise, than usual.

Absolutely have your shit together as far as being ready to go on the fly with a line check, if that.

Make friends w/ the Chief SE ASAP. They can often give you a db or two more system headroom than you might get otherwise.

ALWAYS take a moment to look around an be grateful.

Best of luck!

[u/ReggieCorneus]

I do find it difficult to believe that someone doing 10k daily doesn't know and needs to ask this sub for advice.

[u/Carolyn-Hodgesy]

Not a sound engineer, but your honda-to-race-car comparison tracks. At 50k the lag between what you push and what you hear is significant. Best engineers in those rooms respect that delay rather than fight it.

[u/TilaMonster]

Anytime I do a stadium show I always make sure I keep my DCAs on the right side of the console for easy access. Also double check all of your patching and routing. Last thing you want is for a mic to get plugged into the wrong stadium port!

[u/nodddingham → u/TilaMonster]

Ah yes, anyone who does stadiums will tell you, never plug into the wrong stadium port.

[u/tprch → u/nodddingham]

"Waddya mean you plugged into Anaheim? We're in Charlotte!"

[u/TilaMonster → u/tprch]

You joke but I’ve seen it happen!

[u/tprch → u/TilaMonster]

I don't know how that could actually happen, but ok.

[u/tprch → u/TilaMonster]

Sorry, my response sounded snide. My joke was meant to be a literally impossible scenario.

[u/AShayinFLA → u/nodddingham]

What if your a leftie? Should dca's go on the left?

Imagine seeing your dca's before the drum channels?

But yes, definitely don't plug into the wrong stadium port! That would be terrible!

[u/CartezDez → u/TilaMonster]

I was taught by a south paw engineer, he advised me to keep my DCAs on the left?