Instrument Tuning and set up for Tours and Music Festivals.

For any touring musician or band performing in numerous venues and festival locations having their instruments set up exactly to their personal preference is essential. Who performs these technical roles and what are the processes they use to ensure artists deliver a perfect performance that meets everyone's expectations. 

Bands and musicians on a tour which may include fixed venues and festival sites may employ an instrument technician who will be a vital member of the travelling crew. Depending on the size of the band, number of instruments and budget available these technicians may be either permanent staff or employed by venues or festivals. Their priority is generally the tuning, adjustment and maintenance of instruments and associated equipment. Who are these technicians and what processes do they follow. 

Roles and Responsibilities. 
Sometimes referred to as guitar techs, drum techs or keyboard techs these individuals often have an intimate knowledge of a musician’s preferences for how they want their instrument to sound. If they are travelling with a band, they will also have responsibility for the care and maintenance of instruments during transit. In addition, they will be expected to play a key role in set-up at a venue or festival site and are capable of making running repairs, even during a live performance if required. 

The Tuning Process. 
During the set-up process all instruments will need to be tuned because of changes that may have occurred during transit or on a previous performance. Technicians use high-precision tuners to make adjustments to fit an artist's personal preference along with setting intonation to ensure that notes are in tune across an entire fretboard for example. A drum tech will adjust the tension on drum heads to match the drummer's requirements for tone and resonance. Technicians are a vital part of any sound check procedure where instruments are connected to the mixers and backline already installed at a venue or festival site. The sound check allows them to make fine adjustments which cater for a particular environment and its acoustics. During a performance the technicians need to be on hand to provide backup instruments in case of a failure, they may also be required to make on-the-fly adjustments, in both cases the process needs to be fast and seamless to minimise any disruption during a live set. 

Venue vs. Artist Contracted Technicians. 
A technician that is contracted by a musician is usually someone they have a lengthy relationship with who understands exactly what is required. They will have an intimate understanding of the instruments used and what the musician's preferences are. This provides an element of consistency irrespective of the venue or festival site and makes the tuning and set up process smoother. Contracted technicians will cost more and are often only used by musicians and bands that have reasonable touring budgets. For musicians and bands on a lower budget it is not unusual to use a venue or festival’s own technicians who will be very familiar with the site set-up but may have little knowledge of a musician’s personal preferences. A technician contracted by a festival organiser may have to work with hundreds of artists so there will always be a compromise with set-up along with time constraints. In these cases, the musician may have to take responsibility for the care and maintenance of their own instruments and provide detailed technical specifications to on-site technicians in any advance they submit before an event. 

For festival organisers planning their next events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics including a dedicated artist module with technical spec advancing. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

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