Behind the Space Bar

These 6 tips will help you land (and keep) a gig as a playback tech.

1. Start with another role — most playback techs are also guitarists, drummers, or guitar/drum techs that learn Ableton to help their band switch to in-ears and start learning tracks.
2. The Little Mermaid Principle: be where the people are.
3. Show up and genuinely serve.
4. Be a “good hang.” If you want someone to invite you on a tour, being good at what you do is only half the job. Being pleasant to be around and spend time with will land you gigs and make people want to invite you back.
5. Be so good that people can’t ignore you. If you’re fun to be around AND you absolutely crush your job, you’ll always be employed.
6. Consider working for free (but don’t be taken advantage of!)

Alright playback techs out there! How did you get started and what helped you break into the industry? Anything you’d add or anything you disagree with? Comment below to let me know!

WARNING: 🌶 spicy takes inside. Learn what I think is wrong about the way we approach buying music gear and three suggestions for how to do it better.

It may sound cool to think PF Flyers are guaranteed to make a kid run faster and jump higher. But if you’re skipping leg day, there’s really no hope for you.

Music gear is really only as good as the sound coming into it. It’s easy to get entranced by fancy specs and the newest toy that’s just been released.

But at the end of the day, if it’s not solving a real problem for you or creating a new opportunity for you (credit to Andy Ihnatko for that quote), it’s probably just a waste of money.

How do you approach buying new gear? Leave a comment and let me know!

Book by Guy Kawasaki
[Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions](https://www.amazon.com/Enchantment-Changing-Hearts-Minds-Actions-ebook/dp/B0049U4INC)

NAMM Episode: The Truth About Gear
https://youtu.be/b2YGl5o5aWw

Tips & tricks to help everyone in the band stay on the same page when things get off the rails.

Good bands aren’t perfect bands. Things can go wrong even for the best. But when they do, they have ways to communicate with each other to avoid any noticeable errors.

In this episode of Behind the Space Bar, you’ll learn four ways the pros communicate with each other on stage.

1. Hand signals (on stage charades!)
2. Talk-back mics (low- and high-tech options)
3. Plan for the unplanned
4. Rehearse “safe” words

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Learn how to set up a talkback mic on stage:
https://fs2s.link/talkback-course

Hotshot DM-1:
https://fs2s.link/hotshot-dm1

Radial Relay Xo:
https://fs2s.link/radial-relay-xo

It requires two hands and two feet to play drums. So yeah, sure, let’s add the highly technical responsibility of tracks to the drummer’s plate. Makes sense.

Bands that successfully run backing tracks think intentionally about who will be responsible for them.

Here are 7 tips to help you choose the right band member to run click and tracks in your band:

1) Avoid the drummer

2) Consider having the music director run tracks

3) Who is the most technically capable person? (You can rule out the guy with the [email protected] email address)

4)  Who is comfortable troubleshooting? (Any IT folks in the band?)

5) Pick someone who has good musical instincts and knowledge

6) Consider someone not on stage like a dedicated playback tech

7) Buy them a MIDI controller that makes sense for their role

Who runs tracks in your band and what made you choose them? Let me know in the comments!

Like this content? Make sure to subscribe to see when I post new videos: https://fs2s.link/youtube-subscribe

Become a From Studio to Stage student: 
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Download all my templates/patches/presets:
https://fs2s.link/shop

Set-up a quick 15 minute call with me: 
https://fs2s.link/15minute

Set-up an hour long remote Zoom call with me:
https://fs2s.link/oneonone

Purchase Ableton Live
https://fs2s.link/ableton

Purchase Ableton Push
https://fs2s.link/push

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Download my free Gear Guide:
https://fs2s.link/gear

Download free Click Tracks for Ableton Live:
https://fs2s.link/clicks

Download free Guide Cue files for Ableton Live: 
https://fs2s.link/cues

Download free ProPresenter 7 MIDI cues template:
https://fs2s.link/pp7

Download my free Getting Started with Live 11 Guide:
https://fs2s.link/live-11

Download free LTC/Timecode files for Ableton Live:
https://fs2s.link/timecode

Disclaimer: This video and description may contain affiliate links. By you clicking on these links, you’re supporting this channel and buying gear at the same time.

School’s out for the summer, kids. I won’t be making any new content this week, but there are some links below to some recent content you might have missed.

I’ll be back at it next week so stay tuned for some exciting new stuff I’ve got coming your way. 

Thanks for subscribing, watching, and/or listening in. Because of you, I get to do this full time, and it means the world to me.

See you next week!

Running Tracks: 
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0s8_As4KW_9HWlVPX555XKhBM76XTxBK

Troubleshooting: 
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0s8_As4KW_9KULP28YamZRP5TbUUUnYT

Gear Content: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0s8_As4KW_81AT1ilGjA3-0GIPonK6s9

Behind the SpaceBar: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0s8_As4KW__GkeVGIdWugMpCI9yN8JXE

ShortCuts: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0s8_As4KW_8E7zfrGghTUupXwpOmBYQS

For Worship Leaders: 
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0s8_As4KW_9ekDLjUhrU6pP0IgW9E5WI

Sunday Sound Design: 
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0s8_As4KW_9m5sJzXY_TU3qfuoV4t8Gn

Volunteer Friendly Podcast: 
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0s8_As4KW_8Wax0YElYDzvYIWWAQTW5c

Learn how to get your computer ready to use on stage. 

If you’re going to use Ableton Live on stage, you’ve got to make sure your computer is setup and configured properly. In this episode of Behind the Spacebar, you’ll learn the best practices and best steps to follow to get your computer ready for the stage.  

Should you update to Ableton Live 11.1? 
https://youtu.be/gMMeqkmCwtM

Download Free Resources for Running Tracks https: //fs2s.link/free

For all episodes of Behind the Space Bar: https://fs2s.link/bts

If you're using click and tracks on-stage with your band, you don't have to sacrifice your transitions. In this episode of Behind the Spacebar, we discuss some of the most common mistakes we make and how to improve your transitions between songs. 

Download Free Resources for Running Tracks https://fs2s.link/free 

For all episodes of Behind the Space Bar: https://fs2s.link/bts 

Learn what a redundant playback rig is, and why you should use one.

If you're using tracks on stage, you should be using a redundant rig. In this episode, I explain what a redundant rig is and why it's essential if you're using tracks on stage. 

Download Free Resources for Running Tracks https://fs2s.link/free 

For all episodes of Behind the Space Bar: https://fs2s.link/bts 

Radial SW-8:
https://www.radialeng.com/product/sw8

PlayAudio12:
https://fs2s.link/playaudio-12

Learn the best process for learning new software, quickly.

In this week's episode of Behind the Spacebar, I share a simple process you can follow to learn any new software quickly.

Download Free Resources for Running Tracks https://fs2s.link/free 

For all episodes of Behind the Space Bar: https://fs2s.link/bts 

How to Become an Ableton Live Certified Trainer: https://youtu.be/vCQY7mkgp1E

Learn how to improve your performance by improving your sound check.

In this week's episode of Behind the Spacebar, I share 4 easy ways to improve your sound check. Improving your sound check will lead you to a better performance, and make you more comfortable on stage. 

From Studio to Stage Line Check Template:
https://fromstudiotostage.com/product/line-check-template/

Oaktone Line Check Device:
https://fs2s.link/oaktone-line-check

Download Free Resources for Running Tracks https://fs2s.link/free 

For all episodes of Behind the Space Bar: https://fs2s.link/bts