How is a typical technical rider structured?

A typical technical rider is divided into sections corresponding to different elements of concert production. There is no one mandatory template, but most documents contain similar groups of information.

The most common are:

• contact details,
• PA,
• FOH,
• MON,
• input list,
• stage plan,
• patch,
• microphones and DI,
• backline,
• RF,
• power,
• riders and stage requirements,
• schedule or information regarding soundcheck.

Not every section needs to appear as a separate header. Sometimes the FOH and monitor requirements are on one page, and the stage plan is a separate attachment.

The most important thing is to understand, what a given part of the rider is for and who should verify it..

If the organizer is just starting to work with such document, a good starting point is the material what a technical rider for the band should include and how to prepare it.. 

PA – what does the band require from the system for the audience?

PA, or Public Address, refers to the sound system intended for the audience. In the rider, this section specifies what result and type of system the band expects.

There may be requirements regarding:

• manufacturer or series of the system,
• type of PA,
• required performance,
• coverage of the audience,
• headroom,
• subwoofers,
• frontfills,
• outfills,
• delay line.

If the rider states that the system must "uniformly cover entire audience area", it means that a possibly even coverage of the entire audience is required, not just a high level at the stage.

If there is a mention of frontfill, it refers to additional speakers supporting the front rows, which may be located outside the main PA beam.

Outfill is usually used to cover side sections, while delay is for the further part of a very deep audience.

However, the rider should not be understood as a list of devices that must always be present. If the band requires appropriate coverage, the local system engineer should determine what elements are actually needed in a specific venue.

In practice preparing the concert sound system according to the band's technical rider requires combining the rider's specifications with the geometry of the venue. 

FOH – what do the requirements of this section refer to?

FOH, or Front of House, primarily concerns the position and tools of the engineer responsible for the mix for the audience.

In this section, the rider may specify:

• model or series of the console,
• number of channels,
• required inputs and outputs,
• stageboxes,
• plugins,
• additional devices,
• FOH position in the audience,
• networking.

If a specific model of the console is mentioned, it does not always indicate a random preference.

The engineer may have a prepared show file, use a specific workflow, or need functions that another platform does not have.

It is also worth paying attention to the physical location of FOH. The rider may require a position:

• on the stage axis,
• in the audience,
• without being enclosed by glass or a wall,
• with direct PA monitoring.

That is why FOH should not be treated as a "place, where we will just set up the mixer." The engineer must hear the system just like the audience.

MON – how to read monitor requirements?

MON stands for stage monitoring, which is a monitoring system for performers. In this part, the rider can describe both the type of monitors and the number of independent mixes.

Requirements may include:

• wedge,
• IEM,
• sidefill,
• drum fill,
• the number of mixes,
• mono or stereo,
• a separate monitor console,
• monitor world.

It is crucial to distinguish between the number of physical speakers and the number of mixes.

For example, "6 wedges on 4 mixes" means six floor monitors, but only four independent monitor signals.

On the other hand, "4 stereo IEM mixes" means four independent stereo mixes, which may require eight outputs from the console.

If the rider specifies monitor world, it refers to a separate monitor engineer position at the stage.

The functions of both positions are described in more detail in the material FOH engineer and monitor engineer – how do their tasks differ during a concert?

Input list – how to interpret the input list?

The input list is a list of all audio sources that are to be sent to the system. It shows how many channels are needed and what is on each of them.

A typical table may include:

CH means channel number, Source means source, Mic/DI means signal acquisition method, Stand means type of stand, and Notes are additional comments.

The input list may include:

• drums,
• bass,
• guitars,
• keys,
• vocals,
• playback,
• click,
• talkback,
• additional channels.

If a source is stereo, it may occupy two channels, e.g. Keys L and Keys R.

If the position shows “+48 V” or “phantom”, it indicates the need for phantom power for that microphone or device, if it is designed for that.

The most important thing is that the input list describes signals, and not the physical layout of the stage.

Stage plan – how to read the stage plan?

The stage plan, also called the stage plot, is a top-down view of the stage showing where the musicians and setup elements are located.

Most commonly, we will find on it:

• positions of the musicians,
• drums,
• amplifiers,
• keys,
• wedge,
• IEM rack,
• microphones,
• DI boxes,
• risers,
• power.

The directions Stage Left and Stage Right are very important.

Stage Left means the left side from the perspective of the performer standing on stage and looking at the audience.

Stage Right means their right side.

For a person looking from the audience, the directions will be reversed.

A good stage plan should have the audience marked or an arrow indicating the direction of the stage, so there is no doubt about orientation.

Both documents are explained in detail by the article on how to prepare the input list and stage plan before the concert..

Patch – what do the connection information mean?

Patch describes how sources are assigned to physical inputs and channels of the system.

The input list may say:

CH 12 – Lead Vocal

The patch can specify:

Stagebox A Input 12 → Split → FOH CH 12 / MON CH 12

In simple setups, the input list and patch can look almost identical.

In larger concerts, the patch may be more elaborate, as it includes:

• several stageboxes,
• split,
• separate FOH and MON,
• additional recorders,
• playback,
• routing network.

If the rider mentions "analog split", it means physical separation of the microphone signal into several paths.

"Digital split" can mean sharing signals through a digital ecosystem or network.

For the organizer, the most important conclusion is: if the patch section is extensive, it should be verified by a technician. It is not an element that should be interpreted independently before ordering equipment.

Mic/DI – microphone requirements and DI boxes

Mic means microphone, and DI – Direct Injection or Direct Input, which is a DI box used for properly introducing the signal from specific sources into the audio system.

The rider may specify particular microphone models or descriptions such as:

• dynamic cardioid,
• condenser,
• vocal handheld,
• active DI,
• passive DI,
• stereo DI.

If a specific model is indicated, it is necessary to check if it is:

• required,
• preferred,
• acceptable substitute.

A DI box is often used with:

• bass,
• acoustic guitar,
• keyboards,
• playback,
• other electronic sources.

If the rider requires "2 x stereo DI", it means the need for handling two stereo sources, totaling four audio paths.

It is also worth paying attention to information such as:

• active,
• passive,
• phantom,
• pad,
• ground lift.

They are essential for the technician preparing the patch and specific connection method.

Backline – what does the organizer provide, and what does the band?

Backline refers to the musical equipment on stage, but not directly part of the PA.

It may include:

• guitar amplifiers,
• bass amplifiers,
• drum kit,
• keys,
• drum hardware,
• additional instruments.

The rider should clearly specify what:

• the band brings,
• the organizer provides,
• the local backline company provides.

This distinction is very important.

If the rider states "band brings cymbals and snare," and a drum kit is required locally, it means the organizer must provide the rest of the drum kit according to the agreed specification.

If it states "artist carries complete backline," the organizer usually does not have to provide the instruments, but still needs to ensure space, power, and stage preparation.

One should not assume that backline is part of the sound system just because it appears in the technical rider.

RF – what do the wireless requirements mean?

RF stands for Radio Frequency and pertains to all systems using radio transmission.

The rider may include:

• wireless microphones,
• instrument systems,
• IEM,
• antenna requirements,
• frequency ranges,
• RF coordination.

With several channels, the system needs to be planned together.

If the band brings their own IEM, and the local company provides wireless microphones, both systems should still be included in one coordination.

The rider may include terms:

• antenna distribution,
• combiner,
• diversity,
• true diversity,
• RF scan,
• frequency coordination.

This does not mean that the organizer must know their configuration. However, they should pass this section to the person responsible for the wireless systems.

The topic is described in more detail in materials on how to choose wireless microphones for a concert, conference, or event and how to avoid interference from wireless microphones during the event.

Power – how to interpret power requirements?

Power refers to the power requirements for the band's equipment and technical infrastructure.

The rider may include both a simple stage plan with marked power points and a more detailed section regarding the entire distribution.

The band may need power points at:

• pedalboards,
• keyboards,
• computers,
• IEM racks,
• amplifiers,
• playback.

It is important to distinguish the power requirements for the musicians' devices from the power for the entire PA system.

The latter should be designed by the technical company responsible for the system.

If the rider includes specific electrical requirements, they should not be interpreted arbitrarily. They must be communicated to the person responsible for power and checked for compliance with the venue's infrastructure.

The term "clean power" is sometimes used imprecisely, so when the wording is unclear, it is worth asking what the team technically expects.

Risers and stage requirements

A riser is a stage platform used to elevate a specific musician or section of the band.

Risers are most commonly used:

• for drums,
• for keyboards,
• for brass section,
• for additional instruments.

The rider should specify its:

• width,
• depth,
• height,
• location.

If it only states "drum riser required," the note is incomplete. For the organizer, the actual dimensions are important, as they affect the size of the stage.

In this section, the rider may also require:

• a specified minimum stage dimension,
• stairs,
• barriers,
• technical passages,
• space for monitor world,
• space behind the backline.

Such information should be communicated to the stage owner or the company responsible for the construction.

One should not assume that a stage with dimensions of "about such" will definitely accommodate the setup just because the band has a few members. The stage plan may require significantly more space due to the backline and monitoring.

What do "preferred," "acceptable," and "no substitute" mean?

These terms indicate how strict the requirement is regarding specific equipment or solutions.

Preferred usually means the preferred solution. The team or implementer wants to receive it, but there may be a possibility of using another device upon agreement.

Acceptable means an acceptable solution, that is, one that has already been indicated as an allowable alternative.

No substitute means no substitute – the author of the rider declares that the specified solution is required and should not be replaced without separate agreement.

You may also encounter terms:

• or equivalent,
• or similar,
• approved substitute,
• by prior approval only.

“Or equivalent” should not be interpreted as “any device from the same category.” The substitute should meet essential functional requirements.

If the rider states, for example:

Console X – no substitute

this may result from the prepared show file and workflow of the implementer.

If, however, we read:

Mic X preferred, equivalent accepted

the local company has more flexibility.

These three words often say more about the actual weight of the requirement than the name of the device itself.

What to do if we do not understand one of the entries?

An unclear entry in the rider should not be interpreted “by logic.” It is best to gather questions and pass them to the person technically responsible for the team.

This is particularly relevant to:

• conflicting information,
• unknown abbreviations,
• unclear substitutes,
• different versions of documents,
• missing data.

Instead of a general question:

“can you explain the rider?”

it's better to send a specific list:

• Do you require 6 mixes or 6 physical wedges?
• Is console X mandatory due to the show file?
• Is frontfill required regardless of the geometry of the venue?
• Which input list is current?

This is what part of the process known as technical advance looks like.

If the rider has just been sent to the organizer, the entire workflow describes the material what to do when the band sends the technical rider before the concert.

In the case of a more complicated document the analysis of the technical rider by Art-Live may involve translating the notes into real system configuration and preparing a list of points requiring agreement with the band.

Summary

Reading the technical rider becomes much simpler, when we treat it as a set of sections corresponding to specific areas of production. PA refers to the system for the audience, FOH to the mix execution, MON to stage monitoring, input list to input channels, stage plan to the physical layout of the stage, patch to connections, and RF to wireless systems.

The organizer does not have to resolve every technical note on their own. However, they should understand which sections affect PA, the stage, backline, power, and schedule, and when the document needs to be passed on to the appropriate specialist.

The most important rule is: the rider must be interpreted unambiguously, not by default. If the wording is unclear, contradictory, or specifies unavailable equipment, the appropriate solution is advance and confirmation with the team.

Frequently Asked Questions