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The Chainsaw InterviewsA Famous Tech Cuts through On-Stage Clutter

Part One

hen you want a no-nonsense treatise on slicing through to the heart of the matter, you ask

someone like Chainsaw. In fact, Chainsaw (his professional name) is an east coast-based veteran tech who has been working behind the scenes with every level of musical act, right up to mega-concerts with Billy Joel. We posed several questions dealing with preparation, load-in, set-up, and tear-down. His answers reflect his commitment to handling the fine details that can make or break performances.

Q: Can you outline some prep tips that will help other techs and roadies in their job? Time is often short, both loading in and out, and I’m sure you’ve got your modus sorted out.

A: I always load in with the thought of loading out. I try to leave as much of my gear intact for travel as possible, speaking about racks, cabling, and speaker cabinets. If you don’t need to dismantle something, don’t do it. Consistency is the best you can shoot for out on the road and that means trying to set up the same way each time. Players appreciate this; it makes them feel at ease. And if they’re comfortable, they play better—and they’re happier with your services! You need to set up your pedal boards, pedal settings, amp settings, cables, and angles of cabinets the same way. Players appreciate the familiarity of this “base line” approach and they know that their input will be limited to small adjustments. Of course, those adjustments are bound to change from venue to venue, but I offer a familiar starting point. My system works. Q: What are some worst-case scenarios you’ve encountered and how do guard against mishaps?

A: Let’s start with the consistency of your gear. You must have faith in your gear; you must be able to trust what

you have built; and you must build your gear to withstand what the road will throw at you. Whenever equipment moves, there’s the potential for damage and operational failure. There are so many variables that come into play: vibration, heat, cold, voltage issues, and plain old wear and tear. Nothing is built to last forever. Even though you have faith in your gear, you must always be prepared for that unavoidable moment when it lets you down—and rest assured this will happen when you least expect it! I usually have a back-up system in place. I ensure, on most tours, that I’ve provided a comfort zone, meaning I’ll have spare gear in place in case of failures. Some items are more prone to failure than others. Pre-amps, power amps, seem to be the most vulnerable, while certain F/X units are more apt to fail than others. I want to stress that cables are always a factor, so I always try to keep spare cables in place where ever I can. And I always choose the cable that will hold up the best. They’re so critically important that I spare no expense when it comes to selecting cables.

Q: Can you elaborate a little more on your requirements and expectations with regard to cables? A: Cables are the “glue” that keeps all of your gear together. They can make you or break you! I never let anybody help me with running or packing my cables, even though some venues provide tech help. I will unplug my own cables and coil them myself. I simply can’t depend on anybody else to care for them like I would. I will let stagehands and other helpers deal with

all the heavy lifting—while I ensure that my cables are stored correctly. I try to coil in an over/under fashion, also known as a figure-8, and then use some sort of cable tie to

keep them separate from other cables. I keep them in a separate box, drawer, or case to eliminate the possibility

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of packing them with sharp items that might damage them. In addition, I try not to let them get banged on the stage or floor to avoid damaging the all important jack. No matter who makes them, jacks are not bullet proof, and if they are bent or damaged, they could easily fail to make perfect contact internally and with instruments, amps, and effects. That can cause incredible heartburn! Q: I imagine that aside from D’Addario products, there are various household items that can get you out of a jam, live or in the studio?

A: I am someone who depends on a variety of things to keep me up and running onstage. I have road cases full of supplies, spares, and tools to make my days go easier. I try to bullet proof my gear so it will withstand the rigors of the road. It is essential to keep components intact and isolated while they’re in transit. I secure cables within racks with Velcro ties or zip ties. I secure components in racks with brackets, which support them for the beating they will take traveling. I will use hot glue, silicone, Velcro, zip ties, screws, epoxy, and whatever else I need to ensure items will stay in place for the big move. The fewer items that have to be unplugged during teardown and set up, the less wear and tear they will receive. For example, I/O jacks do not last forever. If they stay plugged in, they will be more reliable. Q: What would we find in your personal “survival kit”?

A: There are a few items that I absolutely have to carry everywhere: a strobe tuner, a string winder, small flush cut

wire cutters, and something to support the neck of the guitar while I’m changing strings. Q: Can you share any details or anecdotes about the tour rigs of famous acts with whom you’ve worked?

A: I have worked for countless artists and their musicians. I have managed systems built by others, and I’ve designed, built, wired, and maintained many simple as well as complex guitar systems. I bring huge racks of gear out on tours like Billy Joel, where all of the guitar players play through gear in a single electronics rack. This rack will consist of wireless gear for everybody, preamps, switching systems, direct input boxes, and the wiring to make it all work. This type of centrally-located electronic rack can make for quick and easy set-up. For one thing, it keeps all knobs and buttons where they can be controlled from off-stage. If I engage a back up system, it means that I don’t have to send a 250 pound roadie up onto the stage. I have also have constructed small systems consisting of a few floor pedals on a sheet of cardboard that are placed into the front end of rental amps. As usual, the common thread is having good cables, and making sure that your components ride well when they are traveling across the country or just across town. In Part Two of the Chainsaw tech interview, we’ll resume with practical tips for techs who aspire to work for the “A List”.

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The Chainsaw InterviewsA Famous Tech Cuts through On-Stage Clutter

Part Two

e resume our interview with one of the best techs in the business, the veteran who goes

by the moniker Chainsaw. When Part One closed, Chainsaw mentioned that he had substantial experience teching for top artists. We thought you’d be interested in how he handled “life at the top”.

Q: Can you offer some tech basics for beginners or intermediates who want to make the jump, as you have, to acts the stature of Billy Joel?

A: When teching on the road, you need to understand that every single day will bring a new challenge, whether it is the venue or the conditions around you. You can counter these changes by staying a consistent as possible in your set ups. It’ll give you a more relaxed approach, while making the players more comfortable. Remember that guitars are all different and each has its own personality. Part of your job is getting used to them all. You need to get to know each guitar and learn what makes it perform to its potential. You need to know when it needs new strings, or when it goes off and needs an adjustment. There are all sorts of remedies. You need to know which one will make them play correctly. The better they are adjusted and maintained, the better they will play and sound. That’s what you’re working toward out there! A close relationship with your player will help you understand what he or she wants. If you get to know your player, you’ll know how they like their action set, and what gauges of strings they prefer, and the intricacies of all of the adjustments on their guitars. Most musicians will not hesitate to tell you how they want things set up. The better you can interpret that

info, the easier your days will go. Q: Do you have any tips on miking as it pertains to speaker cabs, acoustic guitars, drums and so forth?

A: Amps onstage are sometimes a tricky thing to mike. Just because an amp sounds good when you’re beside it on stage doesn’t mean it’s going to sound good out front at the soundboard when miked up. I have had incredible sounding amps onstage that, when miked, sound completely different at front-of-house! Every amp has a “sweet spot” that relates closely to the mixing style of the sound engineer. I have used what we call an “iso-box”, where a speaker cabinet is housed inside an insulated box that contains enough space to ensure free movement of air around the cabinet. Then one or more microphones are mounted inside the iso-box. Because of the isolation, the amp can be cranked up, meaning a player can get the sound he wants without killing everybody onstage. This method works great on crowded stages where leakage is a problem. The mic’s can be focused on the sweet spot without the danger of any other sounds leaking into that particular channel. The

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guitar player can hear his amp through his ear monitors or wedges and stage volume can be controlled easily.

As far as acoustic guitars go there are many ways to mike them and many pickups and preamps that can be used to amplify them. This is another issue that has so many variables it can make your head spin. I always prefer the simplest method—built in pickups and preamps. Some of the leading acoustic guitar manufacturers have designed their own systems of preamps/pickups to work best. If our player has a Takamine or an Ovation guitar, it is the job of the sound/monitor mixer to make them sound good. They all have potential, so it depends on how well your sound guy knows his gig! If you are playing an acoustic into an amplifier, it presents a lot of potential for feedback. It’s best to use wedges or ear monitors. Feedback is the biggest problem with an acoustic onstage. It can be conquered and you can use as many frequencies as possible. As a matter of fact, when you push more frequencies onstage, that is how you can carve the best sound out of an acoustic guitar. Q: At the outset, we talked about two aspects of your job: the set up and the tear down. Can you offer any tips to make the tear down smooth, and to ensure that the next set up is not a nightmare?

A: When you set up, you need to be thinking of tearing down. You only unplug what you need to

unplug and you manage our own cables, keeping them safe in transit. The cables are really your lifeline and you need to take extra measures to protect them from the inevitable break downs. You can be prepared by marking and labeling cables and jacks so there is no guess work when it is time to set back up. Again, you can secure any cables and components that may be subject to damage during a move.

Q: What’s your position on hearing protection? Are ear plugs a necessity or hindrance?

A: A hindrance. How can you tune a guitar when you have plugs in your ears? With ear plugs, there’s a mental thing that makes it hard to feel what you are tuning. I’m sure that it would be a good idea for someone who is just starting out, or who needs to use his hearing as an integral part of his job—as a sound or monitor mixer, for example. If you’re constantly surrounded by loud sounds, it can make sense, but it won’t work for me because, when tuning and taking care of guitars, I need to listen carefully and I have to feel so much during the show. If something does not sound right, I need to hear it: It might be going down and I have to be prepared to fix it. Hearing protection is for other people to use!