My Band's Live Touring Setup (2021)

[@zachbowden1993]

No joke, these live rig updates you've been doing each year or so have been so helpful for me sorting out my band's setup

[@TheLastCrankers]

Same. I'm here rn because I'm sorting my and my bands setups rn lol Thanks Fluff!

[@telecasterbear]

Word always gets around. The fact that you guys have dependable rigs, that move in and move out quickly, keeps everyone happy. Great job.

[@protoolsfanatic7276]

The look on my singers face when I brought in 2 -4/12 marshall jcm 900 speakers to a VFW playing outlaw country,classic rock was priceless. I told him just this one time I've always wanted to do that.

[@charlesrocks]

I LOVE THIS!!! Stage volume is important. I am a huge fan of a 4x12 on stage for the guitars but the PA gets the Two Notes output.

[@robertm6312]

“Stage volume” they all got one cab, that isn’t loud

[@TotalEvo7]

@@robertm6312 Maybe so, but at the same time, the sound is restricted to the space so that it doesn't overpower the PA

[@BrianBrazilHarmonica]

When you're setting up and tearing down night after night, you absolutely need to use reliable gear no matter how large or small the component is. The simpler your set up is the quicker you can trace down where a problem is when it happens.

[@lane2376]

You guys have the second best live sound I've ever heard, and I only say that because I saw Halestorm and Evanescence the other night. I'm sure the Masquerade's PA had something to do with it as well, but you were crystal clear. Easily one of the loudest concerts I've been to and I had zero ear fatigue.

[@Mikey__R]

Hey Fluff. I'm not your mum, but I've got to tell you: if you're losing your voice on vocals, you're doing it wrong! I'd definitely recommend getting some singing lessons with emphasis on healthy and sustainable vocal fry. Your voice is an instrument, unlike a guitar, if you break it, you can't get a new one.

[@sergiovalmont6534]

Fluff, I'm not you dad, but you should listen to not your mom.

[@Mikey__R]

Actually, you should listen to Kristian Kohle and Britta Goertz, they released a video on this exact subject yesterday as well.

[@SuffyANX]

Seconded. I'm a self-taught death metal/hardcore vocalist and I can scream like an animal for ages without losing my voice as long as I can hear myself properly. Good technique and the best possible monitoring are so important for vocalists of any sort, backing or lead

[@shauncarter924]

Wow. That’s awesome. Back in the day we just set up our 100 watt amps and 4x12 cabs on both sides of the stage, ran our pedal boards out, set up whatever mic the venue had at the cabs, and cranked them up and rocked out. Basic, simple, quick, and completely deafening lol.

[@charlesrocks]

We would side wash the stage which worked really well in clubs and

[@MrBhcole]

Same here

[@TmanUtube]

A totally dry stage never works, especially in small to medium size venues. Been to some gigs in the front row where the band has not only a dry stage, but this one band was using a Roland electronic drum kit. The front of house PA was in front of the 1st 2 rows of the audience without any side fills or front fills. It sounds so empty, lifeless & add to that the Slap slap thunk sound of the unaffected drum kit. It was laughable. I gave up after 2 songs, so I moved to front of house desk, & the sound was massive. So I got to talking to their sound guy, me being a lighting guy I was able to talk shop & point this out to him. So he walked down there to have a listen & he came laughing telling while shrugging saying, well it's what the band wanted, but he totally agreed with me.

[@joshuamathermusic]

That's kinda terrible, though. There should be fill speakers. What if it was rap with tracks only? Zero stage volume, should still sound good everywhere.

[@SamueleForte]

yeah, i am a big fan of no stage volume but in that case sidefills and frontfills are necessary or in the first rows you hear like shit

[@dylanburton4955]

I’ve been to gigs where bands don’t use real amps amps yet there’s something at the front so the people at the very front can still hear it

[@piotrjedrzejewski8664]

A quiet stage is always beneficial (especially on small stages where the sound from backline would be a significant part of the overall sound, but not time aligned with PA sound it would create comb filtering) as long as certain conditions are met - one of which being that there must be sound coverage over the whole audiance.

[@DavideGuerri]

next logical upgrade is to get your own sound guy and tour with your mixing console. build one giant rack with digital stagebox, IEMs, and playback rig, you just plug in drums, vocals, and direct ins, give the festival guys LR and frontfill mix and there you go, soundcheck time goes from 30 minutes to 5 minutes. i always do it like this when i do FOH/monitor for bands i tour with

[@codesent2125]

I would honestly use a huge snake with that PreSonus. I know that a digital stage box is ran via CAT6, but one small kink in that cable and it won't communicate right, and a snake is thicker and can handle the rigors of the road better, just from my personal experience.

[@DavideGuerri]

@@codesent2125 even better, use a rack mounted console and use the cat6 only for remote control, i do it like this with the main band i tour with, M32c+DL32 on stage, behind drums, i plug 1 cat5 to the rack mounted router and i plug it in my touchscreen pc at FOH, so i can both use that or an iPad on stage if needed

[@emiliorizzo7690]

Dope shots from Pittsburgh Fluff!

[@ericsmith6633]

Love the vid from stage AE in pittsburgh!! That’s my stomping grounds!! Seeing Heinz field in the background is awesome!!!! That’s an amazing venue

[@novaksmusicchannel]

Pretty cool to see footage from the Stage AE show, I was there and it was an amazing time, easily the best concert of the year.

[@mikegreenebass]

The Bassist always knows what’s up

[@ibanezmaestro5630]

Badass!! I love rigs that not only sound mint but are also super fast setup/takedowns. And I love that all you need is a Mesa 212 to get the job done. Really makes me want to tour again!

[@ZackSeifMusic]

That Quantum Industries case is looking pretty sweet❤️ Thanks for taking it out!

[@jeffhermans]

@ZackSeifMusic - Thanks for mentioning what guitar boat/case that is. I was wondering what brand that is and looking for something similar for myself.

[@christopherhavard326]

Cool video dude!!! So you guys are using backing tracks? as you don’t have drums in you in ear mix, are you playing to click track? Is your drummer getting same in ear mix, I can’t imagine this without having kick and snare at least. Thanks man

[@Bova13]

I didn't know you have a band! What a nice surprise. Will look for your music.

[@knelson1180]

Not having drums in the IEM is crazy to me.

[@OvertEnemy]

Same here.

[@markbassie961]

Agreed. They could have FOH send a aux back into their rig with a drum mix.

[@chuckralenkotter]

I’m not positive, but the tracks they play along with in their ears most likely have the studio-recorded song/stems in them along with a metronome, so the drums are still there to play to (at least to some effect), just not the live drums from the gig.

[@knelson1180]

@@chuckralenkotter Ahhhhh that would make sense.

[@piotrjedrzejewski8664]

@@markbassie961 I'm pretty sure it could create timing problems as the drums sound would have to travel into IEM with more latency than the rest of the instruments.

[@hanovergreen4091]

I AM SOOOOOO Happy for you man!!!!! It's great that you can get out and perform and try to get on with having a life in the midst of all this nutbaggery!!!! Brings a smile to an old face :) Best Regards and Best Wishes!! PS...just remember you gotta grow old with that neck you are whipping around. Just make sure you don't end up with arthritis in your neck, or unable to move your neck, because of that. Looks kinda cool though...I'd throw up if I did that :) Take care!

[@cpeplinski]

I like that you are running the same 2x12 cab on top of the racks. That’s smart.

[@MrWilson-WithaPbass]

So cool Fluff ! Thank you for this . Very helpful .

[@danielmcclane6853]

Great rig man, just a question, so the drummer does not have his drums on the IEM? or his IEM is not provided in this rack? how would you make it work to incorporate the drums to the IEM rack? thanks!

[@robzilla69]

I have an x32 and so far it hasn't failed 🤞. Do you hear any difference in the presonus preamps vs the x32?

[@jamesgoodine6107]

Best rig run-down

[@Tunacanschmeat]

I was glad to finally be able to see you guys in Atlanta. That was a great show.

[@hamtheman222]

Killer setup dude! Love the vids like this

[@jacobpage7783]

What do you use the audio interface for?

[@jdkramer5835]

should defiantly have a look at using the SE V7 mics for vocals. there slowly becoming the new industry standard and they blow 58s and 935s out of the park

[@teamspaceman]

You rock, fluff! My buddy just got done on the u.s.s. neverender and he said it was amazing. I’ve been thinking about the bands set up a lot. On a boat?!?! So cray

[@edima]

I saw all the bands on that venue including spiritbox and coheed. I would Kill to play a venue like that, it looked incredible

[@teamspaceman]

@@edima I’m so jealous! I just discovered spiritbox and holy hell man! Not too mention the gear coheed! Did you catch hail the sun? Heard they were epic!

[@edima]

@@teamspaceman I wasn't tjhere in person, I just watched all the bands on live videos. The venue looked amazing I think it's 2 stages on different decks of the ship. I saw videos of spiritbox coheed and hail the sun and few djs that played after. It was honestly one of the coolest and creative live shows ever

[@douglascscott1300]

I saw you guys in Worcester mass in September and god damn it was a fucking awesome show

[@CM-ek9ec]

I got to see you guys in Philly and it was phenomenal sounding sir. Awesome breakdown

[@eric_casper5150]

That’s a great live rig setup Fluff!!

[@jasonriot_official]

super informative dude! Thank you!

[@BrandonMaximoff]

What company made your guitar stand/flight case?

[@andyhamm6389]

If you ever get a chance, try some wired bone conductor headphones with your IEMs. It leaves your ears open so you can still hear and orient yourself to everything going on.

[@nextplanet7100]

Hey Mate, love the video!! I have a question tho-- so forgive me if this question sounds insulting because it’s not meant to be But WHAT kind of vehicle do you guys haul this in?? A moving truck?? A van?? A trailer?? Thanks for help

[@BrianOboylemusic]

Inspiring me to play again with my old drummer I love these thanks !! Maybe someday

[@ianstrickland5280]

Love these videos!

[@A_Brainless_Goblin]

good to know i am on the right track a few steps down along the chain, pod go and power amp into a mesa 1x12 ayy

[@mstecker]

Have you ever been tempted to do a show without the modeling just as a comparison? You know, bring a live amp, and mic up a cab with real effects in front of it? I'd just be curious what the difference would feel like.

[@dylanburton4955]

I think it’s something all us musicians would love to do but obviously for tours it’s not always gonna work, especially for the supporting bands

[@ShatteredWindowpane]

I enjoy your videos fluff, and I saw you perform live with Wage War and Beartooth in Philly in September. You guys sounded great, apart from the bass player who suffered a malfunction on stage with his equipment. I felt bad for him because even though I was in a great spot relative to the PA's, I couldn't hear a difference when he stopped playing to fix his stuff. When he started playing again I still couldn't hear a difference. But it was still a great show

[@jimmiethompson3637]

I went to a 212 cab myself over the last year and man so I glad I did. Can’t give up my dual rectifier yet. Lol

[@jyangyang]

Which power amp you use to the 212 cab ? Thanks

[@XGracelessTarnishedX]

I was curious which kind of IR's you preferred and trust for live use. York Audio is probably the only brand I haven't bought yet. Looking forward to giving em a shot!

[@seankent1807]

Are the shock racks you use for the guitar rigs (helix, etc) shallow depth or full size? I’ve been looking for a 6-8 space rack like that on a caster board, but I only need one that’s 12” deep… 😫

[@budgetguitarist]

Amazing setup!!!!

[@w0mbatina]

Why not just play that one drop D song half a step lower?

[@Wh33lsofFortune]

I'd imagine so it fits the singers voice a little better.. but I could be wrong

[@Ottophil]

Songs belong in their original key.

[@gianlucagigliotti4026]

Backing tracks

[@Esp_Guitars]

Is there a particular reason for switching out from the invader to the bareknuckle? I was looking to put passives into my ibanez(i've had it since i was 17, and the hardware and pickups need changed)i was looking to do the invader in my bridge, however im curious to the sound difference. "I want a pickup that gives punch, as well as low end but defined highs"if this is even possible"

[@johnespinosa606]

Dragged under 🤘🏽

[@LevitatorMusic]

Isn't it weird? When you get home from tour you're like: "YES!! finally back in my own space! I missed my bed and my couch and my own shower! Touring sucks!"....then like an hour later you're over it and wish you were back on the road? That's my experience anyway lol

[@jaimyyelvingtonmusic]

Some really cool gear here. Loved seeing you guys in St. Pete!

[@peevee605]

Cool and compact setup.

[@ITigerbaum]

At first I didn't believe it, especially after watching numerous RB&G tube amp reviews. It blows me away that you don't use at least one of your tube amps on tour, but I get it. Kinda. Recovering bass player here. SO you only use 1-multi-effects processor, 1-1000 watt solid state power amp, and a wireless live? I had to put down the bong, rewind, and research this, especially before I commented. I've watched your shows and they sound excellent. Your bass player uses a solid state bass amp. I get that. Luckily you can still take your guitars. No Kemper? I wonder if people will ever profile guitars? Thanks Mr. Fluff.

[@axh6877]

Thanks for sharing.

[@NStuffGuitars]

This is awesome

[@gripphillips]

ok . i love flufff know. helix user YESSSSSS

[@paul_sanchez]

Would love to see some VLOGs of your tours!

[@oscarcastellon7398]

Any particular preference from the York Audio over other IR manufacturers that you can describe?

[@stringgreens6387]

Bravo sir...Would love to see your band someday

[@ericdano]

Wouldn't it make more sense to have TWO Behringer units rather than a Presonus and an Apollo? The reason there would be that if ONE of the behringers goes down, then you could have the other one do temp double duty as the mixer and audio interface. Right now, if the Presonus goes down, then you are out a mixer. Also a lot cheaper too, as the one Apollo is like two Behringers in price.......

[@YourCaliBos]

👍🏽 Thumbs up for live gigs , good on you . Valuable experience-Cheers BC

[@supercrossfire20]

You guys killed it at shelter in Detroit

[@raulcrespo-carreno1001]

Hey Fluffy! You guys don’t experience interference issues with separate guitar wireless systems plus the IEM?

[@MJXtube]

1:06 Oh, hello Pittsburgh/Stage AE outdoors :)

[@denn1820]

Such a cool setup! What company makes the shockmount racks under your Mesa 2X12s? Looks nice and compact and looking for something similar! (04:38 in the video)

[@geraldwatkins3543]

Nice video. Looks like Stage AE in Pittsburgh.

[@HIMblackstar]

What's your Radio DI brand? Thanks for all the info!

[@edima]

Love how how you broke this down. I Wanna set my bands live rig similar to this since we also gotta setup and breakdown in like 15min 😂

[@joshuachristner7200]

Love the stage ae footage😂

[@mjakubisin]

Who makes the guitar case on the right at 4:38?

[@RiffsAndBeards]

Circle Three Designs

[@mjakubisin]

@@RiffsAndBeards thanks!!

[@tomwyant9532]

My in-ears seal so nice I can't hear the drums without them being in the mix. Then again, the volume in the bar is probably a bit lower than the volume on a huge stage. :)

[@ww8wv1]

I would think overall regardless of the situation that if it’s working then simplicity would be better. To me what you’re using is the perfect rig (I’m a zero expert haha, just seems logical)

[@surrrenderthemasses]

How would you simplify your rig for a smaller band setup? What would you prioritize?

[@Antiflagcanuck]

Hey is the bassist just using the darkglass pedal as a mute for tuning rather than pressing the tuner’s mute button?

[@mata.yoguee]

Hey Fluff amazing video! Quick question, does the drummer mix comes also from your in-ear rack? If so, you’re indeed inputing the FOH drum mix on the Presonus? Or is the drummer getting a separate IEmix from Monitor world from venue? Thanks! 🤘🏻

[@ThatIrishCowboy]

I really want to get that new space grey helix but man my wife is not going to be happy lol already got a quad cortex and a badlander this year. Love your video on the quad cortex by the way I think it's about to be my main gig machine. I love the badlander but if Tremonti drops the MT-100 this year I am trading it in so hard the pictures just look incredible and if it sounds fatter than the mt-15 then that's a game changer.

[@davidlawson7786]

Hope you’re okay Fluff, you look like you’ve lost weight bro. Cool video btw, I’m thinking of getting a Helix because the more I watch you I think that would be the setup for me. Currently playing through EVH 5150 EL34 50 watt head through a Yamaha THRC 2x12 cab.

[@pauliusmscichauskas558]

Any particular reason you're using Helix rather than Axe FX, or anything else?

[@Bassrooster6]

How do you guys deal with backup gear when it comes to your in ears? X32 died so how did the rest of that show go down?

[@yvindness7046]

Kinda disappointed you didn't mention anything about the drumkit and cymbals

[@kalenanderson2677]

Ask away 🤘🏻

[@yvindness7046]

@@kalenanderson2677 Very cool of you to reach out like this man! Dont really have any questions just think its important not to forget your drummer ;)

[@fearofnone2]

Question so you guys are going to the DI box before the studiolive 24?

[@scottstetzer]

Video shot in Pittsburgh! Cool.

[@motograter2011]

The Steelers stadium… stage AE is a sweet place.

[@christopherheadcase6886]

How are you splitting to both FOH, The PreSonus & the Apollo? If i heard correctly, the Preaonus is just mixing your in ears but the Apollo is recording ir doing something other than mixing

[@Starcrunch72]

So I'm going to presume you leave the drum mix to the monitor guy, forcing him to stick around and not get over to catering, because he hasn't eaten since the beginning of the tour 😎

[@SunshineHB]

Hi Fluff!! How good is that Matrix amp? I have yet to find an amp that I like my Helix through aside the power section of a real amp. Haven’t tried the matrix yet, though.

[@dannyslayer]

Fluff, what are you using to control the Helix? Looks like you've got a expression pedal and some kind of midi controller? Just curious, might have missed it in the video somewhere too.

[@RiffsAndBeards]

Its the Line 6 Helix controller and an Ernie Ball expression pedal for Whammy stuff :)

[@ringoflatts6571]

Pretty cool man

[@br1no796]

Hi, from México good vídeo, so cool pro rig man. I like your topo chico fridge jaja nice.

[@johnnycakes4life]

Which DAW do you use for playback?? What seems to be the most reliable DAW for live playback?? Thanks.

[@becampbel]

What brand of rack is the shockmount racks that hold your Helix and Matrix gear?

[@nicklove9427]

Are you able to post a link to the signal path / stage plot?

[@codesent2125]

That's the thing with Behringer, they are good when they work, but when they die, they die! Wow, totally unintentional Megadeth lyrics lol. Anyway, glad y'all went with PreSonus!

[@saltpeter7429]

The Megadeth lyrics bit was hilarious!. Once you drew attention to it, the amazing solo section kicked off in my head whether I liked it or not. I love it.

[@DOM326486]

Topo chico (México en todas partes)👍

[@breadnaut3087]

I need to step up my in ear game asap

[@JeffreyParsons]

Hi! Cool vid. Curious why you've stuck with Helix with so many other options since it released a few years ago.

[@RiffsAndBeards]

Support. When something breaks in the middle of nowhere South Dakota, no other company will overnight me new stuff.

[@JeffreyParsons]

@@RiffsAndBeards makes total sense. They still sound great, too!

[@TheRazorsH]

Fluff do you have you Helix preset on the line 6 website?

[@drummachine5787]

So is there an xlr to 1/4 cable going to the DI after the splitter?

[@sonofboar13]

I’ve always wondered how you stored your helix floor controller!

[@HaroonRahman]

Shouldn't everything already be line-level coming out the Helix?