touring house mixers question

[capt7]

I was wondering how much house mixers, who went on a major tour...or a tour in general ..usually make...I've seen some tours go 3 months.. some go 3 yrs..also do they get paid after the tour or during the tour..and I assume hotel , and travel is covered and a daily per diem for food? This field, is something I am becoming very interested in pursuing ..any info would be appreciated

[ski]

The length of every tour varies, as does pay. Because you're asking these questions you might want to get a job as a roadie with a sound company and work your way up through the ranks.

 

What you can expect from working on a major tour is likely going to be vastly different from what you can expect on smaller tours, everything from the level of accommodations to the amount of your p.d.'s (and, of course, wages). But here's what you can expect from a big tour:

 

You'll have to sign a contract. It will stipulate the terms of your employment, the amount of your wages and p.d.'s, start date and approximate end date, with options for extending the tour as well as terms for paying you (or not) in the event the tour gets shortened or canceled. It will also lay out the conditions under which you can be fired and how they'll send you home.

 

You will be paid weekly or bi-weekly, depending on the terms of the contract. P.D's are usually paid once a week in the local currency. So if you're on an international tour and you're in England when p.d.'s are paid you'll get your p.d.'s in British Pounds. Currency exchange is usually entirely up to you.

 

Typically, rehearsal and pre-production pay is 1/2 of touring wages. Travel and accommodations are made by the tour manager. FOH is crew, and with rare exception, crew flies coach and stays in the "B" hotels. That's the way it is.

 

You'll be responsible for helping unpack the truck, setting up the board and outboard gear, working with the production manager to specify the PA for each gig, and so on. After the gig you help break down the board and help with the pack as well. Being on tour is a military operation. You can kick back when you're between gigs, but when you're on site you'll be expected to be on point.

 

So that's the short version of what you can expect on a major tour.

 

In closing... what they won't stipulate in the contract is something very important that you need to know; and if you don't know this you'll be (literally) the butt of jokes for the entire tour: don't take a s#!+ on the bus. (No, I'm not joking).

 

Hope that helps...

 

-=sKi=-

[capt7]

ski ,

 

Thanks a million for your info , I have worked on my local stagehand crew before , and your right, they do run that whole process like a military base...and i've always thought..man these guys work all day..they'd get in 10 or 12am and work till 11pmish...there is a local pro audio place here..maybe I will go there and try to start at the bottom of the ladder..once again thank ski for all your info

[ski]

You're welcome!

 

And one of the best things you can do in the meantime is try to get gigs doing sound at clubs for local bands, practice mixing on your own in Logic (to get used to compressors, limiters, EQ's, and general balancing), read up on sound mixing gear and PA systems, learn about different types of speaker arrays, and so on.

 

Best of luck to you!

[skyshooter]

He's really not kidding about the bus thing - I know for a fact!

 

Don't do it, just don't ever do it. That's why there are so many truck stops!

 

Oh and getting up too fast from a sound sleep will most assuredly cause you a huge headache when you sit up and bash your head into the bunk above you, this will happen many times even after you are sure you know where you are.