Stage, Sound, and Lighting: Writing the Production Spec

A production specification, or production spec, is the document that tells your vendors exactly what to deliver and tells the artist's crew exactly what they will find. It reconciles three things: what the artist's technical rider asks for, what the venue can physically support, and what your budget allows. Done well, it eliminates most day-of surprises. This guide covers how to structure one and the technical details each section needs.

Start from the rider and the venue tech pack

Two source documents drive the spec. The artist's technical rider lists what they need: stage size, PA, monitors, backline, lighting, and power. (See Reading Technical and Hospitality Riders for how to interpret one.) The venue's tech pack describes what the room provides: stage dimensions, house PA and console, lighting rig, rigging points, power, and loading access.

The spec lists every item, notes whether it is supplied by the venue, a production vendor, or the artist, and flags any gaps or substitutions that require the artist's approval.

Staging

Specify:

• Deck dimensions: width, depth, and height. For example, 40 ft wide × 32 ft deep × 4 ft high.
• Load rating: staging decks from reputable manufacturers carry a rated distributed load; confirm it suits drum risers, backline, and any set pieces.
• Risers: drum and keyboard risers, commonly 8 × 8 ft or 8 × 6 ft at 1 to 2 ft high, on rolling platforms if there is a changeover.
• Wings: stage-left and stage-right areas for monitor world, backline staging, and guitar techs.
• Access: stairs with handrails at both sides, a ramp if equipment needs to roll on, and edge marking.
• Roof and wind: for outdoor stages, the vendor's engineered drawings, wind-load rating, and the wind speed at which the show must stop and the roof be lowered or cleared.

Include a stage plot: a top-down diagram showing where each musician, amp, riser, and monitor wedge sits, plus power drops. Most artists provide one; reproduce it with your venue's dimensions to check fit.

Sound: PA, consoles, and monitors

Front-of-house system

The front-of-house (FOH) system is what the audience hears. Specify the PA by manufacturer and model (many riders list acceptable brands), the configuration (flown line arrays, ground-stacked subwoofers, front fills, delay towers for deep rooms), and the system processing. State the target: even coverage across the audience area at the artist's typical show level, within any local sound limit.

The FOH mix position should be centered, typically on the floor about two-thirds of the way back, on a riser with a clear line to the stage. It needs its own power, a snake or digital network run to the stage, and a security post.

Monitor world

Monitor world is the side-stage position where a monitor engineer mixes what each musician hears. Specify a monitor console, the number of mixes, the number and model of wedges, side fills, drum fill, and in-ear monitor (IEM) systems. IEM systems require RF coordination; see below.

Input list and patch

The input list maps every source to a console channel. A simplified example for a five-piece band:

1. Kick in
2. Kick out
3. Snare top
4. Snare bottom
5. Hi-hat
6. Rack tom
7. Floor tom
8. Overhead left
9. Overhead right
10. Bass DI
11. Bass mic
12. Guitar 1
13. Guitar 2
14. Keys left (DI)
15. Keys right (DI)
16. Lead vocal
17. Backing vocal 1
18. Backing vocal 2
19. Playback left
20. Playback right

Next to each input, list the microphone or DI, stand type, and whether phantom power is required. Use this list to confirm the stage box channel count and mic package.

RF coordination

Wireless microphones and IEMs share limited spectrum. Collect the make, model, and frequency band of every wireless device across all acts, and have one person coordinate frequencies to avoid interference. Check current regulations on licensed and unlicensed bands for wireless microphones in the US, which have changed after spectrum reallocation.

Lighting

Specify:

• Fixture list by type: moving spots, washes, beams, strobes, LED battens, and audience blinders.
• Front light: key light on performers from FOH truss or balcony rail positions.
• Truss configuration: front, mid, and back truss, or a ground-supported rig.
• Control: console model, DMX universes or network protocol, and whether the artist's lighting director brings a console.
• Atmospherics: hazers, and approval of the venue and fire marshal, since haze can trigger smoke detectors.
• Followspots with operators, if needed.

Rigging

Flown PA, lighting truss, video, and scenery hang from the venue's structure. The rigging section of the spec needs:

• The venue's rigging plot: point locations and rated capacity per point and per beam.
• The artist's hang plot: positions, weights, and motor sizes.
• Total load calculations from the production rigger, matched against venue limits.
• Names of qualified riggers (ETCP-certified where possible); many venues require their house riggers to make all high-steel connections.

Never hang anything until the rigging calculations have been reviewed by a qualified rigger and approved by the venue.

Power

Production power is usually specified as three-phase service at a stated amperage per phase, delivered to a company switch or generator. Separate audio power from lighting power to minimize noise. A worked example for a mid-sized show:

• Audio: one 200-amp, 3-phase (120/208V) service, isolated and properly grounded.
• Lighting: one 400-amp, 3-phase service.
• Video: one 100-amp, 3-phase service if LED walls are used.
• Backline: stage power drops fed from the audio service.

Your actual numbers must come from the vendors' load calculations. For generator-powered events, specify backup generation for critical loads, fuel plans, and distribution handled by a licensed electrician. Venue power availability should factor into venue choice; see Choosing a Concert Venue.

Video, backline, and support

• Video: LED wall size and pixel pitch, IMAG cameras, and a media server.
• Backline: amplifiers, drum kits, and keyboards provided locally, listed by model. Note acceptable substitutes.
• Labor: stagehand calls for load-in, show, and load-out, including union jurisdiction where applicable.
• Communications: production intercom between FOH, monitors, lighting, and stage manager.

Sound levels and noise limits

Many venues and outdoor permits impose sound level limits, usually measured at FOH or at the property line, in A-weighted or C-weighted decibels over a set time window. Put any limit in the spec so the artist's engineer knows before arriving. Specify who measures, with what meter, and where. For outdoor shows, low-frequency energy carries furthest and generates most neighbor complaints, so cardioid subwoofer arrays and careful system design can help keep the show compliant without losing impact.

Putting it into practice

Lay out the spec by department, mark every item with its supplier, and send it to the artist's production manager for sign-off during the advance. Compare venue tech packs on Avenue Mine venues and source sound, lighting, staging, and backline providers from our vendors.