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Drum Technician

A drum technician (or ‘drum tech’, or backline technician) is a member of a musician's or music ensemble’s road crew who is responsible for the drums and percussion. A drum technician is accountable for the setting up, maintenance and preservation of the drums, percussion instruments and related accessories (including electronic percussion) in primarily live settings, but can also be in recording environments.The drum technician can be responsible for the tuning and adjusting of the drums and percussion, including a sound check. A drum technician is generally a part of the road crew or ‘roadies’ and often tours with artists as a percussion specialist. Professional musicians take great care of their instruments and therefore rely on highly skilled instrument technicians for the responsibility and maintenance of these instruments .

Duties

Example of audio interface for a drum kit.

The drum tech is solely responsible for drums, percussion instruments and accessories in touring environments. This includes building the drum kit with specifications by the performing musician, setting up the kit and tuning the instruments. In addition to the drum kit and percussion instrument set up the drum tech is also responsible for the set up of the electronic rig which controls the sound of the drums and percussion. Concurrently or after the drum kit is set up the drum tech is responsible for installing the electronic rig backstage. This rig usually consists of power conditioners, an audio interface, synthesizer modules, a sampling module, and a headphone amp. Audio software is installed on to the rig and other plug-ins are run through a laptop, computer or CPU.

Drum technicians, as a part of the road crew, are representing the artists and production company for which they work. There are also responsibilities of the drum technician to mediate between the performing artist and others. For example, being a mediator between the venue owners and operators and the drummer in order to satisfy both parties in the setting up and maintenance of equipment .

The drum technician is also responsible for keeping the percussion equipment clean and read for use at all times. Rust and grime can contribute to long term damage of the instruments, so it is the role of the drum technician to ensure this doesn’t happen by cleaning the equipment regularly .

Conditions of work

Depending on the size, equipment and budget of the touring musicians, the conditions of work for a drum technician will vary considerably Roadies are freelance workers with means that their individual schedules can vary significantly from job to job, depending on the size and budget of the production.

The hours vary drastically but can range from 6 hour to 13 hours days . Additionally, the way tours can be structured is that most concerts are on the weekends, therefore midweek is usually spent traveling to performances . This means that drum technicians, if commissioned for a larger show can spend long times away from home and their families.

The type of work will also vary largely, from working on a large-scale production one month, to a much smaller sized gig the next . This requires skills to adapt to different environments, and a high level of knowledge of all levels of percussive equipment.

The job of drum technician is a physically demanding role, as sets and instruments must be set up and dismantled, often quickly and safely, adhering to set times and venue rules .

Levels of pay from drum technicians are dependent on skills and experience. Often living allowances are in addition to income .

Setting up and sound checking

The role of the drum tech begins on arrival at the venue where the performance will take place, where they must locate all their road cases and electronics that are needed for their work . A significant amount of a drum technician’s time I to loading and unloading vans, trailer and buses . For drum technicians, when setting up the kit it is vital to check everything, as there are many parts to the kit and can vary from show to show. To avoid having to fix the kit during the show it is essential to tighten every piece of gear .

The sound check, is the pre-performance time to ensure all equipment and instruments are ready for performance. It is the time to set-up, tighten, tune and prepare the drum kit and percussion . Often drum technicians are called to play for sound check if the performing musician is unavailable . This is the time to ensure the drums and percussion are ready for performance. During the sound check the drum tech will together with the monitor engineer and front of house engineer in order to set the appropriate levels for the drums and percussion .

During the show, the drum tech is in close vicinity of the performer drummer and/or percussionist. This is to ensure, should something go wrong – for example a cymbal coming loose, or a microphone being misplaced – the drum tech is able to fix it immediately .Often the drum technician will wear in-ear monitors and a wireless pack. This allows the drum tech to listen to the entire band and hear when there is a technical fault has occurred and therefore deal with it immediately .

Drum technicians must be adaptable and ready to learn new technologies, especially in the electronic side of setting up. The industry standards have changed dramatically in the last ten years and continue to develop. It is important a drum technician is adaptable and aware of new technologies.

Maintenance and repair

It is important to maintain the drum and percussion instruments to a high standard. This involved changing head, polishing cymbals and wrapping drumsticks . In downtime, the drum tech is responsible for repairs and maintenance of the percussion equipment .This can include ordering new parts, such as cymbals, heads and sticks, taking inventory and placing orders accordingly and making sure these goods are directed to the correct venue .The most common problem for drum technician’s is the repair of faulty or damaged equipment .

It is required as a drum tech to have primary and spare cables properly rolled, in order to ensure if there is an issue midset, the drum technician can resolve it quickly and efficiently . This must also be considered when ordering spare parts and equipment.

Drum technicians should also have stop of spare sticks, spare cymbals, backup snares, head dampeners, and towels in emergency cases .

Training and career path

In today’s modern music industry there is no set path in becoming a drum technician. To become a drum technician, it is not necessary to be a classically or formally trained musician, however the ability to play the drums and a wide knowledge of percussion is required .  To become a road technician there are no set conditions or qualifications for the job . Although not specifically required, formal training that can be beneficial is securing work . Having experience in sound, production, music technology and percussion are an advantage in the industry .

Drum technicians who have an array of on-the-job experience are preferred than candidates without it [6]. There are opportunities to get a creative apprenticeship in technical theatre or music. Although not specific to drum technicians, this route can give individuals key experience and skills in working backstage and in live music settings . It is necessary for a drum technician to be aware and familiar with various models of microphones, differing instrument hardware drums and percussion instruments (including drum heads) and additionally have knowledge of audio software and electronic accessories .

Many drum technicians get their start in the industry through touring with bands they personally know or have connections with . It is there important to build a network of clientele in order to gain steady work . Drum technicians generally rely on these connections and personal referrals for work, as you will rarely see a job advertisement for a touring drum technician . Many bands and performing drummers will keep the same drum technicians for several years, as they create a relationship with the technician and trust their work.

Drum technician appearances

Scott Johnson – The drum technician for Radiohead, who was killed in a stage collapsing incident in June 2012 .

Gary Grimm – P!nk’s drum technician on her recent, Beautiful Trauma tour. He has also worked on Tina Turner’s tour in 2000 and Janet Jackson’s tour in 2001

Jay Reynolds – Drum Technician for Demi Lovato and the Chainsmokers. He has also worked with Nick Jonas, New Kids on the Block, Stevie Wonder and 5 Seconds of Summer .

Harry McCarthy – Drum Technician for Bruce Springsteen .

Max Marzocca – Drummer and drum tech. He has been a drum technician for Kevin Paradis who plays for the bands Mithridatic and Melechesh .

Richard Russo – He was Drum technician for drummer Donald Tardy of the band Obituary and the band Night Ranger. He plays drums for Andrew W. K.

See Also

• Road Crew
• Guitar Technician
• Lighting Technician
• Theatrical Technician