Technical Rider Builder Tutorial
Read time under 6 minutes.
GOAL: To create –from scratch– a valid, complete, and well-guided technical rider.
A rider is not a PDF. It is a work tool.
What do you need to know beforehand?
The Technical Rider Builder is, likely, the first complete technical rider generator available to you.
It is also the first builder that intelligently guides you step-by-step regardless of your technical level, with a clear industry vision.
The only condition asked of you is to know, roughly, the fee (cachet) of the band.
The importance of the fee
Basically, it defines the relationship between associated costs and additional costs: the difference between what you truly cost as a band/artist and what the venue/promoter will actually pay.
The lower the fee, the less you can ask for. Obviously. And conversely: the higher it is, the more opportunities you have to request exclusive and dedicated equipment.
The first thing you'll need to do is define, roughly, what the fee of your band or artist is.
This will filter the indications and ideas to achieve a technical rider more in line with your real needs.
The fee data is for internal use and, in any case, is not published anywhere.
Do you travel with technicians?
It is very frustrating for many venues and promoters (concerts, festivals, etc.) to make a determined effort and know that, in the end, the band does not travel with technicians.
These are data we need to know to help you outline a coherent technical rider: if you don't bring technicians, we will offer you versatile solutions. Don't worry.
In fact, the Technical Rider Builder is designed for experienced technicians as well as for bands and artists who do not have technicians and do not know how to make a rider.
If you travel with a sound and/or lighting technician, you can add them to contacts (names, email, and phone). They are optional.
What is not optional is the Main Contact, which is one of the requirements of every technical rider: a permanent point of contact.
Once the fee is selected, the rest of the form is activated and you can continue filling in the fields as indicated.
Follow the form... and the indications.
From now on, you just have to fill in the form with the data requested. Since you will have already defined a fee, these boxes will appear:
- Different options designed specifically that you can click and, then, edit in the corresponding field.
- Or you forget them and put your own text.
You can save your draft whenever you want from the bottom, at the icon .
However, the system will save your draft every 30 seconds after the last data entry.
You have up to 10 available and you will find them in the menu on the left: click on and it will load ().
Whenever you wish, press Preview to see how your rider looks in PDF.
Patch List
All riders must have a patch list: that's why they are technical riders. And we make it easy for you.
In the Technical Rider Builder we provide almost everything.
Add a channel (or try the drum preset!), start filling in the description column and...
Add as many channels as you need: delete them, move them (channels are organized automatically), edit them.
Remember: If you bring your own microphones, make sure to mark OWN.
Stage Plot
All riders should have a stage plot: that's why they are technical riders.
In the Technical Rider Builder you have two ways to present a stage plot.
Upload yours
Click the icon and you can upload your graphic (JPEG, PNG or PDF). Simple as that.
Your stage plot will be printed in the PDF. However, you cannot use the canvas.
Delete the file and you can go back. If you already had a drawing made before, it will remain saved in your draft.
Use the canvas
Define (as a guide) your stage width and start clicking elements and placing them on the canvas.
Move them, rename them, add risers, order them by layers, rotate them... You have everything necessary to have a totally useful technical rider.
Not that difficult, right?
Publish your rider
Do you have it finished? Publish it .
The system will save your draft, create the PDF file and save it to your section of Your riders.
From now on, you can proceed with the usual procedures to validate it with AI and, when you have it, start using it.
If you need to know how to validate and publish your new rider, remember that you also have available this specific tutorial.