Stage Plot and Input List

A stage plot and an input list are the two basic documents that tell a production team how your show is supposed to work. The stage plot shows where people and equipment go. The input list shows what each sound source is, how it reaches the mixer, and which channel or source number belongs to it. Used together, they give the venue a workable picture of the stage before anyone starts unloading cases.

The most important rule is simple: the two documents must agree. If the stage plot labels the lead vocal microphone as 1, the input list must also identify that microphone as channel 1. If a keyboard appears on stage but is missing from the input list, or if the input list calls for a monitor that does not appear on the plot, the crew has to stop and guess. Clear paperwork reduces that uncertainty before soundcheck begins. Yamaha describes the input list as a record of stage sources, mixer channels, microphone or DI choices, locations, and monitor requirements, while defining the stage plot as the physical layout of instruments and performers. Tools of the Trade: Seven Ways to Ensure a Smooth Sound Check

What each document does

A stage plot is a visual representation of the physical layout of performers and instruments on stage. It should let a person who has never seen the band understand the arrangement from a single page. Show the audience-facing direction clearly, then place performer names or roles, instruments, microphones, DI boxes, monitor positions, and other equipment where they belong. The exact level of detail depends on the size of the act and the production, but the purpose remains the same: communicate locations.

An input list is the audio-side companion. It identifies the sources the sound system must receive and assigns each source a channel or source number. At minimum, it should make clear what the source is, which mixer channel it uses, and whether the connection is a microphone or DI. For production use, add the source’s stage location and monitor requirements. Tools of the Trade: Seven Ways to Ensure a Smooth Sound Check

Think of the stage plot as a map and the input list as a manifest. The map answers, “Where is everything?” The manifest answers, “What is everything, and how does it enter the audio system?” Neither document is a replacement for the other. A rider may require them as separate documents, and may also distinguish front-of-house and monitor-engineering responsibilities. That kind of requirement is an example of contractual production practice, not a universal rider template. CeCe Winans Performance & Technical Rider

The minimum useful information

Start with the information a crew can act on immediately.

For the stage plot, include:

• The performer’s name or role.
• The instrument or performance position.
• The microphone or DI position, when applicable.
• The monitor location associated with that performer or position.
• Relevant stage equipment, power needs, playback, backline, or other technical requirements when they affect the venue’s preparation.

For the input list, include:

• A consistent channel or source number.
• The performer, role, or source name.
• The instrument or audio source.
• Microphone or DI designation.
• The physical location on stage.
• Monitor requirements that the production team needs to plan for.

These fields are practical, not a universal checklist that every show must use in exactly the same way. Venue practice, act size, and production complexity can change what is necessary. A large band may need detailed information about stage dimensions, playback, monitoring, and technical requirements, while a small acoustic act may need a much shorter document. Grand Canyon University’s event guidance, for example, asks for input-list or I/O information, performer and instrument details, monitoring needs, stage dimensions, a stage plot, playback information, and technical requirements. Events Resource Guide — Campus Technology

Power needs and stage dimensions are conditional fields. Include them when they affect the venue’s ability to prepare the stage, supply power, place equipment, or confirm that the arrangement fits. A venue may also ask for stage-equipment needs or approximate dimensions as part of its booking process. The University of Colorado Boulder’s Fiske Planetarium requests an input list, stage plot, and stage-equipment needs, while also providing venue-specific information about its stage and advance process. Rentals — Band Rentals and Concerts

Do not assume there is one mandatory channel order. Some crews may prefer to group drums, bass, guitars, keys, and vocals, but the evidence does not establish that sequence as a universal rule. Choose an order that makes sense for your band and keep it consistent across the input list, stage plot, labels, and any related production paperwork. Readability and agreement matter more than a particular ordering convention.

A worked example of matching documents

Imagine a four-piece group with a singer who plays guitar, a bassist, a drummer, and a keyboard player. The following is an illustrative structure, not a required industry format.

The stage plot might show:

• Downstage center: lead vocal and guitar.
• Upstage center: drum kit.
• Stage left: bass position.
• Stage right: keyboard position.
• One monitor position for each performer, placed where that performer can use it.
• Any relevant DI, power, playback, or backline notes.

The input list could then identify the sources as follows:

1. Lead vocal — microphone — downstage center — lead-vocal monitor requirement.
2. Guitar — microphone or DI, according to the band’s actual setup — downstage center.
3. Bass — DI — stage left — bassist’s monitor requirement.
4. Kick — microphone — upstage center.
5. Snare — microphone — upstage center.
6. Overhead — microphone — upstage center.
7. Keys — DI — stage right — keyboard player’s monitor requirement.

The important feature is not the exact number of channels or the specific microphone choices. It is the shared identity. The lead vocal on the plot and the lead vocal in the input list must refer to the same source. The guitar’s location must match the location shown on the plot. The monitor notes must be understandable in both documents. Yamaha specifically recommends matching microphone and DI numbers and labeling performer positions so the physical arrangement can be reconciled with the mixer inputs. Tools of the Trade: Seven Ways to Ensure a Smooth Sound Check

A useful review method is to inspect each source in both directions. Start with channel 1 and find it on the plot. Then start at each performer on the plot and find every associated source in the input list. Any item that appears only once is a discrepancy to resolve. This catches common problems such as an unlabeled DI, a second vocal microphone left off the list, or a monitor shown in one document but omitted from the other.

Making the plot readable

The plot does not need elaborate graphic design. It needs a clear orientation, readable labels, and enough visual information for the crew to place equipment. Identify the audience side or downstage direction. Use a simple symbol or label for each performer, instrument, microphone, DI, and monitor. If you use symbols, include a small legend so the meaning is not dependent on the designer’s familiarity with the band.

Keep labels short, but do not make them cryptic. “Lead Vox,” “Bass DI,” and “Keys DI” are more useful than unexplained abbreviations. If two people use similar instruments, distinguish them by role or position. If the band changes arrangements between songs, document the setup that the production team must build, and flag any meaningful change separately.

A stage plot can also carry practical notes when they matter to the venue. These may include power drops, stage-equipment needs, playback, backline, or dimensions. An industry-practice example includes power drops and a symbol legend, but those details should be treated as useful examples rather than universal requirements. Documenting Your System

Avoid turning the plot into a dense technical drawing that obscures the arrangement. The goal is not to document every cable or dictate a single method of stage work. The goal is to give the crew a reliable picture of the physical setup and highlight the requirements that need advance attention.

Making the input list actionable

Use one row per audio source. Give every row a stable identifier, then describe the source in ordinary language. A production team should be able to answer four questions from each row: What is this? Where is it? What connection does it need? Which channel or source number should the crew use?

Add monitor information when it changes the preparation or mix plan. “Vocal monitor,” “drummer monitor,” or another role-based description may be enough for a straightforward show, provided the monitor locations and responsibilities are clear. If the venue has separate front-of-house and monitor engineers, make sure the paperwork reflects that division when it is relevant. A particular rider may define those responsibilities separately, but the arrangement will vary from production to production. CeCe Winans Performance & Technical Rider

Phantom-power requirements, stand types, cable-routing notes, console or rack assignments, and other fields can be helpful if they reflect the band’s real technical plan and the receiving crew needs them. They are not automatically universal requirements. The input-list schema described by an experienced audio practitioner includes examples such as console channels, source descriptions, microphone or DI type, phantom-power requirements, and stands; use such additions as configurable practice, not as a mandatory template for every show. Documenting Your System

The same caution applies to microphone models and software recommendations. If a specific model is essential to the act’s sound or supplied equipment, name it. If it is merely a preference, label it as such. Do not present an illustrative choice as a venue rule or industry standard.

Wireless systems need an advance conversation

Wireless microphones, in-ear systems, and other wireless equipment require more than copying a frequency from an old show file. Frequencies that work in one room may not be deployable in another because the local RF environment and the venue’s other wireless systems differ. Local spectrum conditions and applicable regulations must be checked for the show location.

The artist should provide actual system information early: what wireless equipment is being brought, how many systems are involved, and what the venue or production team needs to know to coordinate it. The venue or an RF technician should then confirm the frequencies that can actually be deployed. Shure’s Wireless Workbench workflow uses an RF scan, frequency inventory, compatibility analysis, calculation, assignment and deployment, and transmitter synchronization. That process supports venue-specific coordination rather than relying on a generic example frequency. WWB Quick Start Guide

The reason is practical. A receiver needs to receive one transmitter signal at a time, and overlapping signals can interfere with one another, causing blocking or unusable noise. Multiple wireless systems therefore need to be considered together and checked against the local RF environment. Audio Systems Guide for Theater Performances

Put wireless details in the advance materials, but do not promise fixed frequencies unless the responsible production team has coordinated and confirmed them for that venue and date. The stage plot can show wireless positions or system assignments when useful; the input list can identify the relevant vocal, instrument, or playback source. The frequency plan itself may belong in a separate RF coordination document, depending on the production.

When to send the documents

Send the stage plot and input list before the show, using the venue’s or production manager’s stated deadline. There is no single universal deadline. Official venue examples range from one week to two or three weeks, and some venue processes require much earlier planning.

Berklee’s Red Room at Cafe 939 asks artists to submit the stage plot and input list and advance the show two to three weeks before the date; its production guidance says confirmed shows must be advanced at least two weeks before show day. For Bands/Artists — Advancing Your Show

Grand Canyon University’s event guidance says minimum technical information should reach AV staff at least one week before the event. Events Resource Guide — Campus Technology

Other venues may require substantially more lead time. Fiske Planetarium’s rental information says concert dates must be finalized six to eight weeks in advance and includes soundcheck or rehearsal planning. Rentals — Band Rentals and Concerts

Treat these as venue examples, not universal industry rules. Ask the receiving venue for its deadline, file format, stage dimensions, equipment inventory, wireless process, and production contacts. If the venue’s requirements differ from your normal template, adapt the documents for that show while preserving clear identifiers.

A final pre-send check

Before sending, confirm the following:

• Every performer and instrument appears on the stage plot.
• Every audio source appears in the input list.
• Microphone and DI numbers match between both documents.
• Performer locations and monitor locations agree.
• Relevant power, stage, playback, backline, and equipment needs are included.
• Wireless system information has been provided early enough for coordination.
• Venue-specific requirements and deadlines have been followed.
• Optional examples are labeled as preferences or illustrative choices, not universal standards.
• The documents are readable when opened or printed by the receiving crew.

Finally, send the documents to the person who will actually advance the show, such as the venue production contact, production manager, or designated audio team. Keep the final sent versions together, and update both documents whenever the arrangement changes. A stage plot and input list are most useful when they describe the show that will actually arrive—not an older version of the band, a generic template, or an unconfirmed technical wish list.

Open Music Business provides educational information about music-business and production practice. This article is general operational guidance, not individualized legal, financial, tax, contract, or royalty advice.