Solo Artist Stage Plot: Vocal, Instrument, and Input List

TL;DR — A solo artist stage plot should show the performer’s exact position, every vocal and instrument source, microphone or DI method, monitor destination, power, stands, playback or looper connections, and who supplies each item. Add a numbered input list even when it has only two channels. Draw the real setup rather than a generic singer icon, keep channel names identical across documents, and confirm venue-provided equipment and substitutions during the show advance.

Table of contents

1. Define the solo performance format
2. Draw the plot in six steps
3. Build the matching input list
4. Document playback, looping, and instrument changes
5. Plan monitors, power, and venue handoff
6. FAQ

Define the solo performance format

“Solo artist” describes the number of performers, not the number of audio channels. A voice-and-guitar set, keyboard act, electronic performance, and instrumental recital need different plots.

Start with the format that will actually arrive:

These are patterns, not default channel counts. Write down each real source and follow its signal to the venue console. If one device combines several sources into a stereo output, the input list should describe that handoff and the performer should understand what the house engineer can and cannot adjust separately.

Draw the plot in six steps

1. Set the stage orientation

Draw the stage from above, mark the audience along the downstage edge, and use stage left and stage right from the performer’s perspective. Even one performer benefits from an orientation arrow: it prevents mirrored placement when pedals, an amp, playback, or a keyboard sit to one side.

Show the usable performance footprint when space matters. Do not invent minimum dimensions for a microphone-and-guitar setup, but do record the measured footprint of a keyboard rig, pedalboard, looper station, or equipment rack that must fit.

2. Place and name the performer

Use the performer’s name and role, such as Maya — vocal + acoustic guitar, at the real standing or seated position. Mark a stool or chair only if it is part of the show, and state whether the artist or venue provides it.

Add the required vocal stand, music stand, keyboard stand, instrument stands, and pedalboard. Keep instrument-change stands and cases outside exits, audience barriers, and working cable routes.

3. Add every audio source

Place a symbol and channel reference for each source:

• vocal microphone;
• instrument microphone;
• DI or balanced direct output;
• amplifier microphone;
• modeler output;
• keyboard left and right outputs;
• playback left and right outputs;
• looper output;
• talk microphone or other source used in the show.

Do not draw guitar without showing how its signal reaches the console. “Acoustic guitar” might mean a pickup into an artist-carried preamp, an unbalanced output into a venue DI, or a microphone on the instrument. Those are different patches.

4. Specify microphones, DIs, and stands

The plot should show placement and stand type. Put detailed requirements in the input list:

• artist- or venue-supplied device;
• preferred model or functional requirement;
• acceptable substitution path;
• connector;
• stand or clip;
• phantom-power requirement for the actual device;
• channel number;
• relevant handling notes.

Avoid turning a preference into an unexplained demand. If a familiar vocal microphone is preferred but a suitable house alternative works, say so. If the performer’s technique or device requires an exact connection, explain the operational reason and confirm it in advance.

5. Add the monitor destination

Show a wedge at the performer’s position or label the IEM destination. Use a stable name such as Mix 1 — Maya — wedge.

For a wedge, place it relative to the vocal microphone and performer. The house engineer must refine placement and level for the actual microphone, loudspeaker, room, and stage volume.

For IEMs, state whether the feed is mono or stereo, wired or wireless, and who supplies the system. Wireless equipment also needs an RF inventory and venue coordination; a venue should never be expected to produce a compatible bodypack from a simple headphone symbol.

6. Mark power and cable handoffs

Mark power beside the equipment that needs it: pedalboard, keyboard, amp, modeler, looper, playback interface, or charger. List the equipment’s rated requirements and plug type when touring between electrical regions. Qualified venue staff decide the final distribution.

Show important audio handoffs and cable routes without turning the plot into a wiring schematic. The input list carries connector and provider detail; the plot shows where those connections land.

Build the matching input list

A short input list is still useful. It tells the engineer exactly what to patch, prepare, and label.

Solo vocal and acoustic guitar

Solo vocal, keys, and playback

Replace all example names and connections with the actual equipment. Confirm is acceptable during drafting, but the final advanced rider should contain the agreed device and phantom-power answer.

Keep input names stable. If the plot says Maya acoustic, do not call the same source GTR DI, Ac Gtr, and Channel 2 in three other places. Stable names make line check faster and reduce mistakes after a setup change.

Read Input List vs Patch Sheet for the document roles and How to Build an Input List for a complete column template.

Document playback, looping, and instrument changes

Playback

Document the audio interface or playback device, number of outputs, mono or stereo format, connector type, provider, sample-rate or digital requirements only when relevant, and the operator. Keep playback audio and any click or cue feed distinct.

If click must reach only the performer, give it a separate destination that cannot reach the audience mix. State how playback starts and stops, and plan a simple fallback appropriate to the show. The Playback Tracks Tech Rider covers outputs, cues, failure response, and advance details.

Loopers

Trace the looper’s real signal path. A looper may receive the guitar only, a combined vocal-and-instrument feed, or several sources through a mixer. The house engineer can control only the feeds delivered separately to the console.

Record:

• sources entering the looper;
• output count and connector type;
• whether dry sources also go separately to FOH;
• who controls loop balance;
• power and pedal position;
• what happens if the looper is bypassed or fails.

Do not request separate FOH control of voice and instrument if the only handoff is one combined output.

Instrument changes

List every instrument used, even for one song. Show its stand and input, then state whether channels remain patched, share a DI, or require a planned change. Avoid hot-plugging assumptions; the engineer should control muting and connection changes.

Give each source a unique name, such as Acoustic 1, Baritone guitar, or Mandolin, rather than renaming one channel throughout the set without a change note.

Plan monitors, power, and venue handoff

Monitor priorities

Describe what the performer needs to hear in priority order. For example:

Mix 1 — wedge: own vocal prominent, acoustic guitar for pitch, playback at supporting level.

Do not provide fake percentages or promise a fixed volume. Build the balance with the engineer during soundcheck. If the performer can accept a simpler fallback—one wedge instead of a carried IEM system, for example—document the conditions rather than improvising on show day.

Equipment ownership

Separate the complete package into:

• artist carries;
• venue provides;
• preferred but substitutable;
• required and advance-approval only.

This distinction matters for DIs, vocal microphones, stands, stools, keyboard stands, cables, wedges, power adapters, and backline. A symbol alone does not assign responsibility.

Pre-send checklist

• Performer name, role, and stage orientation are clear.
• Every vocal, instrument, playback, and looper source has a channel.
• Microphone, DI, connector, stand, and provider are stated.
• Stereo sources occupy two named input rows.
• Monitor format, destination, and provider are explicit.
• Power is marked beside each powered device.
• Instrument changes have stands, channels, and a mute plan.
• Playback, click, and backup paths are separated.
• Plot labels match input-list names exactly.
• Contact, revision date, and venue confirmations are current.

Send the stage plot, input list, monitor note, and equipment-ownership list together. Use the show advance checklist to resolve venue equipment, access, schedule, and substitutions.

After the advance, update the same Rider. Invite the artist’s engineer or tour manager to edit and save it and inspect history, then share the current Rider with the venue and export a dated PDF for offline use.

Common solo-plot mistakes

Assuming one performer means one input. Count actual vocal, instrument, playback, and loop outputs.

Showing an instrument but no audio connection. Label the microphone, DI, amp mic, or direct output.

Omitting a short input list. Two clearly named rows are more useful than asking the engineer to infer the patch.

Combining sources before FOH without saying so. Document the actual handoff and its control limits.

Leaving venue-provided equipment ambiguous. Assign every microphone, DI, stand, cable, monitor, and backline item.

Forgetting the spare instrument or playback fallback. Include anything that may appear during the set and define the change.

FAQ

What should a solo artist stage plot include?

Include the named performer position, audience direction, vocal and instrument sources, microphones or DIs, channel references, stands, monitor destination, power, playback or looping equipment, instrument changes, and who supplies each item. Attach a matching input list.

Does a solo singer need a stage plot?

Yes when the venue needs to prepare a microphone position, monitor, playback inputs, keyboard or instrument setup, power, stands, or changeover. A simple accurate plot and input list can be one page; the small channel count does not remove the need for a clear handoff.

How many inputs does a solo performer need?

Count the real sources. Voice plus mono guitar may use two inputs; stereo keys add two, stereo playback adds two, and separate loop, click, or instrument feeds add more. Never infer the count from the number of performers.

How do you draw a solo acoustic stage plot?

Draw the stage from above, mark the audience, place the singer and vocal stand, show the guitar’s microphone or DI path, add the wedge or IEM destination, mark pedalboard power and instrument stands, then match every source to a numbered input-list row.

What should a singer-songwriter put in a tech rider?

Include a stage plot, numbered input list, vocal and instrument connection requirements, monitor preference, power and stand needs, artist- versus venue-supplied equipment, playback or looper details, acceptable substitutions, contact information, and the latest revision date.

Turn the one-person setup into a clear handoff

Build the solo stage plot and input list in Techrider.live, keep every source name consistent, and send the venue both the current Rider and a dated PDF.

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Last updated: 2026-07-28 · Reviewed for solo vocal, instrument, playback, looping, monitor, and venue-handoff workflows.