Dueling Pianos 2GO
Sound, Lighting and Back-line

PLEASE CONTACT:
    VAN WALRAVEN, Manager
        Phone:     (702) 895-9524 (Las Vegas)
        Mobile:    (702) 682-4444 (Nationwide)
        FAX:        (702) 895-9524
        E-mail:     duelingpianos2go@aol.com

OVERVIEW

Dueling Pianos 2GO frequently hires independent sound and lighting specialists and sound equipment rental companies to provide professional services in connection with our two-piano act.  In other instances, the client who hired us has already contracted for these services or is providing them "in house" or through arrangements with the venue.  This page is devoted to communicating our needs to the sound and lighting specialists who will be involved in the event at which we will be performing.

We understanding that your equipment resources may be limited to items on hand, or that you may be operating under certain budget constraints; so, we remain as malleable as possible with regard to most of our sound and lighting needs.  Nevertheless, by working out the details with you in advance of the event, we can usually come close to matching your resources to our needs...so that, together, we deliver the best possible entertainment services to the client. 

CONFIGURATIONS

There are two, typical configurations for the Dueling Pianos 2GO act:
(1) Dueling Pianos and
(2) Dueling Pianos + Drummer

Naturally, the sound and stage requirements differ for the two configurations.  For comparison purposes, here's a rough chart, showing those differences...
 

The pianos are electronic...most of the time
You'll be glad to know that the Slam Grand Pianos we play at most events are electronic pianos housed in grand piano shells; therefore, we avoid the typical problems associated with acoustic pianos, such as: the heavy weight (just two people, instead of five are needed to lift our pianos onto and off the stage), difficult microphone placement, feedback, tunings, string breakage, etc. 

Wireless microphones...two or three
Because our show involves a great deal of interaction between the performers and the audience, we prefer to use two (2) wireless hand-held vocal microphones (professional quality) - one in each boom stand at each piano and, for some events, a third wireless out front, for speeches and guest singers.

Stereo mix...light on the panning, please
When the venue and seating arrangement allow, we prefer to run the show in a two-channel (stereo) configuration with minimal panning on vocals to ensure even coverage.  

STAGE CONFIGURATION

IF ACOUSTIC PIANOS ARE TO BE USED

Some situations require us to play acoustic pianos.  If so, here are our specifications:

1. GRAND PIANOS ONLY.  Both pianos must be grand pianos, preferably 6 feet or more in length.  They cannot be uprights or spinets.  If space is limited, we can use smaller grands, in which case the Yamaha C2 (at 5' 8") is an excellent choice.

2. THE SAME MODEL.  The pianos must be of the same size, manufacturer and model.  It is not acceptable, for example, to pair a 6-foot Baldwin with a 6-foot Yamaha, or a 6-foot Yamaha with a 5-foot, 4-inch Yamaha, or a Yamaha C3 with a Yamaha G3.  Please note, however, that both pianos do not need to be the same color.  Given one white and one black piano, for example, when each pianist dresses opposite the piano he/she is playing, it makes for an attractive presentation.

3. JUST TUNED.  If possible, the pianos should both be tuned AFTER being delivered to the stage.  If time constraints do not allow for this, they should be tuned immediately prior to moving. 

4. TUNED TO EACH OTHER.  The piano tuner must be informed that the pianos are to be tuned, not only to themselves, but one to the other...otherwise, when we play the two pianos together, they could clash. 

YAMAHA GRAND PIANOS
Our unquestionable piano of choice is the Yamaha C7.  (Van, in fact, played a C7 when he set a Guinness World Record.)  But if a pair of C7s are not available, any of the C-Series Yamaha Grand Pianos are quite acceptable to us.  (The "C", by the way, stands for "Conservatory".)  Fortunately the C-Series Yamahas are favored by many professional pianists worldwide (including Elton John), and therefore are commonly found in the rental inventory of most piano stores. 

MIKING ACOUSTIC PIANOS

DP2GO has recently purchased two, Helpinstill Model 180's (Noise-Canceling Grand Piano Sensors) - the industry's most advanced system for miking acoustic pianos for live performance - which we bring with us whenever we are to be playing acoustic grand pianos.  Please see www.helpinstill.com for complete product description.  Van will install the sensors on the two pianos, once the pianos have been delivered to the stage, and remove them, once the show has concluded.

IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE YOUR OWN METHOD OF MIKING THE PIANOS...

Volumes have been written on this subject.  Hopefully, you've read a few, and perhaps, you've developed your own techniques with respect to microphone selection and placement. 

When considering mic selection and placement, please account for the fact that we need rather substantial gain before feedback, and that we need a push in the subsonic frequencies from the bass strings of the piano, because we have no bassist in our act.  Also, we must perform with the piano lids down, to isolate the sound of each piano from that of the other microphones and instruments on stage and so as not to obstruct the sight lines between the two pianists.

Our research and experience has found the following options to be workable:
1. Condenser Mics - Condenser-type microphones (2 per piano), placed on foam in the metal holes of the harp, pointing at the strings.  Optimum placement and EQ is an art.
2. PZMs - Such as Crown Model PZM-6D microphones (2 per piano), taped with gaffing tape under the lids in two locations.  With this method, a substantial cut at around 250 Hz is usually needed to remove the inherent boominess the closed lid causes.
3. Piano Pick-ups - Such as Barcus-Berry Model 4000x1 (brand) piano pick-ups (1 per piano), placed according to manufacturer's instructions.
4. Contact Mics (Recommended) - C-Tape C-Ducer (brand) contact microphones affixed to the underneath side of the sounding board of each piano.  2 contact strips are included in each system, and each system is appropriate for one piano.  This device gives the greatest gain before feedback and is the recommended method for our act.
5. Combination - A combination of any of the methods above.  For example, good results can be achieved by using a contact mic beneath the sounding board and a single PZM under the lid.  The contact mic gives "punch", while the PZM provides more even coverage and a sense of "openness".  

SOUND EQUIPMENT

MIXER
1, pro audio mixer (minimum 16 channels), designed for live music sound reinforcement, with the capability of generating three, separate and discrete monitor mixes in addition to master out(s).  Each mixer channel should have at a minimum:
XLR and 1/4-inch input
Input attenuation control
Three-band variable control EQ
Three (3) variable control monitor sends (or two monitor sends and one effects send -- see below)
Master fader(s) for mono or stereo main outputs

Typical Mixer Inputs and Signal Path:

 *1    PNO A (Electronic Piano A - mono out)  or (Acoustic Piano A - bass strings)
ELECTRONIC PIANO: Left mono output from Yamaha P-150 or P-200 electronic piano; short instrument cable to D/I box to XLR to mixer
ACOUSTIC PIANO:  Condenser microphone, PZM, pick-up or contact strip picking-up the bass strings of Piano A

  2    PNO A (Acoustic Piano A - treble strings)
ELECTRONIC PIANO: Channel not used
ACOUSTIC PIANO:  Condenser microphone or contact strip picking-up the treble strings of Piano A

 *3    PNO B (Electronic Piano B - mono out)  or (Acoustic Piano B - bass strings)
ELECTRONIC PIANO: Left mono output from Yamaha P-150 or P-200 electronic piano; short instrument cable to D/I box to XLR to mixer
ACOUSTIC PIANO:  Condenser microphone, PZM, pick-up or contact strip picking-up the bass strings of Piano B

  4    PNO A (Acoustic Piano A - treble strings)
ELECTRONIC PIANO: Channel not used
ACOUSTIC PIANO:  Condenser microphone or contact strip picking-up the treble strings of Piano B

  5    OPEN

 *6    VOX A (Vocal microphone A - wireless)
Wireless handheld vocal microphone (transmitter) in boom stand at Piano A; wireless system receiving unit to mixer

 *7    VOX B (Vocal microphone B - wireless)
Wireless handheld vocal microphone (transmitter) in boom stand at Piano B; wireless system receiving unit to mixer

  8    VOX F (Front microphone - wired)
Wired handheld vocal microphone (XLR) in a standard mic stand for speeches and guest singers

  9    VOX C (Drummer's vocal microphone - wired)
Wired vocal microphone (XLR) in a boom stand for the drummer

10    OPEN

11    INST (Auxiliary instrument - typically acoustic guitar)
Instrument cable to D/I box to XLR to mixer

12    KICK (Bass drum microphone)

13    SNARE (Snare drum microphone)

14    TOMS (Tom-toms microphone)

15    HI HAT (Hi-hats microphone)

16    O-HEAD (Overhead drums microphone)

AUX IN L    CD-L (CD player left)

AUX IN R    CD-R (CD player right)

* NOTE:  The inputs marked by asterisks are ALWAYS necessary.  The inputs that are not marked by asterisks may or may not be necessary, depending upon the particular needs of event.  Please check with Van.

MICROPHONES
2, wireless handheld vocal microphones (pro quality).  Prefer Shure or other top brand.

MONITORS
2, floor monitors (wedge-style) with minimum 12" woofer + HF horn driver.  (3 floor monitors are needed, if drummer is performing.)
2, separate monitor mixes (sends) from the board, 2 EQ channels and 2 amp channels to effect and drive the two floor monitors.  (3, separate monitor mixes from the board, 3 EQ channels and 3 amp channels are needed, if drummer is performing.)

NOTE: Effects busses are not needed, since we run the show dry; so, depending on how the mixer is configured, an effects send may be used as one of the two (or three, with drummer) monitor sends.


HOUSE
House speakers and compatible amplifiers, crossovers and EQs sufficient to produce clear, undistorted, full, even sound to the room at a level of 96 dB at the furthest table from the stage. 

Depending on the size of the room and the audience, a two- or three-way configuration including subwoofer(s) is usually necessary.  At a typical 150-person event, for example, we recommend for the house system no less than 400 Watts per amplifier channel (in a two-channel configuration) driving no less than two, full-range, 8-Ohm speakers, crossed-over at 80 Hz with low frequencies going to a one- or two-channel subwoofer system of no less than 400 Watts into 8 Ohms.

LIGHTING SYSTEM

A general stage wash is all we need, so two trees on either side of the stage, or two, front lighting trusses with a minimum of four par 64's per tree/truss and a simple controller will usually suffice.  If greater production impact is requested and budgeted for by the client, a single follow spot and follow spot operator may be added.
 

Dueling Pianos 2 GO—Performance Technical Requirements

Stage

Height: 12-18 inches is generally considered ideal for an audience that is mostly seated for the performance.  If a substantial portion of the audience will be standing or dancing during the performance, the stage height may be increase to 24-36 inches. 

Steps:  Step must be placed either at the front or the sides of the stage, as we bring audience-members up on stage during the act.  For guest safety, we recommend that a marking such as brightly colored tape be placed on the steps and across the front edge of the stage.

Width: 18 feet minimum

Depth without drummer:  8 feet minimum

Depth with drummer:  12 feet minimum

18 feet wide, 8 feet deep (minimum)

Drum Riser
Wherever possible, a drum riser should be provided and placed at the back center of the stage behind the pianos.  The riser can be any size, no less than: (W) 6 feet, (D) 6 feet, (H) 12 inches; however, if stage depth is limited, placement of the drum riser may not encroach upon the minimum requirements for the pianos...in other words, there has to be room for the drum riser AND the pianos.

Equipment