Hacking into monitor mixes for Coldplay!

[vdrumer18]

So i went to a Coldplay show last weekend, here in Ridgefield, WA. on my way out the door i had the crazy idea of grabbin 3 of my Sennheiser IEM receivers. I grabber three, because i have all 3 of the frequency groups within my system of 8. I knew that coldplay uses the sennheiser brand In-ear systems so i figured i would give it a try. My goal was to scan all the channels on the receivers in hopes of finding their monitor mixes. Each frequency group has 1,440 freqencies in it. so it was gonna be a long night. When i got to the show i sat 150-200 feet away from the stage and started scanning the preset banks and channels on the "A" group. its in the 518-554Mhz range. After about 5mins of scanning i found 8 frequencies that were active. Bank 2 channels 04-10. After the openers got off the stage and the sound crew started checking lines, my findings were confirmed when i heard the monitor guys talking to each other throug the IEMs. So through out the show i was listening in on the 4 mixes for the band and a few other that were used for production cues etc. They use click tracks for most of their stuff and all organ/pads and synth sounds are pre recorded. it was a lot of fun to hear everything thats going on behind the scenes at a large show like a Coldplay concert. You should try this if you ever get to go to their show.

[embouchuregirl]

Wow. That's really interesting. Did they use prerecords for all the songs they performed or were some of them just straight-up live. What kind of stuff were the engineers discussing anyway?

[MrJulius]

I've done this every year at DMB shows for the past 4 years. DMB condones the trading of the IEM shows as what they say to each other isn't part of the show, and I will respect their wish to keep it private, but man, they sure say some ****ed up stuff. Sooooo funny

[vdrumer18]

Originally Posted by embouchuregirl

Wow. That's really interesting. Did they use prerecords for all the songs they performed or were some of them just straight-up live. What kind of stuff were the engineers discussing anyway?

Of cousre some of the acoustic, more stripped down stuff, had no click tracks to it. But i noticed that they played "yellow" considerably faster than the record.... and that one there was no click. Ironic, huh? .... the engineers were cueing each other on when to start the click tracks (someone else does it, not the drummer) and he would tell them to mute certain channels for different parts of the show. thumbsup next time i'll try to figure out a way to actually record the mixes.

[Whitecat]

Next time bring a transmitter and a lav mic, you could have WAY more fun with that...

[s0nguy]

Originally Posted by terminal3

Next time bring a transmitter and a lav mic, you could have WAY more fun with that...

that would be effing hilarious.. for a few seconds.. i would laugh.

-s0nguy

[jeremy.c.]

Originally Posted by terminal3

Next time bring a transmitter and a lav mic, you could have WAY more fun with that...

I was thinking that was where his story was headed too. Bring your drunk and tone deaf uncle to sing along and watch Chris's face contort into a WTF expression.

[Whitecat]

I'd be more subtle. I'd bring an electronic metronome with a headphone-out, and feed that into the transmitter and give the band another click track just to see what happens. Maybe in a weird time signature too.

[plexisys]

60 hz buzz. That would drive all of them crazy looking for that.

[DSpec1]

That is really interesting. It would also be interesting to tap into the headphone mixes at a more 'pop-oriented' show like Jonas Brothers or Britney Spears to find out how much performing is actually done live.

[Whitecat]

Originally Posted by plexisys

60 hz buzz. That would drive all of them crazy looking for that.

LOL, that's a great one too...

[vdrumer18]

Originally Posted by terminal3

I'd be more subtle. I'd bring an electronic metronome with a headphone-out, and feed that into the transmitter and give the band another click track just to see what happens. Maybe in a weird time signature too.

I'm not sure if it would work, because in their tour profile (Mix magazine) i read that they're using an RF amplifier to boost the signal before it goes to the antenna. The output of the stock Sennheiser system is like 20mW but theirs is prob like 100mW. so the receiver is gonna look for the stronger signal..... but it might modulate it in a weird way. Now i'm really curious what it would do. ha ha.... thanks guys for the ideas.

YouTube - Coldplay Yellow by SONSOFDAY (HD)
my brothers (Sonsofday) doing Yellow.

[tsvisser]

first off, not cool to **** with someone like that. second, if it did happen, it would be partially their own fault for not using encrypted systems.

[macleod]

are you kidding? how many arena shows do you go to where you can get a power socket for your IEM set-up anywhere near the stage.

[tsvisser]

Originally Posted by macleod

are you kidding? how many arena shows do you go to where you can get a power socket for your IEM set-up anywhere near the stage.

its easy enough to run the transmitter off of batteries. The IEM stuff also works with the G2 and G3 transmitters. I happen to have an older IEM set that does not support pilot tone, but use it all the time with G2 transmitters with pilot tone turned off.

[vdrumer18]

Originally Posted by tsvisser

its easy enough to run the transmitter off of batteries. The IEM stuff also works with the G2 and G3 transmitters. I happen to have an older IEM set that does not support pilot tone, but use it all the time with G2 transmitters with pilot tone turned off.

That would be cool, but I belive that the only Battery-operated transmitter that they have are those EW100 series and some more expensive 3000/5000 series that are used for film and stuff. I doubt that the frequencies are gonna match up.

[tsvisser]

Originally Posted by vdrumer18

That would be cool, but I belive that the only Battery-operated transmitter that they have are those EW100 series and some more expensive 3000/5000 series that are used for film and stuff. I doubt that the frequencies are gonna match up.

they actually do match the EW100 stuff, I use my IEM receiver all the time as an extra hop from those transmitters for film / tv work.

[ProFool]

In 2006 when GN'R was on tour in Europe someone recorded Axl's monitor mix like that at the Download festival in the UK. Next day he threw it online as the belt pack massacre. It was cool to hear whats going on during a gig like that, the intercom talks etc.

[vdrumer18]

Originally Posted by ProFool

In 2006 when GN'R was on tour in Europe someone recorded Axl's monitor mix like that at the Download festival in the UK. Next day he threw it online as the belt pack massacre. It was cool to hear whats going on during a gig like that, the intercom talks etc.

It would take a 16-track recorder and eight belt-pack receivers to record the Codlplay show. Because i was flipping through channels as the show went on, but obviously i could only be on one channel at a time, so there's a bunch of stuff that i missed. The funny thing is that the monitor mixes sounded very raw and unprocessed. I personally expected them to have a lot more of record quality sound to them. Chris Martin only has a vox and occasianally his acoustic guitar in his ear. I think he only wears one though.

[rmx16]

Originally Posted by vdrumer18

So i went to a Coldplay show last weekend, here in Ridgefield, WA. on my way out the door i had the crazy idea of grabbin 3 of my Sennheiser IEM receivers. I grabber three, because i have all 3 of the frequency groups within my system of 8. I knew that coldplay uses the sennheiser brand In-ear systems so i figured i would give it a try. My goal was to scan all the channels on the receivers in hopes of finding their monitor mixes. Each frequency group has 1,440 freqencies in it. so it was gonna be a long night. When i got to the show i sat 150-200 feet away from the stage and started scanning the preset banks and channels on the "A" group. its in the 518-554Mhz range. After about 5mins of scanning i found 8 frequencies that were active. Bank 2 channels 04-10. After the openers got off the stage and the sound crew started checking lines, my findings were confirmed when i heard the monitor guys talking to each other throug the IEMs. So through out the show i was listening in on the 4 mixes for the band and a few other that were used for production cues etc. They use click tracks for most of their stuff and all organ/pads and synth sounds are pre recorded. it was a lot of fun to hear everything thats going on behind the scenes at a large show like a Coldplay concert. You should try this if you ever get to go to their show.

Wow dude you really are bored
Peace

[glissando]

I've come back here because I keep seeing this thread. I'm not sure what's so great about this and those pics...are they you at the gig? there's no one else there...so does that mean you work at that shed? if you do, that's totally not cool and in general this is a really childish thing to be thinking about. Interfering with a show is shitty and is not as easy as you guys are suggesting. I guess I can't believe that there are enough people interested in this childish thread...but I keep seeing it....why not just watch the show and listen to the main mix...monitor mixes will sound ridiculous...so what if they use a click? you sound like one of those guys that thinks f-cking with people's shit is funny. It's not.

[loglady]

Don't listen to the humorless haters. This is a good thread, it's amazing what some applied geekery can achieve. It's also interesting to know how a high capacity show is coordinated. This is a forum for audio geeks is it not?

-SoEM

[glissando]

Originally Posted by yolkboy

Don't listen to the humorless haters. This is a good thread, it's amazing what some applied geekery can achieve. It's also interesting to know how a high capacity show is coordinated. This is a forum for audio geeks is it not?

-SoEM

If you want to know what really goes on in monitor land at a big show, just ask those of us who know. You will get a ton of good info. Going to a show and f-cking around with RF and trying to record monitor mixes is childish and very very uncool. There is nothing beneficial to that and you are f-ing with someone's shit. It doesn't take brains to piggyback RF. Truly dumb stuff.

[Whitecat]

Originally Posted by glissando

If you want to know what really goes on in monitor land at a big show, just ask those of us who know. You will get a ton of good info. Going to a show and f-cking around with RF and trying to record monitor mixes is childish and very very uncool. There is nothing beneficial to that and you are f-ing with someone's shit. It doesn't take brains to piggyback RF. Truly dumb stuff.

Sounds to me like you're just jealous you never thought of it first.

1) There is lots to learn, and there's absolutely no harm done in eavesdropping.
2) All the nasty (funny) stuff people are suggesting is clearly in jest (myself included).

So in short, go away. fuuck

[glissando]

Originally Posted by terminal3

Sounds to me like you're just jealous you never thought of it first.

1) There is lots to learn, and there's absolutely no harm done in eavesdropping.
2) All the nasty (funny) stuff people are suggesting is clearly in jest (myself included).

So in short, go away. fuuck

Think of it first? Are you twelve?

Plain and simple, it's not cool boys.

[Whitecat]

Originally Posted by glissando

Think of it first? Are you twelve?

Plain and simple, it's not cool boys.

You haven't explained why it's not cool, and what harm using just a receiver could do. I think it's cool.

[glissando]

Originally Posted by terminal3

You haven't explained why it's not cool, and what harm using just a receiver could do. I think it's cool.

And I don't need to explain. You just need to grow up a bit.

[Whitecat]

Originally Posted by glissando

And I don't need to explain. You just need to grow up a bit.

No, you do! Because you're saying things like "f-cking around with RF" - which the OP is not. "Interfering with a show" - he is not.

It's a cool way to learn about how it all works, I know I'm interested. Is there some sort of secret you don't want people to know that they're going to find out by doing this? It's honestly a really weird overreaction to dive in here and call everyone childish for wanting to do this (and obviously being completely humourless at the same time, because clearly nobody who can afford this kit and knows what they're doing is actually going to f*ck around and try and intentionally interfere).

It's completely harmless. Completely. And people can learn something. Asking questions is no substitute for firsthand experience and observation.

[joelpatterson]

Glissando on the Remote Forum... yeah, what else is new...

[Mike Brown]

Originally Posted by glissando

If you want to know what really goes on in monitor land at a big show, just ask those of us who know. You will get a ton of good info. Going to a show and f-cking around with RF and trying to record monitor mixes is childish and very very uncool. There is nothing beneficial to that and you are f-ing with someone's shit. It doesn't take brains to piggyback RF. Truly dumb stuff.

Sorry Nicknickni....errr glissando

I don't think many engineers would give a shit... I know I don't.