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Master Sound Stage Rigging: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Truss & Motor Layout

Master Sound Stage Rigging: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Truss & Motor Layout

Master Sound Stage Rigging: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Truss & Motor Layout

Truss and motors on stage

Grip Techniques

Apr 28, 2025

0:00/1:34

Truss and motors on stage

Grip Techniques

Apr 28, 2025

0:00/1:34

Truss and motors on stage

Grip Techniques

Apr 28, 2025

0:00/1:34

Truss and motors on stage

Grip Techniques

Apr 28, 2025

0:00/1:34

tags:

Stage Rigging

Overhead Rigging

Tips & Tricks

Working with truss and motors always involves a lot of careful planning to make sure everything goes smoothly and your points are rigged safely. A lot can be happening on the pre-rig which could pull your attention away from some things and over to others. Without the proper tools you might resort to utilizing unsafe methods just to “make it work”. It’s important to walk into any truss and motors pre rig with a plan to make sure your whole team is on the same page and you can manage your build.

Let’s chat marking out your motor points and dive in to how to get the perfect overhead pick for your points based on stage markings below.

overhead vectorworks plot of truss and motors
overhead vectorworks plot of truss and motors

Plot Your Points

Start by plotting your rigging points using a scaled stage drawing—Vectorworks makes this easier with precise measurements. This helps you align picks with beams, identify floating points that need spanned support, and ensures you order the right gear ahead of time.

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Mark Your Points on the Stage Floor

During a pre-rig, it's crucial to verify stage and beam measurements—lasers, tape, and 3D files (if available) help ensure accuracy before marking motor points. Once marked, label clearly using tape and sharpie for durability and simplicity, prioritizing consistency over industry symbols.

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motor marks on the stage floor
motor marks on the stage floor
spot beam laser
spot beam laser

Pinpoint Your Hanging Positions With a Laser

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Interested in seeing what our truss & motor layout kit looks like? Check out our article What’s in my truss and motors stage layout kit? where we dive into all the tools we carry to make layout easy.

Additional reading and resources:

by:

Brendan Riel

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Legacy Grip 2025 All Rights Reserved

Website links

Upcoming

Shows

coming soon

Shop

coming soon

Podcast

coming soon

community

coming soon

Join our newsletter & stay up to date

By subscribing you agree to with our privacy policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

Legacy Grip 2025 All Rights Reserved