WEFT Sessions airs each Monday night from 10:00 to 11:00 PM, and is followed by Champaign Local 901, a show that features recorded local music. For WEFT Sessions, we normally go on the air live, but occasionally, and in the case of last-minute cancellations, we play recordings of live shows.

Setup: normally we start setting up betweeb 8:30 and 9:00 PM. If there is a lot of equipment or other special needs, please let us know and we can start setting up earlier. If there is minimal setup needed, then we can start after 9:30, but please let us know. We do want at least 10 minutes for a sound check, and longer if we need lots of mics.

Microphones: WEFT has a few good and several adequate microphones. If you have your own favorite mics, especially vocal mics or special purpose mics, please feel free to bring them. Our board can supply 48 volt phantom power.

Monitoring: WEFT has an instrument grade speaker cabinet and amplifier that we can use for vocal and instrument monitoring. If you have a floor monitor for vocals, it might sound better and we can drive it. We do not have facilities to do headphone monitoring, but if you bring your own head set, we can monitor to one set from the air.

Other inputs. WEFT has 4 DI boxes, and we can take input from amp and instrument direct outputs and line-level outputs. If you have prerecorded material, it is best if you bring the player and operate it yourselves, but we can play a CD if necessary. In this case it helps to have a cue sheet prepared so that we know which track to play when.

Room: performers usually play in WEFT’s “Great Hall”, which starts getting cramped with a five- or six-piece band, especially if there is a lot of equipment. Solo acts some times set up in the back studio, or even the front studio. We encourage guests -- it adds to the live feel to have a studio audience.

Interviews: We often put up an extra vocal mic for our host or others to ask the band questions between songs. Let us know if you want to do this or if you’d prefer to make your own announcements, or if you just want to play and avoid talking.

Recording: WEFT Sessions is recorded to hard-disc and we burn CDs for the band, for the WEFT shelf, and for our archives. We’d like your band’s blessing to use some or all of the recordings for other shows and “best of” or “encore” editions of WEFT Sessions. To this end, we have you sign a braodcast agreement which lets us air your session, lets you choose not to have all or parts of it reaied later, and absolves WEFT of any responsibiliby for whatever you do with your copy of the session. Typically it takes 45 minutes to burn an audio CD after the session; it you stick around, you can take it home with you. Otherwise you'll have to stop by the station later to get it. We also like to get a copy of your set list and a list of performers so that we can spell names and titles they way you want them on a CD tray card label.

Profanity: as a licensed radio station, we must obey the FCC rules that ban the use of offensive language (see George Carlin’s routine, or ask us before you go on). If you have lyrics, a rap, or even stage banter that include overtly profane words, please either find substitute words for the on-air performance, or just don’t do that song. We can’t bleep them out for you, and as a community station supported by donations, we can’t survive being fined.

Set length: the show is nominally one hour, and we start just after 10:00, after a minute or two of announcements and introduction. If you have less then 55 minutes of material, please let us know. We can be flexible, but we don’t like it to be a surprise.

In between songs: Avoid dead air, even if it’s by tuning or strumming a guitar. Re-introduce yourself a few times during the set in case people didn’t catch it in the beginning. You can request that we ask you a few questions, or just talk about yourselves on your own, mention upcoming shows, or that your CDs or T-shirts are available, However, you cannot mention the price of your item because we’re a non-profit station, and that would engage in the selling of an item.

Drinks: Unfortunately, WEFT does not have a water fountain (but we do have a bathroom), so you’ll have to bring your own liquids.