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Author Topic: Microphpones for a school play.  (Read 8463 times)

Rodney Connelly

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Microphpones for a school play.
« on: January 25, 2014, 11:50:16 AM »

I will be running sound for a school play.  I have always used headset mics, but on occasion one will fail while the actor is on stage or I might be short a mic or two, so I'm looking at other options.  Could I use overhead, boundry, or shotgun mics to pick up the actors who don't have an active mic, and if so what kind of microphone(s) would be best for this application?
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Jeff Baumgartner

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Re: Microphpones for a school play.
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2014, 12:40:14 PM »

Crown PCC160's across the front apron.
Depending on how big the stage is, 3 should be perfect.
Overheads are another great option.
Shotguns would probably be hit or miss (literally) due to the narrow pickup pattern.

Usually, I will only mic actors for musicals or if they flat out cannot project. For normal plays, it's always a overheads and/or the PCC's.
High pass and throw a compressor in with them to lessen foot noise and stomping.
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Jeff Baumgartner

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g'bye, Dick Rees

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Re: Microphpones for a school play.
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2014, 12:43:52 PM »

I will be running sound for a school play.  I have always used headset mics, but on occasion one will fail while the actor is on stage or I might be short a mic or two, so I'm looking at other options.  Could I use overhead, boundry, or shotgun mics to pick up the actors who don't have an active mic, and if so what kind of microphone(s) would be best for this application?

I'm just going through the planning for a 6-8 spring musical and dealing with the same issues...again.

The main concern is the difference in "presence" between body mics (headset/lav) and
any area mics.  The tone will be different as will the ability to control level without feedback.
What usually happens is that the decision must be made which parts absolutely need body mics and which can be "sacrificed" to gear/budget restraints.

Sometimes you can use a lav mounted on a cast member who functions as a "living mic stand" to get a spot mic in a particular spot when needed.  Small groups of actors or full cast numbers can be picked up by hanging some "choir mics" to cover the stage.  These mics may also be used for particularly important lines by minor actors without body mics IF the director can get them to go to a spike mark and PROJECT.

You'll end up doing what you can to even out the difference.  The bottom line is the ability of the director/cast to utilize projection.  Without a strong source, no mic of any type will function up to the level which is required for evening out the average SPL of the various voices.

For the production I'm working on we'll have 4 SDC's covering sections of choir risers downstage.  These are positioned by using "studio booms" behind each riser and extending out and over the risers.  The 15' or so in front of the risers will be picked up by 3 hanging mics.  There will be "spot mics" SL and SR on the apron for various important lines by non-miked actors.  And I'll have 4 or 5 wireless handheld mics available to fill in if needed for anything which cannot be gotten any other way.  These will also function for any off-stage lines/effects.

The total will be 8 body mics, 9 hanging/spot mics, the handheld wireless and playback.  Console will be StudioLive 24:4:2 which works well as it has downward expansion on all channels to help keep things clean.  The musical is basically one long scene, run time 1:15:00.

Good luck...don't panic.

Edit:

Upon posting, my post came in after the above.  While the Crowns will work for professional theater I have found them unworkable for school musical productions due to the likely lack of projection and the resultant lack of headroom (depending on the size of the stage).  Hanging choir mics will get you twice as close to the groups/voices.  I do utilize such mics on the apron occasionally, but only for special purpose such as picking up tap shoes.  I find that SDC's on short stands on the apron or taller stands from the floor and over the stage lip to be preferable to any boundary mics.  Boundary mics DO work well for feeding audio to a camera, though.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2014, 12:49:19 PM by dick rees »
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John Penkala

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Re: Microphpones for a school play.
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2014, 01:35:57 PM »

Crown PCC160's across the front apron.
Depending on how big the stage is, 3 should be perfect.
Overheads are another great option.
Shotguns would probably be hit or miss (literally) due to the narrow pickup pattern.

Usually, I will only mic actors for musicals or if they flat out cannot project. For normal plays, it's always a overheads and/or the PCC's.
High pass and throw a compressor in with them to lessen foot noise and stomping.

With PCC's forget the compressor. Physically decouple them from the stage by gaffing them to a neoprene mouse pad or the like. Or make rubber feet for them.

JP
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Rodney Connelly

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Re: Microphpones for a school play.
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2014, 01:52:31 PM »

I never thought of isolating the boundry mic.  I'm going to try that.  These performances are always challenging especially because they are musicals, and have a live band with drummers, bass, and piano right next to the stage.  I find myself using a lot of gates with the mics to try to keep unwanted noise out.
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Bill Schnake

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Re: Microphpones for a school play.
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2014, 06:07:21 PM »

When doing musicals, 12 or so a spring, we always use as many over-ear mics as we can.  In my case that is usually 28.  We will also used 4 - 6 hanging mics and another 3 front stage boundary.  For the front stage boundary I have constructed a small wooden 33 degree angle piece of wood to mount the mic to and on the bottom I have affixed a 1/8" rubber pad which cuts down on the stage noise dramatically.  I also have a small piece of plexiglass that I used on the back and sides to cut back on noise for each boundary mic.  This seems to work well.  ;)

Bill
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Jeff Baumgartner

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Re: Microphpones for a school play.
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2014, 07:51:49 PM »

With PCC's forget the compressor. Physically decouple them from the stage by gaffing them to a neoprene mouse pad or the like. Or make rubber feet for them.

JP

I always place a piece of foam between the PCC and the floor and then a few tags of Gaff to keep it all in place.
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Jeff Baumgartner

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Tim Padrick

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Re: Microphpones for a school play.
« Reply #7 on: January 26, 2014, 01:11:44 PM »

Depending on the liveliness of the room, PCC160s may be good only to add a little edge to the consonants - unless the performers are good projectors, which kids are not.

The MicrophoneMadness mics seem hard to break, sound pretty good, are cheap, and (supposedly) have a great warranty.  But order them with the extra stiff ear loops - the standard loops are very wimpy and especially hard to keep on little ears.
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g'bye, Dick Rees

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Re: Microphpones for a school play.
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2014, 01:15:52 PM »

Depending on the liveliness of the room, PCC160s may be good only to add a little edge to the consonants - unless the performers are good projectors, which kids are not.

This is the crux of the matter.  Not only are kids NOT good projectors, they do not often understand that their lines should be delivered TO THE AUDIENCE.  They'll talk softly to each other while facing across the stage.  No PCC will have a prayer of useful functionality in such a scenario.

If you get kids who'll face forward and speak to the back row of the auditorium, you're very, very lucky. 
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Brian Adams

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Re: Microphpones for a school play.
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2014, 01:18:40 PM »

I use PCC160's for most of the theatre work I do. One theatre I work in regularly has a 50' proscenium, and the apron is a little wider than that. I use 7 PCC160's across the front, spaced about 7-8' apart. I use a compressor and expander on each one, with the expander set to cut down on noise but pick up any voices, and the compressor set with a high ratio that only kicks in when a large ensemble is singing and doesn't need as much PA reinforcement in the house. A parametric or 31 band graphic EQ is a must to get as much level as possible. Insert one on each channel if you can, or a subgroup if you can't.

If the scenery allows, I'll add more PCC160's further upstage, since the mics start running out of gas once you get about 15' away from them. I have a total of 14 PCC160's, and I've yet to need more than that.

Typically the shows I'm involved with won't accommodate hanging mics for one reason or another, but they do work well if you can get a bunch of them up in the air.

Depending on the stage you may need to put some foam under them to isolate them, but I don't usually find it necessary. On a side note, I also use PCC160's for dance shows, they're great for tap.

The others are right though, if an actor can't project there's not much you can do for them other than put a headset on them. I guess I'm fortunate that the amateur theatres I work with are pretty good about projection.
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Brian Adams
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Re: Microphpones for a school play.
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2014, 01:18:40 PM »


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