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Author Topic: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage  (Read 15451 times)

Mike Christy

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Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« on: April 07, 2014, 06:51:03 PM »

I've got one of those "challenging"  semi-festival jobs coming up, many performers over the afternoon. The curve ball is some of the acts - they range from DJs, to 6 Ukuleles in one act, 4 saxes in another, 'jo and fiddle, several rock bands, even a Hurdy-Gurdy solo.

To simplify patching and to keep my mind intact during change over (and reduced channel count) it seems logical to use the ole bluegrass group around a single mic for the multi-instrument acts (ukes and saxes) but the GBF for the ukes has me worried, the saxes, not so much.

The more I think out loud about it, I doubt the players would know to step forward during their solo... sigh...

Any thoughts or guidance on this, or just suck it up and close mic everything?

Thanks,
Mike
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Rob Spence

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2014, 07:53:47 PM »

I have used a single VP88 for percussion on a studio stand. Just roll it over once they set up.

Dedicated mics on stands with cables labeled for the channel.
If gtr, grab mic on gtr ch. Label the board for worst case then add tape for what you actually are using for an act?


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Jerry Turnbow

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2014, 08:16:48 PM »

Been there, done it, hated it!  That was the fad here for quite a while with bluegrass groups, particularly after "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" came out some time back.  While I've seen one or two groups pull it off successfully, most cannot, and have no concept of the inverse square law.  And if they want monitors as well, it's almost impossible to get any GBF on them.

That's my $ .02, anyway, and yes, I played bluegrass for about 10 years back in the day.  We always used individual mics, so that the sound person could do their job.
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Robert Weston

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2014, 08:17:29 PM »

There's a show we do every year; multi performances w/banjos, violins, guitars, vocals.  We ended up using two mics - keeping the "arc of performers" large enough that they weren't running into each other.  Though, they all know when to step forward and back when performing.  A single mic would have probably worked, but we usually have more than 5 performers.
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Jerry Burns

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2014, 08:28:29 PM »

There's a show we do every year; multi performances w/banjos, violins, guitars, vocals.  We ended up using two mics - keeping the "arc of performers" large enough that they weren't running into each other.  Though, they all know when to step forward and back when performing.  A single mic would have probably worked, but we usually have more than 5 performers.
We do a lot of Festivals and I wire all the stages about the same. 4 mic's across the front of the stage from a front drop snake that has 8 channels so we can add if needed and a back drop snake in the middle with 12 inputs for drums and back line. This way the drum channels are always the same and bass is also always the same, guitars next and Keys can go to the front snake or the back with DI's. All the mic's can be set aside if needed and the center of the stage has no cords so dance group's have room. It's worked for a lot of festivals with every king of act you can imagine. Thanks 
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g'bye, Dick Rees

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2014, 08:30:08 PM »

Mike...

I'd think about 4 corded SDC's, a few ready DI's and 4 wireless mics.  Mix and match as needed.  Side-wash monitors.

Put a 12 channel drop snake center stage rear for the kit and any back-line.  One drum set for the day, usually provided by the last drummer on the program.  Same with amps...one bass, one keys and one or two for guitars.

It shouldn't take very long to get each group going, the limiting factor being their level of focus and commitment.

« Last Edit: April 07, 2014, 08:34:43 PM by dick rees »
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Mike Christy

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2014, 08:36:16 PM »

Thanks for the sanity check guys. I happen to have a 12 and 8 chan drop stake, and using those was one of my strategies, except reversed (8 upstage, 12 downstage). I may try simply doubling up instruments on one mic ( 2 ukes to 1 mic, 2 saxes to 1 mic, etc), Ill report back after the gig 4/27.

Thanks for your replies,
Mike



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Art Welter

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2014, 03:06:36 AM »

I may try simply doubling up instruments on one mic ( 2 ukes to 1 mic, 2 saxes to 1 mic, etc), Ill report back after the gig 4/27.
Mike,

Jerry Turnbow is correct, there are few performers that can effectively share mics, and even if they can, it requires a lot of rehearsal time unavailable in a festival situation.

Two sax players can both present about 120 dB in to a shared mic standing side by side.
A pair of uke players foot to foot, face to face can produce about 20 dB less, background noise may be as loud at the mic.

Have enough mics to cover each vocal and string instrument individually, tape a label on each stand so you can quickly move them into position for whatever comes your way.

Go for it, move ahead, you can whip it, whip it good..
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Mike Christy

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2014, 03:13:29 AM »

Mike,

Jerry Turnbow is correct, there are few performers that can effectively share mics, and even if they can, it requires a lot of rehearsal time unavailable in a festival situation.

Two sax players can both present about 120 dB in to a shared mic standing side by side.
A pair of uke players foot to foot, face to face can produce about 20 dB less, background noise may be as loud at the mic.

Have enough mics to cover each vocal and string instrument individually, tape a label on each stand so you can quickly move them into position for whatever comes your way.

Go for it, move ahead, you can whip it, whip it good..

lol That's gonna be our motto for the day, Whip it, Whip it Good. lol

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Mark McFarlane

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2014, 02:04:25 AM »

One thing that has been a blessing for me at many festivals, in addition to labeling mics and cables and DI boxes (guitar, keys,...), is to use colored foam windscreens on all the mics. 

I can always tell what mic is where during the show. Color selection is important, as color identification gets more problematic as the sun sets or the colored lights come on, e.g. green and blue may become indistinguishable.

Audiopile has quite good quality windscreens for $1 that fit ball mics.  If you have a bunch of SM57 stye mics out you can use colored tape on the mic bodies, or tape on colored windscreens. 

I used to wash my windscreens, now I throw them out.  http://www.audiopile.net/products/Microphones/WINDSCREENS/WS-V1_Mic_Windscreen_cutsheet.shtml

Windscreens are also your friend when the wind kicks up mid-day....
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Mark McFarlane

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2014, 02:04:25 AM »


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