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Author Topic: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage  (Read 15467 times)

Tommy Peel

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #10 on: April 12, 2014, 02:03:32 AM »

Too bad you can't count on the Uke players having electric/acoustic models. One of the guys in the church band I mix for has one and plays it when we have an acoustic set. Sounds great and is a piece of cake for me; passive DI and I'm good to go. :-)

Sent from my Nexus 4 running XeonHD + HellsCore b46-t4 using Tapatalk Pro

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Bob Leonard

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #11 on: April 12, 2014, 07:22:04 AM »

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.

 
This is the approach I would take. Not only are the chances of success increased by using this method of approach, but you're in Maine. Read what you want with that statement.  ;D
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Keith Broughton

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #12 on: April 12, 2014, 08:05:56 AM »

I usually set out 5 wired vocal mics (SM 58 )from stage right to left Labeled VOC 1thru 5 then 6 XLR cables on the floor labeled INST 1 thru 6 and set out 6 (SM57) and 6 DI boxes. VOC 1 and INST 1 remain at the same location.
The vocal mics look as different as possible to the instrument mics.
If you preset the vocal mic  levels in the monitors, you only have to deal with instrument levels and things can get going pretty fast without too much trouble.

Note: label the cable end not the mic or DI so when that helpful stagehand unplugs everything, you still know what's what.

As for the single mic option, I have not done that on a festival stage but it is worth a try if the act doesn't need monitors.

Have fun. :)
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James A. Griffin

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #13 on: April 13, 2014, 06:18:37 PM »

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...

Let's all remember that the reason the old timers did that is because they only had one or two mics to work with, not because it was the best way to mic a band.  Some bands adapted pretty well to it, others didn't.

When a band of youngsters tell me they want only 2 mics because that's the way Bill Monroe did it, I don't know whether to laugh or cringe.  More often, it's the latter.  One particular band I work with from time to time insists on that approach and it never works well for them.  They think they sound pretty good and refuse to let me show them how much better they'd sound with mics on all voices and instruments.
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Jerome Malsack

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #14 on: April 13, 2014, 09:39:16 PM »

We could always go back and look at the history. 

http://www.mixingconsole.org/web/main/history/


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Cailen Waddell

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #15 on: April 13, 2014, 09:57:04 PM »

I'm not sure I would use this approach in a festival situation.  For me it would be about unpredictable gain before feedback.   That said - it's a valid approach, and any ensemble or group that aspires to play at a level that allows for a single mic is fine by me. After all, it can only make them better.

This is a common approach for us when we host a yearly barbershop concert with a number of groups.  My only issue is that some of them request a monitor, which can get extremely difficult when they are all arms length from a large diaphragm condenser.
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Brian Jojade

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #16 on: April 15, 2014, 03:34:51 PM »

I have had exactly zero success in working with bands that want to use a single condenser mic in a live situation. Sure, it can work great in a controlled studio environment, and give the artist that 'sound' they desire.  But in a live situation, it is extremely difficult to get enough gain before feedback when you are so far away from the mic.  That whole inverse square law thing comes into play pretty quickly.  Maybe with in-ear monitors and a large enough stage it would be possible.

I recently had to work with a 2 piece band that insisted they wanted to use their studio mic in a small bar.  So, I obliged and plugged it in and set it as high as I could. No monitors because that would have made things worse.  I let them do a sound check for a song and then told them to try singing into the regular mics instead.  They were blown away at how much better it sounded in a live environment versus using their studio condenser.  In fact, they had many groupies that showed up that night and said they sounded better than they ever had at a live show.  I really wonder if they continue to use their condenser when they play other places.

With a festival setup, I like setting a snake and patch on each side of the stage.  If I know what the plots are for every band, it makes it easier to decide what is pre-patched where.  Labeling cables and the patch bay are crucial to change and move things as needed.  I try t o keep the wire number to the snake consistent, then label the snake with the patch to the board, using soft patching if necessary.  Tape and a sharpie is your friend during the change over.

Between setups, I try to take things back to original configuration whenever possible.  i.e., if a mic was changed for band 2 from the original set config, and band 3 doesn't need it, I change it back to its original configuration so it's ready for band 4.  That way, during the change, you are dealing with as familiar of a configuration as possible.
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Brian Jojade

Jay Barracato

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #17 on: April 15, 2014, 04:31:17 PM »

I have and will continue to use various one mic setups in a live setting...

However,

It is not really our decision as a sound tech.

If the band is committed to the technique and are willing to practice, it can be effective.

The day of the show is not the time to be experimenting with something new.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

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Jay Barracato

Tim Perry

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #18 on: April 15, 2014, 10:40:37 PM »

I have and will continue to use various one mic setups in a live setting...

However,

It is not really our decision as a sound tech.

If the band is committed to the technique and are willing to practice, it can be effective.

The day of the show is not the time to be experimenting with something new.

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

This group illustrates you point.  The is a modified one mic technique. Much of the act involves then moving around each other and trading places at the mic. True professionals and talented musicians, it is the last thing a sound guy should do is tell them how to perform.

I do tell my local friends who play small venues that it a BAD idea when they bring it up but on a regular stage its manageable. 
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Lyle Williams

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Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #19 on: April 16, 2014, 11:39:30 AM »

For "talent show" stuff, I just have lots of mics/stands and DIs.  Just drag together what looks like it will work and push the other stuff out of the way.

Sometimes this ends up being SDC on a tall boom over the band, plus a dynamic mic for the vocalist.  About half the volume ends up being native band sound and the other half comes from the SR system.  At least it is easy to keep the vocals on top.

When a dozen people end up on stage you can't mic them all in 60sec.

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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Thoughts on single mic approach for festival stage
« Reply #19 on: April 16, 2014, 11:39:30 AM »


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