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Sound Reinforcement - Forums for Live Sound Professionals - Your Displayed Name Must Be Your Real Full Name To Post In The Live Sound Forums => LAB: The Classic Live Audio Board => Topic started by: Matt Brown on February 27, 2013, 02:43:28 AM
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Hi Fellows
First time poster, but have been reading and learning from this forum for some time.
I have a show coming up which requires an antique looking prop mic on a stand for a number of scenes. Think 3 Andrews Sisters singing Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Prime Ministers speech around the declation of war, radio studio scenes with compere and talent all working a single mic etc
Watching the first stumble through of Act 1 last night it looked like it might save me some effort if I made the prop mic practical.
I had planned to have headset mics on all these different performers but there is a bit of swapping mics around already and, they way they all worked the mic, it could work as a practical.
My question is, has anyone ever used a large diaphragm condenser mic with a plug in radio transmitter and had some success? I have 20 channels of Shure UHF-R and would gladly sacrifice one headset for a practical mic as described. I have a pair of AKG 414's and one of those probably looks antique enough to work visualy. Shure offer a UR 3 plug in transmitter which delivers phantom power. Any experiences along these lines would be appreciated.
Thanks Guys!
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58 capsule buried in the "prop" ??
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I've not used a large diaphragm condenser mic, but I have used both a long and a short shotgun mic with one before.
It certainly can and does work.
What you have to ensure is that the mic will take what I believe is referred to as universal phantom...ie 9-52 volts...because I don't think any of the "butt plug" type transmitters will actually output 48 volts. That said, I think most modern condenser mics will accept 9-52 volts...but worth checking.
Having said that, I have only worked with Sennheiser and Lectrosonic varieties...so perhaps the Shure does.
HTH
Cheers,
Tim
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We've done this for an awards show on a podium/mx418 that came on and off the stage. Used an older version of the shure transmitter and a battery powered phantom supply, but if the new transmitter also supplies phantom, you shouldn't have any problems. Otherwise you could mod a prop mic with just about any dynamic, or even use the xlr plug transmitter on something like the super 55 reissue
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What you have to ensure is that the mic will take what I believe is referred to as universal phantom...ie 9-52 volts...because I don't think any of the "butt plug" type transmitters will actually output 48 volts. That said, I think most modern condenser mics will accept 9-52 volts...but worth checking.
Tim,
The UR3 specs indicate it will output the full 48V with about 4 hours of battery life at the 50mW RF. Not all units will, so it's good to check.
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I went to a show last fall (radio studio set) that used a couple of these dynamic mics http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/nady-pcm-200-classic-dynamic-mic
For spoken word they worked just fine. They are smaller than the classic.
Shure has one also http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/shure-55sh-series-ii-mic.
I can't comment on the sound quality, but they may be an option.
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Check out the Heil Heritage and Heil Fin. They are PR20 or 30 elements in classic looking housings. No phantom required.
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Check out the Heil Heritage and Heil Fin. They are PR20 or 30 elements in classic looking housings. No phantom required.
never liked the sound of the heil or the shure 55 but you could possibly get away with this http://www.lectrosonics.com/Transmitters/hm.html although I have used all kinds of wireless caps inside authentic housings.....
Ray
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Take a look at something like this.
http://www.cadaudio.com/M179.php (http://www.cadaudio.com/M179.php)
I use the M179 for single mic bluegrass bands and it works great. As a bonus it has that "old time radio look" from the audience perspective.
Another mic that works very well for the single mic type of performers is the CAD E100, the original flat rectangle version.
Both would need phantom power.
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You could stick a lav onto the front of the prop mic?
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You could stick a lav onto the front of the prop mic?
Thanks for all your replies guys. I have a Shure 55 and have used that before on a Senn G3 in line transmitter but the sound tends to get a bit thin if the actors work off the mic. I thought I might be able get some decent sound quality out of a large diprhagm mic- (with a fair bit of low and low mid rolled off!)
Considered using a Lav/Lapel attached to the mic but would be happier with a cardiod pick up pattern, with plenty of omni's onstage already GBF can become an issue. I dont have any directional Lav mics.
Shure will sell me the G3 over here for around a grand (AUS $). I think I will buy one and I will let you all know how the 414 goes...
Thinking of other uses for the Shure G3 in the future, has anyone ever plugged a DI box into one?? Cheers.