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Author Topic: Choir for outdoor event, to mic, or not to mic?  (Read 5181 times)

Tim Hite

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Choir for outdoor event, to mic, or not to mic?
« on: December 09, 2019, 11:54:17 PM »

I have an outdoor wedding coming up that has way too much going on. I'm taking a small PA for the ceremony and have several things that may or may not need to go through the PA.

Officiant, bride and groom going through a lav mic in the holy book
Guitarist with vox and backing track will need to go through the PA

String quartet for walk in and out music?

14 ppl choir with electric piano accompaniment? Choir is going to walk in singing, after a couple planted soloists in the audience start the performance.

Client wants wireless on the choir and quartet. Client also wants to keep costs down.

170 attendees, PA is a pair of EV EVOLVE 50's.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2019, 12:42:41 PM by Tim Hite »
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John Sulek

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Re: Choir for outdoor event, to mic, or not to mic?
« Reply #1 on: December 09, 2019, 11:56:15 PM »

I have an outdoor wedding coming up that has way too much going on. I'm taking a small PA for the ceremony and have several things that may or may not need to go through the PA.

Officiant, bride and groom going through a lav mic in the holy book
Guitarist with vox and backing track will need to go through the PA

String quartet for walk in and out music?

14 ppl choir with electric piano accompaniment?

Client wants wireless on the choir and quartet. Client also wants to keep costs down.

As the old mechanic's saying goes....
Fast..Good..Cheap...pick any two.
Best of luck.
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Russell Ault

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Re: Choir for outdoor event, to mic, or not to mic?
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2019, 12:16:04 AM »

[...]

Client wants wireless on the choir and quartet. Client also wants to keep costs down.

That's like saying I'd like to commute to work in a Lamborghini but would also like to keep my costs down.

As for the rest, how big is the venue, how many in attendance? What's the PA? What kind of choir?

-Russ
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Chris Grimshaw

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Re: Choir for outdoor event, to mic, or not to mic?
« Reply #3 on: December 10, 2019, 03:31:18 AM »

Well, a (recording) gig I did recently had a choir of 14. They filled a small-ish cathedral pretty well on their own.

Helpful hint: put a mic on the choir, and use the PA to add reverb in outdoor settings.

Chris
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Keith Broughton

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Re: Choir for outdoor event, to mic, or not to mic?
« Reply #4 on: December 10, 2019, 06:25:20 AM »

If the quartet is siting down why wireless? If the choir is in a fixed location, why wireless? No wireless keeps cost down.
Boom a single mic in the middle of the quartet and boom 2 mics in front of the choir. if outside, don't forget wind socks!
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Mike Monte

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Re: Choir for outdoor event, to mic, or not to mic?
« Reply #5 on: December 10, 2019, 07:23:41 AM »

I have an outdoor wedding coming up that has way too much going on. I'm taking a small PA for the ceremony and have several things that may or may not need to go through the PA.

Officiant, bride and groom going through a lav mic in the holy book
Guitarist with vox and backing track will need to go through the PA

String quartet for walk in and out music?

14 ppl choir with electric piano accompaniment?

Client wants wireless on the choir and quartet. Client also wants to keep costs down.

I am the leader/contractor for a classical trio (sometimes quartet) that performs at over 30 weddings per year in Newport, RI.
Many of our clients have deep pockets..

As someone that also does sound, I pick up a lot of "casual" at outdoor wedding ceremonies.

Assuming the ceremony is outdoors: two speakers located in the back of the guest seating area (one on each side)

For officiants: I prefer one wireless lapel-clip lav attached to the top of the spine of the officiant's binder/folder
(since the speakers are in the back of the attendees, I can bring up the gain on the mic with little risk of feedback...it will pick up the officiant's voice and also pick up the bride and groom's voices as the officiant will turn/face each one when administering the vows.

*****If there is a videographer that will also mic the officiant do not let him put his lav pack in the same pocket as your lav pack....  I have found that even though the individual mics are on different frequencies, they-may-react (negatively) with each other and ruin your production...had it happen to me way-too-often.
Advise: you mic the officiant first, bring him to the ceremonial area and get him up'n running.  This way, if the videographer's gear reacts with yours, it will be on him...
/mini rant

You may also suggest a standing mic (on a round-base stand) for the one or two readers that-will speak during the ceremony

Moving on: two mics (at most) on the choir (my choice Shure MX202B/C)

String Quartet: one (choral mic similar to above will do) mic in the center oriented a bit closer to the cellist

Guitarist/Vox/tracks - you will know what to do

As someone that has provided production for many wedding ceremonies I'd suggest to the client that mic'ing the officiant/reader/tracks (not necessarily the singer if he/she's competent at all) is all that's necessary.   The chorus/quartet not so much.

Give the client an "ala-carte" price list for each piece of the puzzle.

You may find that the client will go for the minimum (officiant/reader/tracks) and, as the date approaches, add the others as more funds will become available (savings on the catering bill from invited guests that can't attend)

oh, and btw: a contingency for rain......gotta have a plan in place
 



 
« Last Edit: December 10, 2019, 07:59:07 AM by Mike Monte »
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MikeHarris

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Re: Choir for outdoor event, to mic, or not to mic?
« Reply #6 on: December 10, 2019, 07:43:02 AM »

Airwave Technology is a local manufacturer/distributor that will be releasing carbon fiber choir mic designed for mobile church’s and outdoor events like this, equipped with a TA4F and designed to be powered by a Shure lav pack.
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Tim Hite

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Re: Choir for outdoor event, to mic, or not to mic?
« Reply #7 on: December 10, 2019, 12:40:36 PM »

Edited the OP to answer a few questions about the setup.

170 attendees, PA is a pair of EV EVOLVE 50's.

Choir is going to walk in after a couple soloists planted in the audience get the song started.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2019, 12:43:59 PM by Tim Hite »
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Eric Snodgrass

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Re: Choir for outdoor event, to mic, or not to mic?
« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2019, 12:59:30 PM »

Edited the OP to answer a few questions about the setup.

170 attendees, PA is a pair of EV EVOLVE 50's.

Choir is going to walk in after a couple soloists planted in the audience get the song started.

Is the choir walking in and singing at the same time? 
I'd suggest putting lavs or headset mics on the soloists only.  Bring them up when they start to sing.  When the choir comes in singing you can bring down the soloists and the choir can be acoustic. 
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Tim Hite

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Re: Choir for outdoor event, to mic, or not to mic?
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2019, 01:03:28 PM »

I am the leader/contractor for a classical trio (sometimes quartet) that performs at over 30 weddings per year in Newport, RI.
Many of our clients have deep pockets..

As someone that also does sound, I pick up a lot of "casual" at outdoor wedding ceremonies.

...snip...

oh, and btw: a contingency for rain......gotta have a plan in place
 

Yeah, this is generally how I do things. Normally I wouldn't even mic the strings. The walking choir is throwing me for a loop and apparently the strings intend to play along with the choir at client request so if I start mixing stuff it's snowballing quickly.

Client is the groom from hell who doesn't really have a solid plan, just a bunch of pieces he thinks will all work out. Wedding is on the 21st and client still has me on hold while getting quotes from other vendors.
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Re: Choir for outdoor event, to mic, or not to mic?
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2019, 01:03:28 PM »


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