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Two mics


mkfs9

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When watching old concerts classic rock mainly, why did you sometimes see the vocalist with 2 mics stuck together with tape. ideas I came up with were one with effects, one clean. one for foh one for monitors. or just more volume if that would work.
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Absolutely! In some things I was involved in, the BBC had much better and sophisticated kit than the PA people of the time, so they double miked everything - where today we'd just split. Back then, mics weren't using common mic plugs either - so a Sennheiser had a different connector on the mic to a Shure - so with a variety of different connectors in use, two mics was often just a very simple, if not elegant, solution.
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It's the fact you are "... watching old rock concerts..." is the clue.

 

The film company/telly company may ask for a feed off the PA as a backup or alternative, but generally they'd work around us and place their mics where they wanted for the filming, which for the vocal would be the same place as the vocal mic.

 

So as Shez said "One for the PA and one for the recording" (i.e. filming.)

 

And yes it was primitive.

 

The film company would record 4 channels to reel-to-reel - IIRC the main vocal, 1 overhead and a stereo pair.

(Backing vocal and instruments were entrusted to the stereo pair placed strategically to pick up a fine balance of the backline and the pa.)

The feed from the pa they'd record on a different machine; Sometimes straight in to one of the cameras (Super 8,) to avoid the sound camera recording audience conversation or cameraman chatter.

 

The film seldom sounded like the gig.

Film companies with their posh Sennheiser mics don't get the same warmth as a (cheap) Shure through a Carlsboro with a spring reverb. :unsure:

 

Owen.

 

(P.s. I'm slow. While I've had this reply open - reminiscing - Paulears has answered much more succinctly than I. - ORR

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It's sooooo annoying when that happens, isn't it!

 

Things have really moved on in quite a short space of time. I can clearly remember Slade and the Glitter Band's quite basic PAs - and if you consider that the Glitter Band and the unmentionable front man had two drummers, then the pile of 100W WEM amps built into beer crates feeding 4 x12" columns either side was pretty basic. As far as memory serves, it sounded good - but maybe in reality, it wasn't?

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If you remember WEM with affection, have a read at Charlie Watkins' (WEM=Watkins Electronic Music) story on http://www.wemwatkins.co.uk/history.htm

 

The Stones in Hyde Park, quarter of a million in the audience, 1500W of PA......

 

Charlie is still around, making some specialised kit - updated Copicats, mics and amplifiers for accordions etc...

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