CPC Hanging Mics

[livelifetotheverymax]

Hey, we've got an amateur opera coming up at uni in a couple of weeks and I'm currently looking at what mics to hire. Basically I'm looking to ambient mic the majority of the stage. The venue is quite feedback happy (sprung floor, windows down both sides, your typical not really thought out student union theatre, not to mention the stage is slap bang in the middle of the wide side of the hall).

 

Previously I've used 3 shotgun mics across the front of the stage with another 3 on LX bars, and following the action with faders so as not to leave too many mics ramped up. This time, for the sake of experimentation, and because I wasn't really happy with the upstage coverage, I was going to get 3 fairly tight pickup pattern hanging mics to cover upstage (probably the Audio Technica ES933ML's) and keep the shotguns across the front. The thing is, we've currently got a hire in for a different show and the guy that hired the kit to us has kindly put 7 of the CPC MP33868 in with the rest of the mics at no extra cost (pleasant surprise when the sound op working the show got a flight case full of extra stuff...). It would probably work out cheaper for us to keep hold of these to use for the opera than hire different mics in specifically for it, meaning extra money to be spent elsewhere on the show.

 

My question is, has anyone had any experience of these mics and have constructive reviews/advice for them in this situation, preferably feedback rejection and sound quality? If I was to keep them I'd probably swap the 3 shotguns across the front of the stage out for 4 of the MP33868's and hang the other three from the grid to save me hiring in 3 shotguns.

 

Whatever I get they'll be going through a few 31 band EQ's to try and get rid of the problem frequencies.

 

Any advice or alternatives would be greatly accepted.

 

Thanks, John.

 

Moderation: Link to CPC page fixed

[paulears]

I've used and sold on some of these and I have to say I'm rather impressed. I need to state that I personally hate hung microphones unless there's no alternative, but the performance of these, and the handy range of accessories makes them pretty good 'get out of trouble' mics. Gain before feedback is quite good, and they're actually very similar sounding to AKG C747s - crisp and very clean. They also perform quite well on the small stands - as floor mics.

 

I've got one sitting here. Here's what is in the box.

http://www.earsmedia.co.uk/mp-1.jpg

 

The preamp is built into an overlarge XLR, and the connection to the mic is on a mini-XLR. The kit has a white plastic drop clamp to suspend it on the cable, and there is a metal screw base for the miniature mic clamp - which is slightly rubbery - but not really a shock mount - so be careful what you screw it to!

 

There's also a wire hanger supplied to let you angle the mic when dangling.

 

I really like these for other odds and ends - I used one on a violin where it was important for a small mic, and it worked beautifully, and I also used one on a lecturn - same again, it sounded great with only very mild eq.

[TomHoward]

We had these in as a hire item about 18 months ago - they were described by another model number though, apparently the guy got them direct from the far east. I did take a photo of them at the time (so I could chase up where to get them) and then I spotted what I am fairly sure was them in a recent CPC flyer.

 

Assuming they are the same as the ones we had I was impressed - we used them hung over an band (in addition to close mic'ing instruments) to pick up an ambient mix, originally intended just for use via the show relay and monitoring - but I was so impressed with the clarity and GBF that I ended up using them (sometimes exclusively!) for the FOH mix as well.

 

The only thing I'm not sure about is whether ours had anything in the oversized XLR - I didn't notice anything at the time so I can't help thinking ours were just standard Neutrik XLRs on them.

 

Just to comment as well that currently the Farnell price is approx £15/unit cheaper than CPC.

[Rob_Beech]

He does sound like a damn nice chap indeed.

 

You'll probably find that there's 8 not 7. And I wouldn't suggest anything else for hanging unless you have endless budgets, they're great hanging, or on their stands which any decent person would have put in the flightcase too.

 

 

Rob

[Pete Alcock]

Dear John,

 

I have three of these mics and find them very useful. They go out on hire many times each year for schools and am dram productions. I do find them more effective when set up low, and pointed up ot the talent rather than hung. Same with smaller electrets hung from LX bars.

 

Even when well-projecting actors are on stage I always find that more (useful ) sound goes out and down rather than out and up. It's for this reasn that I prefere boundary and mini-shotgin mics like these over hanging mics.

 

Pete.

[livelifetotheverymax]

Hmm, there probably were 8 and I couldn't count. After all, you should know.

 

He is a damn fine guy indeed!

 

Edit: This is the first time we've been given a sound budget for this particular society, mainly because it all went tits up last time when they refused to follow our advice. And no one likes tracking down 3 shotgun mics the morning of a show run start, not even me. Hence the cheep option :)

 

I'll let people know what I think later next week.