Big show coming up...logistical issues (PZM's or lapels)

[cho_drummer]

Hi.

I'm in charge of tech for Hairspray at the school where I work as performing arts tech. Now, when we've done shows in the past we've just about got by with 12 channels of RF, but for this show there 20+ actors with lines who need to be heard.

Buying more channels of RF is not an option, so my current thoughts are as follows.

 

Rent a load more lapel mics and hook everyone in the cast up then share the 12 RF packs between the cast. This could go wrong, easily.

 

second option is to rent something on the 2.4GHz band, like the line 6 stuff, not sure if anyone is offering that stuff for rental yet.

 

Third option is to do some change overs but use Boundary mics to pick up general stage sound too. This is where you guys come in. I've never used them on stage before so I don't know what the performance is like, how much level before feedback would I get in comparison with a lapel mic? I'm thinking I could sink them into the stage since I'll be using MDF sheets over the stage floor with a high gloss finish stuck on.

 

How many would I need to cover a 110.5metre square area. (probably 20-30ms is out of use due to flats and wings).

 

Fourth option is to just go with what we have and maybe stick a couple of shotguns on the stage/hanging from the lighting trusses.

 

Any help will be greatly appreciated, should I just grab a cheap PZM from PCP and give it a test.

 

Cheers in advance.

 

Chris.

[Jivemaster]

Or persuade the cast that emoting is wasted unless they have sorted out projecting, these are performers not children. How big is the venue?

[LX-Dave]

We used boundary's for general stage cover in the last school show I worked on (Annie) and we suspended two (all we had) above the stage on cables.

 

The pickup was acceptable but not great, so long as the performers projected well. You'll probably need to be very careful to mute the channels during scene changes though, since the movement of furniture was picked up much better than dialogue.

 

HTH

 

Dave

[Shez]

second option is to rent something on the 2.4GHz band, like the line 6 stuff, not sure if anyone is offering that stuff for rental yet.

There are still plenty of other frequencies available that any decent hire company will be able to supply mics on. You'll need to get a coordinated frequency assignment but that's not difficult to do. JFMG's site explains it clearly and the hire co will I'm sure advise too. Getting 20+ frequencies working happily together is not a job for the faint hearted however!

 

Beware of looking at generic PZMs - they generally have a omnidirectional response and so will pick up from the auditorium as well as the stage. Have a look at Crown's PCC160 - it's a pretty industry standard float mic with a semispherical response that will just pick up what's on stage. Even better, the designer of that has produced a newer model under a different brand name (which I can't recall right now...) which I've used before with even better results than the original.

 

You'll want a good parametric (or graphic) EQ inserted on the channels that the floats are plugged in to; spend time ringing them out and you can get a surprising amount of gain out of them. They'll still sound somewhat distant compared to the cast members with radios though.

[cho_drummer]

Jivemaster...the problem is, they are children, well, teenagers. They're not known for projection and we have what we have, my job's to try to get the best out of them.

 

I'll have a look at a couple of PZM's, I've got a mate who works for PA Systems in bradford so I'll be able to get a bit of kit on test at least.

 

Would shotguns be too obrusive? I use them for the choir in school shows but, obviously, having mic's visable is not an issue for a choir performance. I'd probably hang them from the trusses if I was going with that method.

 

I'll have a little test of a couple of things, I have a month or two yet.

 

Cheers,

Chris.

[Lamplighter]

Even better, the designer of that has produced a newer model under a different brand name (which I can't recall right now...) which I've used before with even better results than the original.

Try Bartlett microphone, sold by 10 out of 10 productions. The model number is TM125.

[paulears]

Forget the PZMs, or PCCs or any other kind of general mic. All they will hear are the loudest people.

 

Mic swaps are the solution - maybe hiring a few extra channels in if you have to, but for many, many people - swapping mics is the simplest and most budget concious way of doing it.

 

People have lots of ways of working it out, but my own is to go through the script and in excel, start a list of script page numbers and who is on stage with lines. Once you've gone through the script it's easy to see who needs one all the time, and which ones can be swapped. With a bit of clever planning it usually works - and all you need is a dedicated person to do the swapping. If you find a point where it just doesn't work, then is it possible to do that scene with one less. Give the mics to the people who need them most, and this might mean the person with a big boomy voice doesn't actually need one, but the girl at the back with a pale pink voice does?

 

The hundreds of amateur companies with less than huge budgets do this all the time - and so do pro shows when the producer won't sacrifice umpteen seats a week to pay for another radio mic channel. You just plan and then make do!

[cho_drummer]

paul, I spent half of today doing such a list as I thought it would be a good idea

 

I think the best way to do swaps would be with enough mics for the whole cast and just swapping packs between the cast. It's tough, but I'm sure it'll work out. I have enough of a tech team to give someone microphone duty.

 

still, might try some PZM's for the chorus.

 

Chris.

[dbuckley]

What Paul said.

 

I've just done a school show with six wireless, and ten mics, and a person to manage the swaps. He did good. Document mic use on a spreadsheet, and work to minimise swaps, and to try and ensure that the same people get the same pack each time.

 

For those who had odd lines who were micless the PCC160s proved (as usual) totally inadequate in volume terms compared to mic'd kids, so I arranged with the director to try and place the one liners next to kids with mics, and turn the volume up for their line. Its far from perfect, with heavy breathing being a problem, and the need to ride the desk, but its an acceptable compromise.

[paulears]

I just noticed the title - lapel suddenly popped out. I hope you just mean lapel style - rather than actually thinking about clipping them on? I suspect you did - as for this show they need to be close in - it's usually a busy and loud show!

[GazBar]

We recently did a run of "The sound of music" in my school. We used eleven head worn mics on the main cast and swapped eight transmitters between them. As said above, if you have someone dedicated backstage to do the swaps and they know what they are doing it should be fine. We also had four float mics and half a dozen rifles around the stage and floor (We perform on both the stage and main hall floor). A fair amount of time was spent on setting eq's and filters but I was quite happy with the result.

 

Garry

[sleah]

We do swaps too, but we swap both mic & pack. Mainly because no-one has thought of having more mics and swapping packs only, but also I'm not about to suggest it becuase our packs have locking 3.5mm jacks which are dodgy at the best of times - I just feel they will fall to bits mid-show :wacko: , especially considering there's no-one technical to do the swaps, just trained monkeys teachers or willing parents.

[Bobbsy]

It's pretty much all been said but just to summarise:

 

Sit down with a script and work out a list of workable swaps--and get yourself a good A2 to work backstage to DO the swaps--you cannot trust actors to do them for themselves. Your idea of renting extra capsules and just swapping the packs is a good one. However, also try to attend some run throughs to check you swap plan. It's all to common to find the director has decided to leave some people on stage for a crowd scene even though not indicated in the script.

 

Do go for over-ear or hairline mounts (or booms if the director allows) rather than trying to use lapel mics, er, on lapels.

 

Frequency management and licensing isn't all that hard and any decent hire company can do it for you or at least help out if you do rent extras.

 

I almost always put some PCCs across the front of the stage in addition to the RF mics. They're a good way to add fullness to the chorus numbers--and can also be a get out of jail free card if a mic dies mid act.

 

Bob