marking microphones

[S&L]

One of the problems with working for ones self is that there are odd spots of knowledge that get missed - often things that the rest of the industry do but which passes one by as an individual. marking up mics on stage is one of those things.

I always assumed this was just a security thing. we wrap two colours of tape round our mic cables (well most of them) to identify them as ours. half amusingly, a photo turned up on line a few weeks ago of a band we have worked with at a gig we didn't work - with one of our cables cleary identifiable. I let it go but I got to thinking about ID for our mics. we have a fair amount now and are starting to work theatres where we aren't close to the stage and gigs of all sorts where multiple bands come and go. Sooner or later something is going to go walkies, so I figured I would follow what I thought was the industry pattern of marking all my mics with a specific colour of tape.

then I have seen a few gigs lately supplied by hire companies and weekenders like myself, where the vocal mics on the from line all have a different colour of tape. So what's that about?

How do you ID your own mics and why?

I did ponder some custom electrical tape with our logo (S&L) on the tape but I'm assuming this would be prohibitively expensive - unless anyone can point me in a direction for reasonable cost, low production volume rolls (3 for £60) - it may be expensive on its own but the product placement in photos would be worth it, particularly if I have to spend a few hours sat marking up mics anyway.

[the kid]

Le mark obviously do custom labels, we have a bunch but they are possibly the wrong ones as they are wearing off.

 

I have a friend who has etched his personal mics. Maybe you can find a local laser engraver or etcher who will do them.

[Funky Dave]

We also have stickers printed from Le Mark... The label has company name, logo and contact details.

[pete10uk]

I have seen a few gigs lately supplied by hire companies and weekenders like myself, where the vocal mics on the from line all have a different colour of tape. So what's that about?

How do you ID your own mics and why?

I did ponder some custom electrical tape with our logo (S&L) on the tape but I'm assuming this would be prohibitively expensive - unless anyone can point me in a direction for reasonable cost, low production volume rolls (3 for £60) - it may be expensive on its own but the product placement in photos would be worth it, particularly if I have to spend a few hours sat marking up mics anyway.

 

The tape on the mics can only mean that it was the way the engineer is identifying which channel they are on, I personally like to mark the desk with the order that they are in across the front but you come a cropper if the singers get excited and move about the stage and place them in the wrong stand, the coloured tape is a quick visual marker as to what is where.

 

On the security marking front I did get an SM 58 laser etched a while back to test, it worked a treat but I never got around to doing the rest, I also tried a trophy shop and got them to test engraving a sennheiser radio mic but the jig slipped and it now looks a mess.

It is a problem as in the past I have lost at least one 58 but gained a cheep poor quality chinese fake ;-(

 

I did come across a festival earlier in the year where the engineer went and stuck PVC tape in the shape of numbers to the back of all the monitors, it looked a right mess, I have no idea how he was remembering which mic was which.

[timsabre]

The tape on the mics can only mean that it was the way the engineer is identifying which channel they are on, I personally like to mark the desk with the order that they are in across the front but you come a cropper if the singers get excited and move about the stage and place them in the wrong stand, the coloured tape is a quick visual marker as to what is where.

 

Indeed, it's common with radio mics where they get taken off stage and swapped around. You can tell them to use mic #4 but when they pick up the wrong one, the coloured band lets you see which mic they've come onto stage with...

[johnny-t-goode]

Etching is the way to go, tape/labels and paint can be removed

 

When marking up cables for revues/multiple singers I mark S/R (1) through to S/L so it matches the desk when I look at it, I also mark the cables (sometimes stands depending on the gig) with white tape equivalent to the channel number, 1 ring for mic 1, 2 for mic 2 etc. so if singers do move the mics around it's easy enough to know which one you're on.

 

After losing mics and stands in the past and had cheap junk returned in its place, everything I lend out is etched with my name and postcode. It still won't deter everyone but does help identify it next time around :-)

[pete10uk]

Indeed, it's common with radio mics where they get taken off stage and swapped around. You can tell them to use mic #4 but when they pick up the wrong one, the coloured band lets you see which mic they've come onto stage with...

 

My issue with them being swapped around isn't in general with radio mics as I use the sennheiser coloured rings which are perfect, as long as your not to far off, also I try to keep to a single radio for the lead and backing on cabled.

I find that if you put plenty of cable on the front edge they tent to move without reason. One of life's little wonders / challenges.

[Funky Dave]

Etching is the best for anti-theft, the labels on our kit is more for identification for when we hire to other hire companies or vice versa. We started off using coloured tape but there are only so many different colours and it didn't take long before we found others using the same colour as us.

You can get stickers that are difficult to remove, of course it's not as effective as etching but looks smarter. We have only had one mic stolen and in that situation it wouldn't have made any difference how the mic was labeled or marked.

[Oldradiohand]

Coloured tape or coloured popshields are useful for identifying mics - radio desks sometimes have matching coloured fader knobs to go with them to identify channels. There are various security marking systems - Canford will engrave your kit but I've used this sort of stuff before, works with a pre made stencil https://www.selectamark.co.uk/security-marking/tube-of-metal-etching-compound

[Jivemaster]

Etching stays with the mic, get the local dog tag place to do it. Colours are for matching mics to faders for the engineers convenience -essential with hand held radio mics if the band put them all down and pick one up later.

[S&L]

thanks guys. the radio mic thing makes sense - we rarely have more than one on a stage and we have none of our own.

we too use the left to right numbering systems for mics and it generally works very well.

I'm not sure in our instance etching is worth the cost since all our mics are below £100 each and unlikely to see the light of day once they have left the building. But a way of easily visually seeing that someone else has one of our mics in their hands would be useful. I have sent an enquiry to the label company mentioned above and I will se what comes back - I was hoping that since photos keep popping up online of our gear (all our cabs are labelled) then when something like this appears (from a show we did earlier in the year) our name is on it.

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=365570336881946&set=a.206188502820131.37904.200539116718403&type=1&theater

[Doug Siddons]

All of my mics get ecthed but I use a dremel and put a small MA on them sometimes it isn't particularly well done but its small enogh not to notice from a distance. For mic security there is nothing to beat a mic box with holes for every mic which is the first case to be closed after the show is finished.

[Adam Hill]

The company I work with uses metal stamps (gently) for ID purposes and etching on more delicate mics.

 

Having worked quite a bit as a monitor engineer, I'd say the first job immediately after the gig is to collect all the mics, put them in the work/mic trunk and inventory them. There have been a few cases when I've had to chase down musicians or touring engineers on tour buses who've "accidentally" walked off with one of my mics. Gotta be quick!

 

Adam

[S&L]

The company I work with uses metal stamps (gently) for ID purposes and etching on more delicate mics.

 

Having worked quite a bit as a monitor engineer, I'd say the first job immediately after the gig is to collect all the mics, put them in the work/mic trunk and inventory them. There have been a few cases when I've had to chase down musicians or touring engineers on tour buses who've "accidentally" walked off with one of my mics. Gotta be quick!

 

Adam

 

We do clear the mics first thing and we only make informal inventory but we know out there and and its usually just two of us counting them back in. we had a problem as yet but the problem forsee is on those occasions where we work for big bands in small rooms and friends of the band or the band themselves genuinely know which belongs to who - and bigge shows with multiple large bands. we did a small ticket only affair in june 4 bands, almost 30 musicians each getting up to guest with another bamd and the stage being filled with bodies between sets. a visual of a mic that was taped with a logo would maybe help for those moments.

[Bobbsy]

Back when we were shipping gear everywhere, we started off using un-removable stick on metal labels. They were often removed. After that we bought the tool and started etching everything--the etcher paid for itself in the first month or two as "losses" went down.

 

On the other half of the question, I also try to use the "left to right on the stage is left to right on the mixer" method--but I also go belt and braces and put some kind of tape mark on each mic--on the cable for wired mics and the mic itself for hand held wireless. I don't have any specific system--frankly it depends on what colours of 'leccy tape I have in the tool box. However, having things marked has saved my butt on numerous occasions.