Anyone used Bartlett Audio Stage Floor Mics?

[soundman57]

I've been asked to quote for supplying a PA for a theatre musical. This is an amateur production so the budget isn't huge but nonetheless I'd like to

achieve the best results possible within it.

 

The director doesn't believe all the singers need mics, only the principals of which there will be 6 or so.

I think headset mics and my existing Line 6 units should work ok for them. Then there's the chorus singers and how best to deal with them.

 

On previous threads discussing the pros & cons of overhead mics, shotguns and PZM's for theatre use, there's been mention of Bartlett Audio's

Stage Floor MIcs. I've had a look around the net for opinions on these - naturally there's some good ones on the maker's website but little else to consider.

 

Has anyone on this forum had direct, hands-on experience with them? If so, did they deliver more or less than you expected? How far back into the stage will they pick up?

Were they really better than the Crown model Bruce Bartlett himself designed?

 

Any information is welcome.

 

Cheers

 

Steve

Abbey Audio

Nottingham

[chelgrian]

Has anyone on this forum had direct, hands-on experience with them? If so, did they deliver more or less than you expected? How far back into the stage will they pick up?

Were they really better than the Crown model Bruce Bartlett himself designed?

 

I own and use the TM-125 which is the predecessor to the to the Stage Floor Mic.

 

Yes they are better than the Crown PCC 160, however they can't work miracles. If your PA is in a sensible place relative to the lip of the stage then they'll give you some reasonable reinforcement to a depth of a couple of meters. However they aren't going to give you enough gain for weak singers over a pit band, the mics will pick up quite a bit of the pit from the back of the mic even if mounted with some baffling behind them and if your chorus is weak may even make matters worse.

 

I actually find my boundary mics most useful for stage foldback to the conductor when then band are off in a wing or at the back of stage rather than in the pit.

[paulears]

I too can only comment on the 125. I used one to replace a PCC160 that was liquid damaged, and the 125 was close enough to blend well with the other two. It seemed slightly brighter, but the old crowns were probably full of pyro dust!

 

If the director has this familiar mindset about technology, I suspect s/he will be expecting more than any distant mic can produce. Personally, the distinction between principals and supporting cast never works well, and you have a tricky choice, dropping the principals to meet the rest, or accepting you have to lose lines. If you record the centre boundary in these shows and listen later, you can hear the problem. Too late now, but record one and let the director hear the real sound the cast make. When you say that this is what you can make a bit louder, they realise the problem, because they hear those making a contribution and those that are not.

 

Can't you get just an extra couple and use them for swaps?

 

Having five faders just below feedback point and muting them makes very little difference during the songs, but helps during dialogue. With bands getting louder, it's getting harder.