Orchestra Pit - Click tracks - What Equipment Do you Use

[GHQ]

Just wondered if you have experience of running click tracks on Music shows. Orchestra in the Pit. What equipment you use. i.e. Headphones , Distribution Amps.

Everyone with H/Phones? How much level (to keep in time with click)?

Source equipment? Might require several stems, Vocals, Strings, W/W. Ableton Live with a multi out interface?

 

Got all excited about Bluetooth H/Phones but then realised you'd have to delay feed to PA to match latency!!

[Brian]

Is there a Conductor?

[GHQ]

Yes, probably me, cueing the tracks in from "Ableton"?/ Computer

[cedd]

I'm going through this at the minute ready for a production of The Full Monty.

 

My preference up until now has been for individual musicians (in the rhythm section) and the conductor to have their own local amp, with the remaining musicians simply playing as normal. I use these which are pretty cheap and chearful;

https://www.thomann.de/gb/millenium_hpa_in_ear.htm

I put clicks and shout mic up one channel, and then a personal mix up the other and allow them to mix between.

 

Alternatively if you want a centralised approach my friend uses these units which have a few nice features such as a talkback mic input that can be operated by a footswitch;

https://www.thomann.de/gb/presonus_hp60.htm

[MarkBarl]

Have you thought of the Behringer P16M personal mixers? Your profile says you are in Fleet. if thet is Fleet Hampshire and you are interested, we have hire stock in your area. PM me if you are interested.

[GHQ]

Thanks Cedd

Say you need 6 on click how do you feed the boxes? Presumably you can't just parallel up 6 Outputs from a desk Aux or Computer Interface output. Do you use some form of D.A.?

[mackerr]

Thanks Cedd

Say you need 6 on click how do you feed the boxes? Presumably you can't just parallel up 6 Outputs from a desk Aux or Computer Interface output. Do you use some form of D.A.?

 

Depending on the specs of the gear, paralleling 6 devices on a single output should be fine. Most modern electronics have relatively high impedance inputs, and low impedance outputs, so the additional splits do not load down the output too much.

 

Or you can use a DA and maybe have individual level control.

 

Mac

[jackbsound]

The way we've achieved this on most shows I've done is:

 

All the tracks for each piece in groups in Qlab set to fire all tracks simultaniously, into an audio card with enough outputs for each channel, fed into the console. The start / stop can be done via midi or GPIO depending on what you have available, we usually provide the MD a Go / Stop button but if its a complex show then a Next / Prev too with a KVM monitor split from the Qlab machine so they can see what they're doing in the cue list (and one at FOH for us to see too). Theres a setting called guaranteed sync in Qlab which used to cause some problems and needed to be turned off, as far as I know it just ensures the visuals on the screen match the playback location, which isn't usually very important. I don't think its an issue in the later releases though. Its also good to make sure the tracks are loaded / unloaded properly through the cue list as this will load the files into the RAM for instant playback, otherwise it might delay start or glitch.

 

Ive also done it on a more complex show with ableton, similar idea but this allowed us to output timecode etc as well as incorporating vamps / loops which could be musically exited with clever midi commands sent from keyboards / drums.

 

Monitoring is very dependant on what you have available and what the show requires. Some shows would only need the click to be sent to the MD as the band then follow them, others would require it to be sent to all the musicians, obviously on headphones / ears. We usually have an Aviom / Roland / Allen and Heath personal monitoring system as described above in which one channel is dedicated to the click track (usually doubles as a good utility channel for MD talkback to the band etc). Alternatively you could use a simple headphone D/A with extensions to each player, again if its only used briefly you could use any headphones really (single ear ones might be an idea if the rest of the monitoring is elsewhere), if its to be used extensively then a better system and headphones would be good.

 

Id stay away from anything wireless unless its pro grade IEM systems, but this would still be adding an unnecessary level of complexity and potential problems if the band are just sat in the pit!

 

 

Hope that helps,

 

 

Jack

[GHQ]

Brilliant! Thanks All!

[Bobbsy]

It's far more common to feed the click track just to the conductor/MD. Since the band/orchestra take their timing cues from the conductor that's a good way to do it.

 

One thing I'd say...the click track is almost never clicks. I usually sit down early on the the conductor and decide what would work best for them. This can be a variety of things, quite often the conductor playing the melody line on a keyboard and counting in any sections that need help. Obviously the audience hear non of this.

[MarkPAman]

I usually sit down early on the the conductor ......

 

Don't they think that's strange? http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif

[Just Some Bloke]

It's far more common to feed the click track just to the conductor/MD. Since the band/orchestra take their timing cues from the conductor that's a good way to do it.

 

 

Whilst I entirely agree that a violinist or 2nd flute player shouldn't need click if they have a conductor, any show that uses a drum kit would usually need the drummer to hear the click. If (s)he can't then terrible trouble lies in store!