Sounds on multiple channels? (Beginner)

[sunray]

I 'helped' at an AmDram a couple of years ago, primarly to provide sound and video show relay to dressing rooms and power for lighting. Their SFX, of which there were hundreds, were spread onto loads of speakers. A total of 6 CD players and domestic HiFi amps and speakers. Announcements were made with a mic plugged into a mag cartridge input.

 

The sound system looked an absolute mess but the 3 operators were right on the button and it worked perfectly. It really doesn't have to be super dooper all singing all dancing state of the art digital kit with multi hundreds of watts of power per channel...

 

[themadhippy]

with a mic plugged into a mag cartridge input

Bet that sounded lovely with the nice bass boost and top cut,did you switch in the rumble filter to stop the mic handling noise?

Edited April 25, 2020 by themadhippy

[glennryan]

The sound system looked an absolute mess but the 3 operators were right on the button and it worked perfectly...

Good point. I tend to get away with doing things like this too, but to be future-proof (i.e. when I'm not there on occasion, or if I ever leave the group for whatever reason) we need a setup that's relatively easy to set and use. Also, we've got very limited time in a shared town hall, so setting up something that messy every performance becomes a big drag.

 

G

[d_korman]

Doorbells is easy - 2 or different ones on a piece of wood with a 9-12v battery - every theatre / company should have one. Ringers for UK phones is a bit more fiddly - as Tim says you can hire them (quite expensive to buy) - google Telephone Ringers for Theatre. If you fancy making one try this link https://www.blue-roo...showtopic=34615 or search for Telephone Ringers in the BR Search box.

 

You can also drive a phone bell using a 100V line amp driven from your FX laptop. Suitable audio file samples (low frequency sine waves) for US, European and UK cadence are easily found online - just loop them in SCS, multiplay or whatever you are using. you can also create the driver files yourself using various audio editing software (Audacity etc).

Edited April 25, 2020 by d_korman

[glennryan]

You can also drive a phone bell using a 100V line amp driven from your FX laptop...

Yes, I've had a go at this a few times - the best one (a Farndale farce) the butler pulls a the cord on a standard lamp, but instead of lighting up it makes the phone ring, then he answers the phone which makes the lamp light up, then a bit of to and fro. A funny effect that was really sold by the real phone bell. And, as you mention, you can set the cadence yourself if you use something like audacity.

 

 

G

[sunray]

I had nothing to do with the sound and not it didn't sound good but not as bad as some I've heard.

with a mic plugged into a mag cartridge input

Bet that sounded lovely with the nice bass boost and top cut,did you switch in the rumble filter to stop the mic handling noise?

 

Thinking back to my first forays into SFX at school, I took my Phillips reel to reel tape recorder in for a couple of weeks, the SFX were recorded and when finalised numbered stickers applied to the tape for cueing. I'm guessing the 5W or so was fed straight to the ubiguitous column speaker SR. A knife switch [from physics lab] changed over between tape recorder for SFX and an amplifier for the off stage action and voiceovers.

[James]

Doorbells is easy - 2 or different ones on a piece of wood with a 9-12v battery - every theatre / company should have one. Ringers for UK phones is a bit more fiddly - as Tim says you can hire them (quite expensive to buy) - google Telephone Ringers for Theatre. If you fancy making one try this link https://www.blue-roo...showtopic=34615 or search for Telephone Ringers in the BR Search box.

 

 

I haven't looked at the link or others but ringing a phone is so easy. Use a 100V anplifier, plug a standard phone into the loudspeaker output without any loudspeakers and play a your chosen sound effect. The phone will ring and when its picked up the ringing will stop. Adjust the volume so it rings OK but the sound coming from the receiver is not heard. Easy Peasy squeezed lemons etc.

I tend to play sound effects through the auditorium speakers when fitted in small halls for AmDram, if needed in a specific place I'll add additional speakers, such as canford powered speaker. Example: we wanted an ice cream van to arrive from behind the audience, sound like it came through the room then disappear to the rear of the stage. The sound faded up slowly at the rear, then into the mains then back stage then faded out in the same order.

If they insist on door knocker SFX there will be a speaker by the door etc and I find the canfords are ideal.

One village hall with only one access to the stage has a permanently fitted speaker there, just for that reason.

 

 

I went down this route some years ago on a production. created the waves with the correct cadence for UK ringing as an effect - played through a 100v amp to correctly ring a practical period phone on set. The reaction from the director was something along the lines of "That sounds brilliant - but can we have it a bit louder please"

 

(James)

 

Glad I'd also rigged a spot FX speaker above the practical phone for contingency so used that instead.

 

James.

[sunray]

Doorbells is easy - 2 or different ones on a piece of wood with a 9-12v battery - every theatre / company should have one. Ringers for UK phones is a bit more fiddly - as Tim says you can hire them (quite expensive to buy) - google Telephone Ringers for Theatre. If you fancy making one try this link https://www.blue-roo...showtopic=34615 or search for Telephone Ringers in the BR Search box.

 

 

I haven't looked at the link or others but ringing a phone is so easy. Use a 100V anplifier, plug a standard phone into the loudspeaker output without any loudspeakers and play a your chosen sound effect. The phone will ring and when its picked up the ringing will stop. Adjust the volume so it rings OK but the sound coming from the receiver is not heard. Easy Peasy squeezed lemons etc.

I tend to play sound effects through the auditorium speakers when fitted in small halls for AmDram, if needed in a specific place I'll add additional speakers, such as canford powered speaker. Example: we wanted an ice cream van to arrive from behind the audience, sound like it came through the room then disappear to the rear of the stage. The sound faded up slowly at the rear, then into the mains then back stage then faded out in the same order.

If they insist on door knocker SFX there will be a speaker by the door etc and I find the canfords are ideal.

One village hall with only one access to the stage has a permanently fitted speaker there, just for that reason.

 

 

 

I went down this route some years ago on a production. created the waves with the correct cadence for UK ringing as an effect - played through a 100v amp to correctly ring a practical period phone on set. The reaction from the director was something along the lines of "That sounds brilliant - but can we have it a bit louder please"

 

(James)

 

Glad I'd also rigged a spot FX speaker above the practical phone for contingency so used that instead.

 

James.

It's rare I use this one... LMFHO Edited May 13, 2020 by sunray