The thrust stage extends well into the audience with the audience on all 4 sides. connected to the main stage by a runway.
The client demands double 15 main speakers for the "look". They also want only "floor mics" (boundary effect) and some wireless lavs.
The Orchestra will be located to one side between thrust stage and main stage.
My first thought was having a delay zone after the thrust stage, however it then occurred that the delay (to the actors ears) and the difference between originating sound and amplified sound to the audience would be excessive when the action was occurring on the thrust stage.
Anyone run in to this kind of situation and have any special insights?
The thrust stage extends well into the audience with the audience on all 4
sides. connected to the main stage by a runway.
The client demands double 15 main speakers for the "look". They also want
only
"floor mics" (boundary effect) and some wireless lavs.
The Orchestra will be located to one side between thrust stage and main
stage.
My first thought was having a delay zone after the thrust stage, however it
then occurred that the delay (to the actors ears) and the difference
between originating sound and amplified sound to the audience would be
excessive when the
action was occurring on the thrust stage.
Anyone run in to this kind of situation and have any special insights?
Yep plenty of times ....How much money you got for rentals The only way is all singers to wear wireless headset mics. Look for the Audio-Technica AT892C with transmitter hidden.. These mics can be pasted in place using body makup filler and can not be seen at all. Or worst case, an ECM50 or Tram in the hair just above the forhead. all performers must also wear earbud monitors to hear each other and the band. Sennheiser makes a really good system I have used for these kiinds of setups. Good sound and reliable performance in both directions.
Anything less than this and the director had better think of doing it fully accoustic.
"Islander" <islander@island.com> wrote in message news:39qvv3do0df0930cf2tera1jc33n8icv2b@4ax.com... On Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:19:53 -0400, "Tim Perry" <timperry@nospammeadelphia.net> wrote:
The play: wizard of oz
The thrust stage extends well into the audience with the audience on all 4
sides. connected to the main stage by a runway.
The client demands double 15 main speakers for the "look". They also want
only
"floor mics" (boundary effect) and some wireless lavs.
The Orchestra will be located to one side between thrust stage and main
stage.
My first thought was having a delay zone after the thrust stage, however it
then occurred that the delay (to the actors ears) and the difference
between originating sound and amplified sound to the audience would be
excessive when the
action was occurring on the thrust stage.
Anyone run in to this kind of situation and have any special insights?
Yep plenty of times ....How much money you got for rentals The
only way is all singers to wear wireless headset mics. Look for the Audio-Technica AT892C with transmitter hidden.. These mics can be pasted in place using body makup filler and can not be seen at all. Or worst case, an ECM50 or Tram in the hair just above the forhead. all performers must also wear earbud monitors to hear each other and the band. Sennheiser makes a really good system I have used for these kiinds of setups. Good sound and reliable performance in both directions.
Anything less than this and the director had better think of doing it
Looks like the CO7 or CO5 will do the trick for you. Countryman Associates make a similar one I know is easy to keep on the head. Perfect, your on the right track. Just always remember what my audio Guru told me in the early days of my career, " the sound of a voice comes out of the mouth. the microphone has to see it to hear it. Only the very bass sound goes around corners. ( hey this is true for radio waves as well.)
We've used the Countryman mics and felt that they sounded great as compared to most other mics we had used in the past.
The bummer about any mic on stage or mounted directly to the actor, is that it gives some people the idea that they can just mumble at a normal speaking level and the mic will clean up their diction and make them plenty loud. Well, sad to say, sound systems do very little for diction. They will make you louder, but not necessarily in a good way. If everybody speaks clearly and projects to at least to the 10th row, you can do pretty good sound.
What usually happens is a couple of the actors project and the rest mumble. What really sucks is when a person that can project has dialog with a mumbler. The guy that is projecting becomes louder on the mic of the mumbler than the mumbler is. So you have to cut that mic way back to allow for the guy that is projecting, now you not only can't understand the mumbler but you can't hear him either. No mic will fix that.
Either everybody should project or everybody should mumble. The other thing is that it never works out unless everybody that has lines gets a mic. Background ensemble can be miced with hanging mics or zone mics at the edge of the stage, but dialog from those mics will sound very different than what you hear from the wireless sets.
Can you tell that I hate what mics have done to theater as we know it today?
David
"Islander" <islander@island.com> wrote in message news:68041452fjrofq4rd0qe2plf19glrf86tk@4ax.com... On Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:04:41 -0400, "Tim Perry" <timperry@nospammeadelphia.net> wrote:
Thanks, does anyone have any experience with this product?
Looks like the CO7 or CO5 will do the trick for you. Countryman Associates make a similar one I know is easy to keep on the head. Perfect, your on the right track. Just always remember what my audio Guru told me in the early days of my career, " the sound of a voice comes out of the mouth. the microphone has to see it to hear it. Only the very bass sound goes around corners. ( hey this is true for radio waves as well.)
"David McCall" <mccallmail@verizon.net> wrote in message news:i4oQj.6$WS1.1@trndny04...
We've used the Countryman mics and felt that they sounded great
as compared to most other mics we had used in the past.
The bummer about any mic on stage or mounted directly to the actor,
is that it gives some people the idea that they can just mumble at a
normal speaking level and the mic will clean up their diction and make
them plenty loud. Well, sad to say, sound systems do very little for
diction.
They will make you louder, but not necessarily in a good way. If everybody
speaks clearly and projects to at least to the 10th row, you can do
pretty good sound.
What usually happens is a couple of the actors project and the rest
mumble.
What really sucks is when a person that can project has dialog with a
mumbler.
The guy that is projecting becomes louder on the mic of the mumbler than
the mumbler is. So you have to cut that mic way back to allow for the guy
that
is projecting, now you not only can't understand the mumbler but you can't
hear him either. No mic will fix that.
Either everybody should project or everybody should mumble. The other
thing
is that it never works out unless everybody that has lines gets a mic.
Background ensemble can be miced with hanging mics or zone mics at
the edge of the stage, but dialog from those mics will sound very
different
than what you hear from the wireless sets.
Can you tell that I hate what mics have done to theater as we know it
today?
David
Well, the latest news is the cast/directors refuse to wear headworns. The Plan is 9 wireless lavs plus an array of zone mics. I will employ a delay zone.
My next assignment is to light the entire play... main stage, thrust stage, and witches castle (an elevated platform to far stage left) without using any of the existing lighting. Oh by the way the set up day has been moved to this Monday.
I am told there will be one followspot. I am told the plan for the thrust stage calls for 8 small cyc lights used as foot lights. I commented that only the ankles would be illuminated when the actors approach the stage edges.
I'll see what I can do about changing some peoples minds.
"Islander" <islander@island.com> wrote in message news:n9jj14ht86n6igbjduonk1d9s2j2vei8ke@4ax.com... Tim How ya making out so far. Got it sorted out yet?? cheers Marv
The thrust stage extends well into the audience with the audience on all 4
sides. connected to the main stage by a runway.
turns out the audience is not on all 4 sides but orchestra on one side and a small portion of the audience on the other.
The client demands double 15 main speakers for the "look". They also want
only
"floor mics" (boundary effect) and some wireless lavs.
The Orchestra will be located to one side between thrust stage and main
stage.
My first thought was having a delay zone after the thrust stage, however it
then occurred that the delay (to the actors ears) and the difference
between originating sound and amplified sound to the audience would be
excessive when the
action was occurring on the thrust stage.
Anyone run in to this kind of situation and have any special insights?
Progress report: day 6
Opening night a big sucess. Many compliments on how much better it sounds than last year (i wasent there last year) SRO audiance of 400+
The technical set up is: 2 PCC main stage 2 misc boundary effect mics on the thrust stage 1 shotgun thrust stage ramp. 8 chepo laves that actually sound OK when they work (and when the actors remember to turn them on). A PZM is taped across the open top of an upright piano. The main stacks are JBL MRX525 over powered subs for looks and a JBL JRX 112M on top for fun .. mains are delayed by 5 feet. The Delay speaker are Yorkville E-600 on crank up stands and provide primary coverage and are delayed by 55 feet.
The mixer is a Mackie 32-8 with meter bridge. The zone mics are gated a couple of the lavs are on compression to control dynamic range. Mics are assignable to mains, delays or both. The thrust stage zone mics only feed the delay speakers.
The mains use a Behringer DEQ followed by a DCX followed by a dbx EQ (this gives me quick control and 1/4" outs for the mic snake.)
The delays use a DEQ. Both DEQs are set for a mild amount mid-high expantion using the dynamic EQ function. This boosts the highs a bit at low levels but flattens them out when the Volume gets loud. I have a Sabine FBX on the Shotgun to try to pick up un-miced munchkins in the early scenes. I do not have a munchin count but there must be around 50 of them.
Vocal reverb for the songs is a Behringer V-Verb. The Great Wizzard effect is a Lexicon MPX500.
I was able to get a 220 drop for my distro so no breakers popping or wires melting. The lighting dimmer is the big Behringer dimpack and DMX controller fed through the mic snake. I can get basic illumination with a few PAR 64's and 56's. I dont have the cables or the channels to do much more.
I was able to employ some portable vollyball net posts as tall light trees (ala macguyver)
The main stage was built out in front to incorperate a storm celler and a trap door for when the witch melts.
The thrust stage and ramps are covered in brown paper the first scenes and removed during the tornado to reveal the Yellow Brick Road.
The stagecraft and set design employed for this production is truly amazing considering its a smallish private school. The degree of participation by the schools custodial and maintenance staff is unique in my experience. The head custodian even ran follow spot tonight.
sound OK when they work (and when the actors remember to turn them on).
Don't let actors touch the switch. Have your deck sound person turn them on at the beginning of the night (or do it yourself if you're running solo) and leave them on. Budget for batteries.
-- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ David Lawver lawvd@charter.net "Without danger, Mr. Bardolph, there is no theatre." -Peter Shaffer
"David Lawver" <lawvd@charter.net> wrote in message news:U76dnckHv9xRHYHVnZ2dnUVZ_jSdnZ2d@supernews.com...
Tim Perry wrote:
8 chepo laves that actually
sound OK when they work (and when the actors remember to turn them on).
Don't let actors touch the switch. Have your deck sound person turn them
on at the beginning of the night (or do it yourself if you're running
solo) and leave them on. Budget for batteries.
Normally I would tape over the switches.
This is a fairly laid back HS play.. no temper tantrums the whole week. There are enough open mics on stage to cover even if one or 2 are out. Rehearsals were covered solely with zone mics.
