Topic: Taping outside in the rain- is it worth trying?

[Myco]

I've been on both sides of the equation myself. I've dropped when I've deemed it not worth my effort, and I've been out in the driving rain also. Basically it's about the personal satisfaction in doing what your doing, which many of you have mentioned. Sometimes it comes across as a little bit of chest thumping I guess. If your having fun doing what your doing, then it doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks of what you do. 

[F.O.Bean]

I have tapee out in the rain NUMEROUS times and I still find it fun and worth doing It takes a lil more than rain to scare me away

[it-goes-to-eleven]

The analogy was when I played golf and still shot my handicap in the rain...

[splumer]

I've been taping for 12 years, and I honestly don't think I've ever gotten rained on. Even the outdoor shows I'v been to have been under some sort of shed, though. I've only been to a few actually open-air shows.

[page]

Taping in the rain certainly isn't any fun, although personally I'd rather be prepared for the elements than to pack it in. 

+1

FWIW, I'm pretty sick of taping in the rain for awhile.

I like talking about taping in the rain more than I do actually taping in the rain. The worst is setting up in the rain as that takes help and care (someone else to hold the dry plastic over your bag so you can open it and assemble everything under cover).

I've been taping for 12 years, and I honestly don't think I've ever gotten rained on. Even the outdoor shows I'v been to have been under some sort of shed, though. I've only been to a few actually open-air shows.

I'd have to check the logs, but I think I've only run in the rain twice and neither of those are recently. I've setup for it a bunch but most of the time it doesn't actually rain and torn down with haste at the end of the show as it looked imminent.

[acidjack]

Taping in the rain is, in my experience, improved dramatically by (a) the use of beater mics and (b) Fried Chicken Boy's "homemade limoncello".  Or at least, the nervousness level is much lower 

[Gutbucket]

zest + alcohol + time + sugar water =  liquid sunshine.

I can confirm from personal experience that the home-made Lemoncello technique for recording during rain has been tested and confimed bi-annually down here in FL for the past 5+ years or so up at Spirit of the Suwannee.  I suspect next month to be no different.  There's a little ray of sun breaking through the clouds in every sip.

I can also confirm that it works just as well when the sun is shining.

[dallman]

I must be missing something or I feel the need to chime in, because the real story is taping during a snowstorm. The MN Tapers regularly have our outdoor January taping festivals and it gets to 30 or 40 below. For a while Ben Turnbull was up in International Falls (with Rocket J Squirrel and Bullwinke BTW) and while he does not like to talk about it, his tongue got stuck to a mic stand while taping "The Bad Plus" outdoors. To this day he talks with a lisp. Most of us have snowstorm horror stories of missing fingers and toes, because it is just so damn hard to operate the gear once you get to 20 below. But heck, it's a way of life out here. Rodeen moved to Australia for a while hoping his toe would grow back, but it never did. I personally will never forget taking pictures of moe. during "snowfest" and damaging my eye socket because it stuck to the camera eyepiece while snapping a shot of my rig. For a while I considered using the handle here cyclops, but out of respect for Ben, I thought it too hard to say with his lisp...

So I guess taping in the rain is also hard. With our weather patterns though we only have about 35 days above freezing so it is rarely an issue...

[Chuck]

I recorded the Breckenridge, CO moe. show in April 2011.

http://www.timebetweenthenotes.com/images_moe.html#snomoe

It was snowing like crazy, but not too cold (20's- 30's degrees). That must count for something... lol... 

[Gutbucket]

There are some underwater concerts down here in the FL Keys, mostly gimmics I assume.  I've never been and I'm not sure if there is actual underwater musicianship, possibly the playing of keyboards and midi percussion I suppose, but there are underwater PA speakers for the snorklers, scuba-dudes and free-dive swimmers.  I doubt any of these events have ever been taped by a hydrophone wielding concert taper, but it's a brave new world of opportunity- no problems with patrons talking over the music or fear of frozen toes.

[bryonsos]

Hmm..., snow taping sounds like a fun challenge. I may have to look for some MN or CO opportunities.

[capnhook]

There are some underwater concerts down here in the FL Keys, mostly gimmics I assume.  I've never been and I'm not sure if there is actual underwater musicianship, possibly the playing of keyboards and midi percussion I suppose, but there are underwater PA speakers for the snorklers, scuba-dudes and free-dive swimmers.  I doubt any of these events have ever been taped by a hydrophone wielding concert taper, but it's a brave new world of opportunity- no problems with patrons talking over the music or fear of frozen toes.

Can you get a board patch?

[Gutbucket]

Sure-

[T-90]

^ha!

[udovdh]

Also, when stxxlthing in rain, you can wear the mics at the shoulder line and wear a hat.
Hat should be somewhat water repelling in nature so it can hold up for hours.
This way the mics won't get soaked and when teh volume of the music is OK you will not hear the rain.

(Werchter 2010, some artist)