Topic: festival preparation

[cosmic charlie]

I've never taped at a festival before, but I know there are plenty of folks here who have.
In June I'm going to be hitting the blue plum street festival in johnson city, tenn and then bonnaroo, and I'm wondering what items were particularly useful or indeed necessary at festivals. 

Unless I pick up anything new, i'll be running sp c4s>ua-5>jb3 - a very simple, easy rig to manipulate in the field.  As far as outside recording goes, I've got heavy duty DPA windscreens but that's about it... 

i still need to get an umbrella in case of bad weather, as well as some heavy duty trash bags or whatnot in order to protect my gear.  I also need to figure out a way to recharge my batteries...

any recommendations for festival prep?

thanks,
charlie

[Brian Skalinder]

Sounds like you're on the right track, basically.  Windscreens, umbrella, heavy duty trash bags...don't forget a flashlight.  I've always re-charged using the AC at a vendor booth.  Don't have to drain my m/c battery that way and meet some nice folks, generally.  One more must-have:  a clamp.  Drives me nuts when there are 12 mic stands all jammed into a tiny space...no point, really.  Should be clamp city with 2-3 stands, if that.

[cosmic charlie]

vendor booths - wow, i never thought of that!

i've been meaning to pick up clamps for a while - i'll probably do that this week.  there are plently of threads on the board i've seen lately with recommendations, i'll check those.  thanks.

[Low Spark]

vendor booths - wow, i never thought of that.
Me neither i will have to try this at roo. Also make friends with people working the gates. I always take exxtra water to them and always go in that gate all weekend. A little water and kindness will get u a long ways.

[John R]

small spiral notebook and a bunch of pens for notes/contacts.
ear protection.
rain gear, for you.
suncsreen.
flashlight/headlamp w/extra batts
chair or crazy creek.
nalgene.
every cable ever.
shure windscreens, leave the dpa's at home.
white towel/fabric to cover your rig from sun.
secure place to charge batts.
spikes to secure stand.
backstage access

[jessedscott]

Skalinder is ALWAYS prepared! Man I wish you still lived in Ohio. Will we see a Skalinder sighting at summercamp?



prophylactic's are a MUST for you single guys, wouldn't want to get w00kie foot, if you know what I mean. 

[Brian Skalinder]

Skalinder is ALWAYS prepared! Man I wish you still lived in Ohio. Will we see a Skalinder sighting at summercamp?

Though I'm enjoying myself in Chicago (but not catching as many shows  )...I miss NE Ohio, I truly do - the people I know there, the venues, but mostly the people.  Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to make it back for Summercamp.   

[Tim]

prophylactic's are a MUST for you single guys, wouldn't want to get w00kie foot, if you know what I mean.

no doubt, that band sucks... buncha minnesota w00ks



www.wookiefoot.com

[rowjimmytour]

I have tweaked my set up a little by adding a DC>AC converter 400w and using the plugs that came w/ my UA5 and NJB3 but here is pics of my battery setup.
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=24896.msg311307#msg311307
Also don't forget a umbrella for your preamp and NJB3 to keep them cool. Ya want the one w/ a clamp at the end. I have also scored a little computer fan that runs on dc power.
Good luck
Peace

[Bdifr78]

Sounds like you're on the right track, basically.  Windscreens, umbrella, heavy duty trash bags...don't forget a flashlight.  I've always re-charged using the AC at a vendor booth.  Don't have to drain my m/c battery that way and meet some nice folks, generally.  One more must-have:  a clamp.  Drives me nuts when there are 12 mic stands all jammed into a tiny space...no point, really.  Should be clamp city with 2-3 stands, if that.

Do you just walk up and plug in or do you have to shmooz someone that is working there?

Joe

[Tim]

I would suggest schmoozing. One nice thing about neing a taper is that you always have something to barter with

[John R]

With DPA screens in hand, and no cash for the Phatty Shures, you may like to have a bit more wind cutting action than the DPAs provide.  Enter HANES!  or any other heavy cotton sock, black works, that when turned inside out will show the little looped fluffy insides that ordinarily would be wicking stank off the toes. 

 Cut the sock below the heal, turn them inside out, place them over the DPAs and you have at least another 5-7mph* protection.  If that doesn't cut it, reach in the bag and pull out a couple of Crown Royal bags and put that over the whole works.  Or swap socks for bags till you get the level of wind reduction that you can live with.  The highs will be pretty knocked down by this point, but if you're out in it, and it's that windy, you may just have something in the end, as opposed to nada.

Of all the other suggestions/recommendations, I liked seeing the note pad and pens.  If I hadn't taken some kind of notes last year, the 15-17 hrs that I recorded would have been very meaningless.  When you get a chance to run that much, it's easy to try different configurations and with out a note or two, you'd soon forget which show you ran DIN and which ones XY w/CR mod

*Estimated value, your milage may vary, operated on a closed course by professional drivers, do not attempt this at home, close cover before striking...

before i had the shures, i used the dpa's.  they are pretty useless in a stiff breeze.  so, we took some radio shack speaker grille fabric and laid it in the windscreen so it went over the capsule.  worked like a charm.  highs stil got in, but wind vibration of the diaphagm was cut drastically.  it's the thicker loose woven fabric, not the tight stuff.

[bhtoque]

I just got some fuzzy fabric (looks like you'd make a gorilla suit out of it) to make a softie for my lsd2. I've got the shure's for my Oktavas, but I want to try the lsd2 outside next weekend.

I'll post pics when I get the thing done.

JAson

[tomluvsgiants]

 
pardon my total noob-ness.....and i'm not trying to make an inquiry about where to get some.....


but what IS an lsd2?

thx!     

[John R]

pardon my total noob-ness.....and i'm not trying to make an inquiry about where to get some.....


but what IS an lsd2?

thx!     

http://www.studioprojectsusa.com/lsd2.html