In my personal experiences, when Blumlein is run on-stage, you pick up the perfect amount of audience noise and chatter. The low crowd rumble between songs, with the occasional whoot and cheer. It blends perfectly with the music though when on-stage. I guess this can really differ depending on the venue and stage setup, as I know some stages in some places are merely raised by only a foot. The venue where I run on-stage has the stage at the pefect height, and the acoustics on the stage are simply awesome. The best stage tapes I've ever made come out of this venue, with the stage at about 4 1/2' high, and the crowd kept away from the stage with a barrier by about 2' to 3'.