Topic: What mic for this show?

[adrianf74]

Going to a show in a couple of weeks and I'm trying to figure out which option I want to go with.  No chance of running a stand so I have to think about other options.  Show is a solo multi-instrumentalist with vocals.   Generally will be keyboards or string instrument with vocals.  [EDITED]

The venue is a pretty small room - about 20 seats in the first row where there are about 30 seats in the last row (and about twenty rows).  My seats are located somewhere just ahead of the middle of the room.   

As you can see, the farthest seats are 55' from the stage (it's a small room and I've run DPA 4061's there in the past with good success).  Speaker stacks, from what I recall, are pretty small and off to the sides.  Board is located behind the very last row (naturally). 

Mic choices are AKG CK61 (cardioid) or CK63 (hypercardioid) Naiant Active or DPA 4061 (both hat worn) > TinyBox.   I'm thinking AKG CK61 from that seat location but am curious as to what others think.

Thanks in advance.

[Gutbucket]

Hard to say without really knowing the venue and PA specifics.  I'd probably move forward a few rows to the middle of E, which is about right for that kind of thing in a similar venue here.

If there are small fill monitors arranged along the stage-lip facing the audience that changes things and I'd shoot for the front row in-line with one of those if they can be counted on.

[adrianf74]

Unfortunately the seats are already purchased so moving isn't an option.  No published specs are truly available so it's mainly a question of omni, card or hypercard from where I'm sitting.  I know it's an "it depends" but being a solo-artist type show that's amplified (albeit not ear-piercingly because there are a lot of elderly patrons), I'm trying to make an educated guess.

[Gutbucket]

Oops, I misread your post as being a location question also.

Which pair of mics to use is a more subjective question which may be influenced by the nature of the expected audience as well.  I'm not closely familiar enough with the options and setup to suggest one over the other.

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

Run all 3 rigs!   

Seriously, I think I would go cards and try to mount them 90^ at right above the "temples"...  Maybe even Hypers...  I'm guessing AUD response will be high during song-endings, so I wouldn't go HRTF omni, you'll get all the screamers behind you...

Terry

[adrianf74]

LOL.  Now that would look a little obvious at this show.  I was leaning towards the cards but maybe the hypers as I do like their sound over the cards (I'm just thinking about proximity to the PA's and PA location).   

[aaronji]

If you can manage it, I would say do both the pair of 4061s and one of the pairs of AKGs.  If the crowd is well-behaved, omnis might sound great there.  And if the omnis don't cut it, you have the AKG source too...

[EDIT: Clarity.]

[adrianf74]

Thanks again guys.   I'm still debating which caps to go with.  Unfortunately, I've got 2-channels to play with; so it's either AKG cards or hypers or the 4061s.

The crowd should be well behaved so the omni mics should work but I've recently done a recording with the CK61s and the 4061s and the AKGs have slightly better clarity. 

I'm leaning towards the CK61s because of my closeness to the stage. I prefer the sound of the CK63s so I'm tempted to try them but am afraid of the pattern being too tight.

Any thoughts?

[adrianf74]

FWIW, nothing would've saved me.  The levels in the venue were REALLY low and the crowd can be heard two-to-three times as loud as the artist.  I'd chosen the cards which helped (a little) but having talkers right in front of me and a guy with a bellowing laugh directly behind me (and elevated) did NOTHING to help my cause.

The omnis may have shined a little more, however, the people in front of me wouldn't shut up the whole time and the couple behind me were chatting in between songs as well (right over the banter).  All I can hear is that throughout the recording.

Lesson learned on this one: The best mics you've got combined with a non attentive crowd plus a quiet PA equals a recording that gets FLAC'ed and put away never to be listened to again -- YES, it's that bad. 

[Scooter123]

If you are really close to stacks, then run the omnis, the DPA or the Niants.  If you are closer to the center, run the cards.