Topic: Too much crowd noise... suggestions on how to tape next time?

[dactylus]

Taze all talkers.       

^ Absolutely.   

[rsimms3]

1. The closer to the source you are, the less angle you put your mics in, in other words your mics become more parrallel in configuration.

IMO, this is far too simplistic a "lesson" to be useful in any given situation.  Both angle and spacing contribute to the mic configuration's results.  All else being equal, it's important to take into account both (in addition to distance to the sound source, and the width / height / depth of the sound source) when setting up one's mics.

Check the top stickied post the Microphones & Setup forum, which includes a link to the Stereophonic Zoom.  Well worth taking the time to read and understand how -- all else being equal -- the angle and spacing, together, contribute to the results.  It's not the be-all, end-all for telling one how to set up one's mics in any given situation, but it helps one understand the relationship between the mic configuration's angle and spacing, distance from the sound source, and the sound source's width.

Hence the beginning of the comment -

A few things I have learned taping:

As opposed to - "I do this, you should too." 

I usually run 90 degree spacing, whatever that is.  DIN?  DINa?  I have no clue.  Generally I point to the outside of the stacks when I run a stand and most times it turns out okay.  If I am running straight on a single stack that is far spaced from the other side I run closer, more toward 60 degrees or less.  Overall, those tapes have turned out well for me.  As far as I know, and I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, but mic configs really don't take into account the moving objects that can come into the sound field, do they?  What about balloons, is there a mic config for that?  Yes, configurations are a good reference point and should be reviewed, but no means are they an end all, be all.  The question was how to reduce crowd noise.  A few simple answers - get hypers, run higher, taze the talkers, patch the board, and buy the Band Produced copy.  Most of those though, aren't helpful to this fella.  He, and others, can certainly take any information for their own benefit to evaluate.  I was shaing my experience. 

[barrettphisher]

Pure stack tapes can help as well.  Had to do it before but its at least listenable.
Barrett

[Brian Skalinder]

Hence the beginning of the comment -

A few things I have learned taping:

As opposed to - "I do this, you should too."

You fooled me with:

1. The closer to the source you are, the less angle you put your mics in, in other words your mics become more parrallel in configuration.

Not sure the point of your balloon spiel, but I'm a little slow sometimes. 

At any rate, I think the simple answers so far -- hypers, run higher / closer, patch board, point-at-stacks (more generally, reduce the included angle, which is where the Williams Stereophonic Zoom paper comes in:  it helps one understand what happens when one changes spacing and angles), etc. -- are helpful.  Perhaps the OP won't try all of them, but they're all valid responses to the question "How to reduce crowd noise?".  Thanks for sharing your experiences.

[rsimms3]

Hence the beginning of the comment -

A few things I have learned taping:

As opposed to - "I do this, you should too."

You fooled me with:

1. The closer to the source you are, the less angle you put your mics in, in other words your mics become more parrallel in configuration.

Not sure the point of your balloon spiel, but I'm a little slow sometimes. 

At any rate, I think the simple answers so far -- hypers, run higher / closer, patch board, point-at-stacks (more generally, reduce the included angle, which is where the Williams Stereophonic Zoom paper comes in:  it helps one understand what happens when one changes spacing and angles), etc. -- are helpful.  Perhaps the OP won't try all of them, but they're all valid responses to the question "How to reduce crowd noise?".  Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Yes, I do see how saying I and then later You would be confusing.  It does presuppose I am being directive, but in this case it was poor grammar.  Instead I was being suggestive, but my use of You was incorrect.

The spiel about the balloons was an attempt at humor in pointing out that mic configurations are based on equal variables.  The calculations are based on unobstructed sound paths from the source to the microphones or accounting for all variables.

  It is essential to attenuate reflections from the ceiling,
floor and walls and in addition, symmetry should
be maintained in relation to the shape of the listening
room, so that any remaining reflections affect
equally the sound heard from the left and right
channels. Only then will the conditions be adequate
to hear with clarity and precision the stereophonic
image generated by the specific microphone system
used during the recording session.

Ever been to a Flaming Lips show?  The point was, you should research for yourself and try out new things.  There are lots of things that come up that aren't/can't be accounted for in ever situation or configuration.