Topic: Mic selection and placement question - worn mics (lo-pro) - cards or omnis??

[landshark]

Hi everyone -

I'm planning on taping David Gray this Friday (he's open taping), but with the venue, I'm not planning on bringing a stand.  I'm trying to decide what mics to use and could use any ideas anyone has.  Our tickets are pretty good (within first 20 rows I think), and the venue sound is usually very good - detailed without being too boomy (Wang Theater in Boston).  To be sensitive to the other patrons, I'm planning on wearing my mics on my shoulders, under my shirt - I'll be taking an old T-shirt and sewing little "pockets" in the shirt to hold the mics.  I figure this will hold them reasonably securely and keep them pointed roughly in the right direction.

The decision that's got me stumped is which mics to use?  I'll be running them straight into a Korg MR1000 (Busman mod).  My choices are:

Cards:

AKG CK1x
Senn 8040's (preferred if going with cards)

Omnis:

AKG CK2x


I figure with a shoulder mount (about 3/4 the way from my neck out to my shoulder), my torso will remain fairly constantly positioned, so cards are an option.  I considered some sort of eyeglass mount putting the cards by my ears to fake a DIN-type setup, but keeping my head still all concert will likely be a pain.  A hat mount would have the same issue.

If the cards are right next to my body, will I have issues with them being near a boundary?  I'm in decent shape, but still comparatively fleshy/soft so I'm hoping there won't be much sound reflection <grin>.  Will I end up being a big sound baffle that will throw off the sound?

In this type of setup, am I clearly better off with omnis versus cards?

Thanks in advance!!

Mike

[Belexes]

I'd run your cards. No telling how chatty your neighbors might be.

+T for not running them on your head.  I keep downloading shows on Dime where people can't keep their head still.

[stevetoney]

Personal opinion is that for mounting the way you've described, I'm not sure you'd hear much difference in crowd chatter.  Omni's might pick up a bit more talking side-to-side, but your body will shield noise coming from behind and if the venue is fairly big and you're fairly close, the PA volume might mask the talking anyway.  Since you're not gonna be precisely positioning the mics, the directionality of a card mic may affect sound pickup/clarity...and since omni's aren't directional, you're less apt to hear small differences in body positioning during the show which tends to be accentuated the more directional the mics are.  Finally, if you have a mic on each shoulder, that spread is too wide for a typical close-in cardiod mic spread (see the Stereophonic Zoom for details).  Omni's on each shoulder gives a nice 2 to 3 foot split between the mics which will enhance imaging.

Omni's.

[landshark]

The other option for the cards is something I've tried in the past with some success - take a wire coathanger, wrap it around my neck and bend the ends to make "holders' for the cards.  The cards hang on my upper chest about where my collarbone is and I can work it so I'm closer to proper spacing for DIN.  Actually, that might be best - helps with the chatter and lets me use my new / favorite mics (the Senns).  Looks dorky as hell, but my GF is used to that.....

I'll need to keep my trap shut all night since the mics will be very close to my mouth, but that might be an improvement as well (at least in some peoples' view...)

Thanks for the feedback Bel and Tone!

Mike

[su6oxone]

take a wire coathanger, wrap it around my neck and bend the ends to make "holders' for the cards. 

That's a clever yet gutsy mounting strategy.

[stevetoney]

Although why go to all the problem if the artist is open taping?  Is the venue taper un-friendly?

[landshark]

Venue's fine, artist is fine, but no stands allowed.  So I need to "be the stand" (said in a Chevy Chase ...nanananana...voice).

Mike

[travelinbeat]

Have we given up on keeping lo-pro techniques private? 

[printguy]

Venue's fine, artist is fine, but no stands allowed.  So I need to "be the stand" (said in a Chevy Chase ...nanananana...voice).

Mike

Why not just clip the mics to your hat?

[landshark]

Printguy, answered in original post.  "I considered some sort of eyeglass mount putting the cards by my ears to fake a DIN-type setup, but keeping my head still all concert will likely be a pain.  A hat mount would have the same issue."

Regarding lo-pro, the mics will be clearly visible, there is no attempt here to "stealth".  The venue does not allow stands, which is the only reason I'm not bringing a stand - so my mic mounting needs to be low profile (not "stealth").  I don't really want to sit and hold the mics all night, although I could do that as well.

[printguy]

Oops. Missed that bit.