Topic: Rock Band Goes Unplugged -- How to React?

[mattmiller]

I recently taped a show in which, in the blink of an eye (or so it seemed), the band went unplugged and gathered at the front of the stage to perform a song completely off-mic and unamplified.  After thinking about it for about 2 seconds, I decided to dial up the gain on my HD-P2, worried I might otherwise not pick up anything.  I was set up about 30 feet from the stage and just left of center (next to the SBD, for those of you that know the Beachland Ballroom).  It was open-taping, so the mics were on a stand, so there was no way to move them closer to the source.  As I feared, I didn't get it dialed back down again at the end of the song before the crowd erupted (relatively speaking) and the levels jumped way over 0.  I think there was a holler or two from the crowd during the song which did the same thing.  Now, this time, I think I got lucky, because the clipping of the applause isn't really audible, and so it's not a big deal.  But I'll be taping the same band again next week and I fully expect them to do this again.

So, my question is -- how do you respond to a situation like this?  Dial up the levels (and perhaps throw on the limiter, which I didn't think to do)?  Or leave the levels be -- assuming there's something registering -- and work on bringing the volume up later?

For the record, my HD-P2 is of the stock variety and I have no external pre-amp, if that would be a factor in how you would choose to handle this.

Edit to add:  Somebody videotaped it and posted it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVI6omZR73M

[greenone]

Guster does this from time to time with their very last encore of the night. I always crank the levels as high as they'll go, and then dial it back down at the last note of the song. I always look like an idiot for crouching during the last few seconds, but it works just fine...

[Fatah Ruark (aka MIKE B)]

I noticed you have a second rig. You could run that on stage and be down there, ready to set levels when they do the acoustic part of the set.

It might not work, but I've been running my second rig as a backup, or one stage (just for fun sometimes).

[Scooter123]

Use gain post recording.  Likely to be cleaner.  Gain is gain, whether gain via the rig or gain via post using software.  The latter would probably be cleaner, depending on your rig. 

[setboy]

The times this has happened to me i have picked up my stand and bag (one time i had to unhook the mics, I got them started before they started playing) and moved closer to the stage and put my levels up. Tho I wonder if i should have done  the levels in post......

[Shadow_7]

It depends on the mics.  If the mics have a low noise floor, you can stay put and edit in post.  If they have a high noise floor, then you've always got to run them a little hotter than is safe to keep the noise down.  A limiter is your friend (at least one that works).  And other means to an end.

[DisturbedPyro]

i had to play a constant "gain adjust" game when i taped an orchestra that was doing a beatles night (some may remember i made a post about it on here asking for help on how to get a good orchestra recording, because ive only ever taped very loud rock shows). i had to put the gain way up while they played, because there was little or no PA, just the acoustics of the theater. but then after all the songs when the crowd applauded, i had to shoot the gain way down. did this back and forth for every song...but surprisingly the recording came out very clear. and the abrupt gain change wasnt very noticeable

[yousef]

Use gain post recording.  Likely to be cleaner.  Gain is gain, whether gain via the rig or gain via post using software.  The latter would probably be cleaner, depending on your rig.

Interesting. I'd got the idea that adding gain in post (particularly large amounts) was something to be avoided, especially if you had the option of turning the gain up whilst recording.

This is based on a vague memory of a very ugly looking waveform which was described as being typical of excessive gain being added in post.

I suppose there is probably little difference between doing it in post and whacking up the digital gain on the recorder but I'd be interested to know for certain whether there is a qualitative difference between the gain added by a quality preamp and that added via software later on.

[setboy]

Don't mics work better when they are run hot? 

[Shadow_7]

Each part of the chain has a noise floor and a dynamic range.  If you don't run at least a minimal gain level, you'll be amping the noise floor to way above audible levels and otherwise limiting your dynamic range.  Digital gain is fine as long as you're only doubling (or so) the levels.  If you're x50, game over...  Unless you like that 1940's sound, or are a big fan of niagra falls.  If it didn't matter we wouldn't bother with preamps at all (as the other poster said).

[edtyre]

This has happened a few times taping Alejandro Escovedo. He leaves the stage and performs out in the audience.
I never touched my rig, fixed it all in post.

Although it sounds ok, the gain boost on my V-3 is likely to sound better
than the bump in software after the fact.

[Seth01]

Use gain post recording.  Likely to be cleaner.  Gain is gain, whether gain via the rig or gain via post using software.  The latter would probably be cleaner, depending on your rig.

That's how I do it.