Topic: Recording on a PaddleWheel Riverboat

[Kush]

A friends band is playing on a PaddleWheel Riverboat http://www.ridehiawatha.com/sunset.asp. This will be my first time recording an event of this nature (i.e. recording on a boat). Any tips besides the obvious "don't forget your windscreens"? I will be pulling a 16 bit 44.1 kHz sbd recording and a 24 bit 48kHz audience recording to be mixed later in post.

[Dede2002]

A friends band is playing on a PaddleWheel Riverboat http://www.ridehiawatha.com/sunset.asp. This will be my first time recording an event of this nature (i.e. recording on a boat). Any tips besides the obvious "don't forget your windscreens"? I will be pulling a 16 bit 44.1 kHz sbd recording and a 24 bit 48kHz audience recording to be mixed later in post.

Tips? Have fun. 
Looks like a nice place.

[Gutbucket]

Wind, yes. You may want to record at the same sample rate so you don't have to convert one if you plan to mix the sources.  Different bit depths are less of a problem. 

Ever seen those great b&w photos of Sydney Bechet playing jazz on a riverboat in the Hudson back in the 40's? Tres Cool.

And don't drop anything into the water, it becomes magnetically attractive to expensive gear it seems.

[Church-Audio]

A friends band is playing on a PaddleWheel Riverboat http://www.ridehiawatha.com/sunset.asp. This will be my first time recording an event of this nature (i.e. recording on a boat). Any tips besides the obvious "don't forget your windscreens"? I will be pulling a 16 bit 44.1 kHz sbd recording and a 24 bit 48kHz audience recording to be mixed later in post.

One tip make sure before you hit record that both sample rates are the same

[Kush]

Okay, I will have both sample rates set the same. I am more concerned with silencing engine rumbling noise and vibration dampening. And I'm not sure about mic height either.

[Dede2002]

Okay, I will have both sample rates set the same. I am more concerned with silencing engine rumbling noise and vibration dampening. And I'm not sure about mic height either.

You're right.
The two or three times that I've been to boats like that ( not for taping) , vibration and rumbling were quite annoying.

[rjp]

I am more concerned with silencing engine rumbling noise and vibration dampening.

Shockmounts for the mics would be a very good idea, along with the windscreens.

[Kush]

I will have the heavy duty AT8410a shockmounts with me. I remember reading something about seine bags? or something like that to put under the legs of your mic stand.

[bgreen]

A friends band is playing on a PaddleWheel Riverboat http://www.ridehiawatha.com/sunset.asp.

Hey Kush, this is about 15 minutes from where I live and I've been to many of these lil concerts on the Hiawatha

Are they playing on the upstairs deck, or in the enclosed bottom portion?

Which band also if you don't mind me asking? Some I know, others not so much. Before I start going into detail, have you been on the Hiawatha before?

[Kush]

Are they playing on the upstairs deck, or in the enclosed bottom portion?

I just e-mailed them to find out, will let you know in a bit.
Edit: they will be in the enclosed downstairs deck

Which band also if you don't mind me asking? Some I know, others not so much.

Royal Benson
They are the featured musical artist on BilltownLIVE.com at the moment: http://www.billtownlive.com/

Before I start going into detail, have you been on the Hiawatha before?

This will be my virgin cruise on a paddlewheel boat.

[bgreen]

The downstairs isn't as bad noise wise as you'll expect it to be. While your thinking paddle boat, the paddle is really only there for decoration now I believe. It spins, but really does no propelling The boat itself is driven by regular motors. Vibration, well, ya, there's some, not as bad as when it was an actual paddle boat, but it's still there. Maybe look into a decent set of shock mounts, and possibly roll off the bass to help with the motor drone a bit. Other than that, it is what it is.

It's pretty sall with low ceilings, expect lots of crowd noise and try to say away from the bar, it's kinda tough with the room being like 20 x 30 :-p

If some pics would help you, I believe I have a few I could send you of the room.

Maybe we'll stop over for that one. The cruises are always a good time.

[Kush]

^^^ Thanks for the low-down on the boat, much appreciated. ^^^

You should stop by if you don't already have plans for the night. Who knows, maybe you'll even like them. Royal Benson will be having a few gigs coming up in the Williamsport area, they are even playing at the Bullfrog. They are completely wide-open as far as taping is concerned. Onstage mics is a go, stage lip is fine, sbd patch if desired, Matrix is a possibility, and Video is cool as well.

[bgreen]

You should stop by if you don't already have plans for the night. Who knows, maybe you'll even like them. Royal Benson will be having a few gigs coming up in the Williamsport area, they are even playing at the Bullfrog. They are completely wide-open as far as taping is concerned. Onstage mics is a go, stage lip is fine, sbd patch if desired, Matrix is a possibility, and Video is cool as well.

We may just do that, always up for hearing new tunes and I'll tape anything that makes noise

The bullfrog is another very interesting place to tape. It's like a 15' x 50' room. Last band I taped there set up toward the 15' wall and ran there PA's toward the 50' wall staggered about 15' one in front of the other, one each side of the room, with only vocals piped through them while everything else was played into the wall through seperate amps.    I love seeing bands there though. Good food and people.

[Kush]

So, you guys who have attended and recorded Jam Cruise, moe.Cruise, The Blues Cruise, etc. How did you all deal with the engine rumbling and mic stand vibrations?