Topic: Last Minute Advice NEEDED: recording from balcony!!

[Popmarter]

Please, i need advice. tonight i will be recording in a small club where there is a balcony. i am using my cardiods for the second time and i wonder if a recording would come out nice from that point of the venue.

i will probably get a spot all the way left/right (middle is not possible due Lighting-guys), near one stack. If left/right, should i point the mics towards the stack (which will be one meter below i guess (and pointing to centre), or better point in the direction of the singer.

  help!

[Tim]

what venue?

the only folks who may be able to venture more than a guess about how it may sound are people that have been there before. How high is the ceiling above the balcony? if the ceiling is high it can sound very nice in balcony's... if it's low your luck may not be as good. Also, how high off the dance floor is the balcony? Where is the PA in relation to the balcony? You say one meter below, does this mean there is no sound reinforcement specifically for the balcony?

so there's no way to setup near the light guys? You have a pretty little rig I bet you could find a spot over there if you got there early, and were courteous. Just bring extra cables and run your MD away from your mics.

if you can't get center then get up on a stack and setup your mics in a stereo configuration right in front of the stacks, not "point[ed] in the direction of the singer". Mics are not flashlights, you're not aiming a narrow beam.

[heath]

Mics are not flashlights, you're not aiming a narrow beam.

i like this statement. 

[Tim]

Mics are not flashlights, you're not aiming a narrow beam.

i like this statement. 

I don't know where I read it but it was years ago and really stuck with me... it's a great visual to have in your head when you're setting up, makes you think about off-axis response and how the polar pattern you're using will react to that room and pa setup.

Occasionaly I'm useful

[Popmarter]

what venue?

Some small one (1000p) in The Netherlands, you probably not have been there :-)

the only folks who may be able to venture more than a guess about how it may sound are people that have been there before. How high is the ceiling above the balcony? if the ceiling is high it can sound very nice in balcony's... if it's low your luck may not be as good. Also, how high off the dance floor is the balcony? Where is the PA in relation to the balcony? You say one meter below, does this mean there is no sound reinforcement specifically for the balcony?

The ceiling is quite high,, but i can't remember if there is special sound for the balcony. I don't think so, i guess its just a few speakers put on eachother. here is a picture from the balcony: http://gallery.solk.org/albums/Solk-part-3/PICT1135.jpg (taken with back against stage)

so there's no way to setup near the light guys? You have a pretty little rig I bet you could find a spot over there if you got there early, and were courteous. Just bring extra cables and run your MD away from your mics.

Bit crowded for that i guess, rather have them put away in the corner. on the pic , you see there is not much space. i will try to find another one.


if you can't get center then get up on a stack and setup your mics in a stereo configuration right in front of the stacks, not "point[ed] in the direction of the singer". Mics are not flashlights, you're not aiming a narrow beam.

cool :-)


Not even with cardiods? (again, second time in use (first time i was deadcenter and it came out great but i rather not stand still all night)

Thanks sofar

[Tim]

No, not even cards... that's just not how they work. Cards are directional, hypers are moreso, but both have off-axis response that must be considered.

you should be able to find a chart of your mics polar patterns and their response at various degress off-axis at certain frequencies...

[Sanjay]

My method is to hang the mics from the balcony aiming outwards towards each stack, granted this is a tricky thing to do with stealth mics, so what I devised  is a t-bar made of a ruler and a small metal L plate, from an erector set.  Basically I put the L plate in the center of the  ruler so the two holes were side by side and the holes you could tie two pieces of string to to keep it facing outward.  Then I clipped the mics to each end facing the stacks as best I could and hung it by two pieces of string to keep it balanced.  Here's a little paint drawing.  Now your best bet would be to get as close to the lighting even hang it from there if they let you then run the mics from the deck.