Topic: mic config for an orchestra

[teamakg]

gonna be taping a high school orchestra in a couple weeks.  tomorrow they're gonna be rehearsing.  about 100 members in an auditorium that seats 1300.  acoustics of the place are great.  i have 2 akg 480's with both the card and hyper caps running into a UA5(wmod).  i can setup anywhere i want.  i plan on using the cards.  at least i think i do.  tomorrow is my chance to do whatever.  i planned on running various configs, ortf, din, xy, ect.  i've got 4 songs to get my shit together so i'm wondering what do people recommend i try for configs.  sorry if this is the wrong foum but it gets the most action and i need to know by tomorrow.    thanks for any advice.
george

[teamakg]

not sure on soloists.  how would that change things?  also how high should i run them?  got a 13' bogen.  you said right behind the conductor.  as in his head height or do i wanna be above him?  thanks.
george

[zowie]

Depends on many variables, but all things being equal I prefer orchestra sound recorded from between the first couple rows of seats to about 1/3 of the way into the hall.  Especially since you have hyper card option.

A more distant perspective can be better for a high school orch because of its customarily poor intonation and blending problems.  From further back, you don't here the off key or strident individuals within a section so much, but just get more of a smuded pitch center.

Plus you'll pick up the room accoustic which will give you more of a "Live in Concert" sound that the group might appreciate.

The rehearsal will presumably be at least an hour, so you should have a chance to try out a couple perspectives.

[zowie]

And bear in mind the physical width of the ensemble.

Doing an X-Y or ORTF from the conductor's perspective can give yield an unrealistic stereo image.

[sexymexi]

yea i'd say behind the conductor.  when they did our orchestra and choir, they ran i think 480's or 391's for the orchestra, DIN about 8 ft up, pointing center and slightly down towards them.  then our choir was recorded with 414's i beleive... i love the sound of the orchestra from it.   it was probably 9-10 ft from them @ 6-8 ft high..  good luck hope it works out well..

matt