Topic: Help with tents and late night cabins at festivals

[Denes]

I have been having trouble getting good recordings from really crowded and small cabins at festivals.  Those side stages.  Location is close to impossible to pick from there. I usually put my setup in a spare bit of space by the sound board.

I do plug in, but not always do they have everything on the sound board, most time the drums are not on there.

I do have the ability to record both mics and board at the same time now.  Just got a second machine.  I have tried blending someone else recording to mine with decent results before.  I also got a clamp setup, so I can put the mics somewhere else ad up out of the way without the need of a mic stand.

Maybe recording from right up by the rafters?

[T-90]

do you have any pics you can post so we can see the stages/stage areas?  that would be a big help in trying to provide advice

[Myco]

Generally speaking, tents and cabins have lousy acoustics, so getting as close to the source as possible would be preferable. If you're going to be back near the soundboard try using some mic's with a hypercardioid pattern. Some omni's or cardioids closer up would be even more preferable. Just remember, the soundwaves won't bounce off of the wall of a tent or cabin very well, so your going to try to capture the sound at it's source.

[Denes]

I don't have pics.  One is 30-40 feet long by about 20 feet wide.  8ft walls with maybe 16ft tall in the center of the roof.  Open rafter roof.  The other cabin is 80ftx50ft or so with 8ft walls, open rafters, and 25ft tall on the roof center.

I would have no problems putting the mics near a corner of the stage, somewhere out of the way.   How would you guys set it up?   The zoom H2 is limited with options.  It has directional mics.  The front ones are 90 degree separation, the rears are 120 degrees.  I can have them record both front and rear for basically omni-driectional.

The tent spots are 40-50x100ft long or so.  Typical outdoor wedding like rental tents.  Usually open sides, exceptfor behind the band most of the time.  These festivals are smaller ones, so they are veyr taper friendly.  The bands love sharing their sound and expanding their fan base.

Again, not all the instruments are on the main.  Some bands also have their own speakers for the bass guitar at times too.

I got 2 machines.  I can plug into the board no problems at almost all of these festivals.   They are both Zoom H2's with no external microphones, yet. 

I know these things are quite amateur, but they are affordable and produce some great results with my little knowledge of the art.

[daspyknows]

I got 2 machines.  I can plug into the board no problems at almost all of these festivals.   They are both Zoom H2's with no external microphones, yet. 
 

Buy microphones.  There are options that are not very expensive.  A Zoom H2 is not going to make an excellent or A+++ recording despite what some people may think.

[page]

yeah, separate mics might help, but I loathe dance tents for taping in general. There isn't a great place to setup so my plan has always been to get a sbd patch and run a set of mics stagelip/onstage and mix the two later. Often times I just don't bother taping the tent stages courtesy of the effort needed. 

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

Rule of Thumb:  best sounding spot in the room is the best spot to tape from...  Soundboard patches are notoriously bad for recording as they amplify things that need it in order to balance the sound coming from the stage ie drums are loud and vocals are not, so very little drums in SBD but lots of vocals to make the PA sound good...

Move around during the end of the set previous to one you want to tape and find the "sweet spot"...  Set up there (if you can) or as close to it as you can...  Recruit your buddies to block for you, buy them beer...  tell them the STFU... 

Terry
 

[Myco]

What all of those guys said. 

[F.O.Bean]

Hyper/Supercards in the FOB/DFC spot. once you do it so many times you get used to it

[SmokinJoe]

I clamp a set of mics overhead about 10' from stage, and run long cables/snake to back by the SBD where my bag lives, and this usually gives decent results.  Actually that's what I'm doing in most bars now-a-days too.  Without external mics your best bet might be to clamp/tape the H2 in a similar location.

In a festy cabin... http://archive.org/details/roc2011-05-27.a51-sbd-mix.flac16f
In a club... http://archive.org/details/dirigo2012-04-20.at4050st-sbd-mix.flac16f

[kindms]

I clamp a set of mics overhead about 10' from stage, and run long cables/snake to back by the SBD where my bag lives, and this usually gives decent results.  Actually that's what I'm doing in most bars now-a-days too.  Without external mics your best bet might be to clamp/tape the H2 in a similar location.

In a festy cabin... http://archive.org/details/roc2011-05-27.a51-sbd-mix.flac16f
In a club... http://archive.org/details/dirigo2012-04-20.at4050st-sbd-mix.flac16f

That cabin is the first thing i pictured when i saw this thread.

I kind of miss the smaller cabins of old. Much Much more of a challenge at kee wanee. I remember having the mics hanging and the cables run out the window and we were all setup outside as there was no room in the cabin (not to mention the sweaty heat inside)

[Gutbucket]

I just don't bother taping the tent stages courtesy of the effort needed. 

Tents suck.  If it's an act I want to record I catch an alternate non-tent timeslot!
I know that's not much help, but tents are so often a sonic mess I just avoid them outright.

[ScoobieKW]

I clamp a set of mics overhead about 10' from stage, and run long cables/snake to back by the SBD where my bag lives, and this usually gives decent results.  Actually that's what I'm doing in most bars now-a-days too.  Without external mics your best bet might be to clamp/tape the H2 in a similar location.

In a festy cabin... http://archive.org/details/roc2011-05-27.a51-sbd-mix.flac16f
In a club... http://archive.org/details/dirigo2012-04-20.at4050st-sbd-mix.flac16f

Your recorder can take a 1/4" screw. Get a Gorillapod tripod. The legs wrap around beams, poles, etc. Good for getting a recorder in a lot of places.

[Denes]

Thanks for the input.  I made a few stands to mount my Zoom to various things.  A tree mount with strap clamps, good for those small stages in the woods where floor space is rough.

I made a small variation of that, one that works well with tent poles or smaller wooden posts.  And then I made a 4 foot long one with a 1/4" shreaded bolt.  Should be good to clamp onto rafter for overhead recording inside the cabins. 

I only got a 2 step stool with me.  Hope it's enough to reach the rafters in the cabins.

We'll find out soon enough.

By the way, I know the zooms don't make A+ stuff, but there are plenty of good recording made with them out there.  Definitely to the point where if you like it or not, it only really has to do with the music played and not the quality.  However, I do got beat up ears from working and playing with loud things.  So, I am easy to please.

TYhe main reason I began recording was to get the stuff others missed.  I have much more fun at the side stages and seeing my favorite local acts rather than the big stage stuff.

[F.O.Bean]

I cant believe yinz are all afraid of tent stages I have pulled some major heat FOB/DFC in some dance/stage tents