Topic: Tomorrow Night, What Shall I do?

[DMBprez]

Okay, so I've been doing some research on mic positions and I'm asking all you vets out there that have experience taping clamped to a balcony.  What's you favorite mic position for this situation? 

I will be taping Dark Star Orchestra btw, at Water Street Music hall in Rochester, NY.


Hope all is well, thanks for any help offered.

Cheers. 

[bconnolly]

What kind of mics do you have? Where in the balcony are you located?

[DMBprez]

SMK-H8K's and hopefully dead center.

[Brian Skalinder]

How big is the venue?  How high is the balcony, i.e. the spot to which you intend to clamp relative to the floor / stage / stacks?  How far back from the stage / stacks?  Is it a single-tier or multi-tier balcony (and if multi- in which tier will you set up)?  How high are the main stacks?  How wide are the main stacks?  Any hanging speakers for sound reinforcement in the balcony, or does the sound up there rely solely on the stacks on (near) the stage?  Do you have the gear to drop the mics down below and in front of the balcony rail?  How are the room acoustics?

[DMBprez]

Here's some picks of the venue, the third one down is from the balcony:
http://www.waterstreetmusic.com/aboutme.htm

I would say it's about 15 feet from stacks, and I think it's above the hanging speakers. 

Thanks again for the help. 

[Brian Skalinder]

Tough to tell much from the pics.  In an unknown venue with cards at my disposable, I usually default to DIN.  But if it sounds mighty fine during the opener, I sometimes switch to ORTF.  Or you could always run PAS.  Angle up/down accordingly, depending on how high/low the stacks are relative to your position.  Pick one, try it, see if you like it. 

[Krispy D]

^^that is first time I have seen "PAS" as mic configuration.  I love it!  that should be the default noob mic set up.   

[Sanjay]

At water street see if they'll let you set up in the video booth,  clamp as far out as you can (there still might actually be a stud there to screw onto) and run DIN.  Be careful if you run on the rail for the crowd from the balcony as right in your mic path to the speakers there are people, and often loud ones. 

IF you cannot get in the balcony, and often they won't let you.  Go underneath the overhang, but right at the edge of the center, get a few people to block and run DIN, I emphasize block here.  I've lost a few pieces of gear to wooks at water street. 

The owner of the place, John, is really friendly to tapers, so you shouldn't have too many problems gettingor setting up.
Good luck.

[dominar]

Is there a glossary around here for all the tech terms?   

DIN, PAS,ORTF??  Ugh!!

[Brian Skalinder]

Is there a glossary around here for all the tech terms?   

DIN, PAS,ORTF??  Ugh!!

First thread in the forum describes many of them:  http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,43044.0.html

Also good information at Mic University on www.dpamicrophones.com