I'll preface this by saying that I'm a stage manager and a lighting tech, and my sound knowledge is pretty limited... I can set up a PA, understand what I read and see, but I'm not a sound engineer/designer.
As part of the usual tech work for school, I've been asked to TD the primary school musical (Aladdin Jr.). So far lighting hasn't been a problem, but sound is of increasing concern to me, and I'm looking for some help with the sound design. Particularly mic'ing.
My plan was: 8 body mics on the leads/secondary characters. This also will cover most of the chorus stuff, as it's primary school theatre and the kids who are leads produce about 80% of the volume while singing. Supplementing this for general chorus/speaking characters will be 3 boundary mics on the edge of the apron. Upstage, 2 shotguns hung behind the pro arch. Band will be mic'ed/DI'ed as necessary, with their own foldbacks and then two more hung over the wings for the cast.
House stock is a SM57 and two nice shotguns (brand escapes me, but they have a nice pick-up over about 15'-20'. Also lying around are 6 terrible radio mics, including one AKG with headset and a Redback with headset, with four cheapo unbranded ones, and four shotgun mics of unknown (and thus probably unbranded) origin - all shocking. I'd rather hire/buy new ones than use these; I only mention them in case someone knows how to make them useful.
I'm looking to spend ~$2,000-$2,750 for a 7 day hire. Just to give you all a rough idea of budget (although I'm well aware of how wildly hire costs vary...).
Does any one have any thoughts/suggestions/criticism? Non-constructive criticism welcome given I've probably made some grave errors in this...
Other food for thought: Stage is raked hardwood on clean fill - I can't put anything under it, but it also doesn't budge, and footsteps on it aren't quiet. The director tells me that while they aren't tapping, the kids do shuffle a lot - is this going to be an issue with the boundaries? The cast are all quiet singers with the exception of half a dozen leads who I know can project. The rest range from quiet through to mouthing the words.
Thanks in advance. Apologies for my clear lack of knowledge... (PS: I've searched, I've read old threads; just wanted to run over the complete design.)
/Jonas
As part of the usual tech work for school, I've been asked to TD the primary school musical (Aladdin Jr.). So far lighting hasn't been a problem, but sound is of increasing concern to me, and I'm looking for some help with the sound design. Particularly mic'ing.
My plan was: 8 body mics on the leads/secondary characters. This also will cover most of the chorus stuff, as it's primary school theatre and the kids who are leads produce about 80% of the volume while singing. Supplementing this for general chorus/speaking characters will be 3 boundary mics on the edge of the apron. Upstage, 2 shotguns hung behind the pro arch. Band will be mic'ed/DI'ed as necessary, with their own foldbacks and then two more hung over the wings for the cast.
House stock is a SM57 and two nice shotguns (brand escapes me, but they have a nice pick-up over about 15'-20'. Also lying around are 6 terrible radio mics, including one AKG with headset and a Redback with headset, with four cheapo unbranded ones, and four shotgun mics of unknown (and thus probably unbranded) origin - all shocking. I'd rather hire/buy new ones than use these; I only mention them in case someone knows how to make them useful.
I'm looking to spend ~$2,000-$2,750 for a 7 day hire. Just to give you all a rough idea of budget (although I'm well aware of how wildly hire costs vary...).
Does any one have any thoughts/suggestions/criticism? Non-constructive criticism welcome given I've probably made some grave errors in this...
Other food for thought: Stage is raked hardwood on clean fill - I can't put anything under it, but it also doesn't budge, and footsteps on it aren't quiet. The director tells me that while they aren't tapping, the kids do shuffle a lot - is this going to be an issue with the boundaries? The cast are all quiet singers with the exception of half a dozen leads who I know can project. The rest range from quiet through to mouthing the words.
Thanks in advance. Apologies for my clear lack of knowledge... (PS: I've searched, I've read old threads; just wanted to run over the complete design.)
/Jonas
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