Flying Lavs

[Eboy87]

I was reminiscing with some of the other techies at my high school during intermission in Destry Rides Again. We were talking about funny, sometimes horrible things that have happened during other shows we've done. I was thinking about this time when I was running lights for Guys and Dolls. I was set up next to our sound man, who actually owned the equipment we were using (this was my cheap grade school). Anyway, during a Hotbox dance scene, the female lead (I can't remember her character's name) suddenly stopped dancing. The sound man asked what was wrong, as I was standing there with my mouth wide open. I told him "she just drop-kiked your lavalier off the stage!" That's right, she kicked the darn thing into the 5th row of the audience. The sound guy almost had a heart attack.

 

[zac850]

wow, thats REALLY bad. If this was just a little grade show i'm surprised that you even used lav's. I don't trust lav's to anyone bellow 7th grade, and even them I keep a close watch on.

How many pieces did that lav end up in?

 

[Mayhem]

What - the loud "THUD" and the subsequent crying coming from the FOH mix didn't tip him off as to what was going on?

 

[Source4Spike]

Im sorry, maybe im just not thinking, but whats a lavalier?
-Nick

 

[bdesmond]

A lav or lavalier or lapel is a microphone which the speaker clips on to their shirt, usually ont heir lapel, or two to three buttons down. If you look at news anchors, for example, you'll see a little black thing clipped to their shirt somewhere - that's a lavalier.

 

[Source4Spike]

Ok...I was just not thinking...I probly couldve guessed that...

Anyway, i've never heard them called that. I've always just called them Lapel Mics.

Thank you,
-Nick

 

[Radman]

 

[Eboy87]

What - the loud "THUD" and the subsequent crying coming from the FOH mix didn't tip him off as to what was going on?

The sound tech would mute the channel if they were dancing sound he wouldn't get all the white noise from the mic rubbing.