Greetings and some input please

[Williams]

Hello Controlbooth forumites

My name is Tomm Williams and I'm new to your site. My background is in live sound/concert settings and am looking for theatre specific mic info. My main question(s) concern the proper use of shotgun,boundry and hanging mics. We don't really use them much in live sound so my knowledge is zip. I've been approached to help (or take over) a couple of theatre productions but it's a new area to me. Whatever you folks can tell me, or direction to point me, so I gain a better uderstanding of why/how/when to use (or not use)these types of mics would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

[bishopthomas]

Hey, Tomm, and welcome to Control Booth. I am also a "concert" guy but have some theatre experience as well, so there are definitely a few "crossover" sound people around here. Of the mics you mentioned they all do basically the same thing - pick up sound from a distance. Which one(s) you end up using is determined by a few things, including availability and positioning. Boundary mics can be good for picking up groups or an area and can be hidden within set pieces. They need a flat surface, typically the floor, and caution must be taken so that they are not stepped on and/or rolled over by set pieces. Hanging mics are also good for group or area miking but you'll need a place to hang them from and they will probably be visible (even though they are typically very small). Shotgun mics are often placed at the stage lip and again are for picking up specific zones. Typically the longer the mic the narrower the pattern and further they "reach." They can be very unobtrusive and also somewhat costly. Of course, with any mic you usually get what you pay for.

It seems like there's a reason why you're asking about them. Has someone mentioned them to you or suggested them for a specific application? Do you have lav mics available or is there some reason why you are trying not to use them?

 

[howlingwolf487]

Hi Tomm and Welcome to ControlBooth,

Boundary/PZM and Hanging mics are, in my experience, better used for general reinforcement of larger groups on certain zones of the stage. Shotgun mics, since they have a lot of directionality in the MF and HF (but not much in the LF), are better at "pinpointing" an actor or two up to a certain distance (it's not as far as you think).

Boundary mics can be used much more effetively than hanging mics - at least when I have used them, my GBF has been better.

My real opinion is that all of those types of mics are better for ensemble reinforcement than individual reinforcement, simply due to the distance from the source, constantly-changing placement in relation to the actors' mouths, and the Inverse-Square Law affecting how much direct versus reverberant sound gets into the mics.

Close miking is the way to go, whether it's a lav or headset. Everything else has compromises that many are not willing to deal with (or work around) in modern theatre.

On another note, I do corporate A/V, but come from a live sound/SR backgroun with music, etc. Glad to have you here!