Mic Problems

[DaveySimps]

Countryman makes this: H6 Sweat Ring | Countryman Associates, Inc. Obviously not for your style elements, but it might be worth buying one to see if you can make it work.

~Dave

 

[dbaxter]

For mounting purposes with male actors, we've had good results with having them buy and wear a woman's sports bra to clip the mic to. Especially handy if the actor is doing a lot of costume changes during the show.

 

[sUP3Rm0TH]

Thanks Dave!
I will look into this product. It looks like it will have a smaller visual profile than the foam wind screens, which the artistic producer will love.

-m0TH

 

[sUP3Rm0TH]

dBaxter,

While this sounds like a great solution, our costume shop makes mic belts for each actor/actress. We are lucky to have them in house!
Thanks for the thought !!
-m0TH

 

[themuzicman]

Re: Help! Any ideas to prevent mic sweat out?

Hello,
I work at a Musical Theatre, Arizona Broadway Theatre. We have many numbers in our shows where the cast (all mic'd with Countryman B3 lavaliers) are dancing full out while singing. Here is where the problem enters, especially in Arizona during the Monsoon, lavalier/mic sweat outs. I have at least one lavalier per show this last week fail due to sweat entering into the tiny capsule. Has anyone heard of a solid way of preventing this from happening? A mic placement technique, an aftermarket product, any thing... ??

Thank you !

In general, microphones are considered perishable items because they are prone to sweat outs. To reduce the risk, wrap a tiny ring of 3M moleskin around the tip of the element, right around where the cap meets the element. This will wick some of the sweat away and hopefully capture it before it hits the element. Once you get them off the actor, throw them in a bag with a pack of silica gel or other desiccant which may recover some of your elements.

 

[sUP3Rm0TH]

Re: Help! Any ideas to prevent mic sweat out?

themuzicman,
Yes... However they are viewed, I do try to get as much life as possible out of each element we own.
Yes about the moleskin! I happened to have a brilliant board operator who thought of, and implemented that very practice. Alas it too only helped so much....
I haven't placed any element in a bag with silica gel yet, might try doing that for some of the more pesky of my elements. Usually a good airing out over night and the next day they are 100% good to go.

-m0TH

 

[themuzicman]

Re: Help! Any ideas to prevent mic sweat out?

Grab some canned air and shoot that into the element right after you pull it off the actor too

 

[FMEng]

Re: Help! Any ideas to prevent mic sweat out?

It seems to me that a strong blast of canned air would damage the fragile diaphragm of the mic. I suggest not doing that unless you don't mind killing one in the name of science.

 

[themuzicman]

Re: Help! Any ideas to prevent mic sweat out?

It seems to me that a strong blast of canned air would damage the fragile diaphragm of the mic. I suggest not doing that unless you don't mind killing one in the name of science.

I've been doing this for years with no ill effect. Standard practice on every Broadway show and tour. My usual audio deck tracks have several points where actors get blown out every night, actor pops off stage, A2 sprays some air in (you do it at a slight angle, so its indirect through the cap) and the actor pops back on stage -- especially valuable if you have scenes giving you constant problems to build it into the A2's track right before or after the problem scene.

 

[FMEng]

Re: Help! Any ideas to prevent mic sweat out?

I've been doing this for years with no ill effect. Standard practice on every Broadway show and tour. My usual audio deck tracks have several points where actors get blown out every night, actor pops off stage, A2 sprays some air in (you do it at a slight angle, so its indirect through the cap) and the actor pops back on stage -- especially valuable if you have scenes giving you constant problems to build it into the A2's track right before or after the problem scene.

Interesting. I assume the rigidity, and small surface area of the mics is why they survive this. I would still caution against using air on mics with more typical sized diaphragms. It would tear a ribbon to shreds and stretch a big condenser. Of course, with mics not exposed to sweat, there is no reason to do it at all.

 

[sUP3Rm0TH]

Re: Help! Any ideas to prevent mic sweat out?

FMEng and themuzicman,
I agree with you both. I have been spraying out our elements with compressed air for some time now with no ill effect. However I only do so to the elements of our very sweaty performers.

FMEng,
Yes agreed, adding this to the A-2's track will be standard fair once I have a steady A-2.

-m0TH

 

[Brenden Friedel]

I have used non lubricated condoms over the transmitter when I worked for a theatre but I dont think the idea would pass well in school.

Those packs that you are speaking about are costly and their isnt money in the budget for those.

Perhaps re-working the idea of small baggies or making pouches from fabric could work??

Actually my school uses them

 

[dbaxter]

As regards placement - we've had male actors buy sport bras and clip the mics in the same place as female actors. Shortens the cable run to allow a little more flexing length and it's a little dryer part of the body.