Microphones Rigging a hanging mic in the house for stage recording

rickt

Member
I'm interested in the best method to rig and hang a recording mic in the house and out in front of the stage for recording performances. Right now I have a Crown SASS MK II hanging in the middle of the house from a single point (so it's not always centered). I'd like to move it closer to the stage and have it drawn back so that it's pointed down towards the stage. I thank you for any thoughts that you may have.
 
Do you have a catwalk that is closer to the stage that you can gain access to the overhead space? In some very large halls, I have used 2 guide lines that go toward either side on fishing reels to help focus microphones. It may seem like a lot of lines / cable, but it gives you a lot of flexibility. The fishing line really blends in, you just have to worry about seeing the main line and mic cables. However, with this particular mic, you already have quite the sizable piece in the air.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra uses a very similar method as I mentioned, but with several separate mics scattered through the space.

~Dave
 
Are you trying to record the performance while eliminating the effect of the listening environment as much as possible or trying to record the performance to recreate being a listener at the live performance, thus including the effects of the room, or perhaps somewhere in between?
 
Are you trying to record the performance while eliminating the effect of the listening environment as much as possible or trying to record the performance to recreate being a listener at the live performance, thus including the effects of the room, or perhaps somewhere in between?

The SASS is a fine mic for that purpose. With a coincident stereo pair, there is a sweet spot in terms of distance from the source. Closer to the stage will sharpen the image and reduce the amount of ambience and reverberation. Too close could be too dry and the balance between closer and further sources, like the orchestra pit and actors, may be off. You already know that too far away gets too reverberant.

I would start around ten to twenty feet from the front of the stage, with the height ten to fifteen feet above the stage floor. I would not tip it down much. It should present the best stereo image that way.

I would put the mic on a tall stand or on a ladder and experiment with placement during rehearsals. Once the optimum placement is found, then you can work on what kind of rigging will get it hung there.

http://www.deltamedia.com/resource/stereo_microphone_techniques.html
 
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Somewhere in between which is part of why I need to get my mic closer to the stage. Some ambient noise is acceptable. I just don't want the performance to be drown out be a screaming baby.
 
I have two catwalks that are above the house. The SASS currently hangs from the second cat which places it in the very center of the house which I'm not happy with. My first cat is directly above the orchestra pit. I was thinking that perhaps the mic could drop from the first and be drawn back in some manner.
 
That's what I'm thinking. I'm just wondering about the best way to rig and hang.
 

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