Austin Improv

I'd like to find a way to get decent audio when we videotape shows.

Specifically, I want to run some experiments in the Cabaret with a drop-mike over the stage fed into the mixer and then into a video camera.

I have a mike and cable for testing but no video camera (mine is DOA.)

If we can get decent audio, I'd like to write up the procedure for feeding a camera from the mixing board and I'd like to get a permanent drop-mike installed. FWIW, it costs about $30 for a mediocre microphone and maybe a liitle less than that for 50' of XLR cable (this is based on a few trips to Altex, between Rundberg and Parmer on S. IH-35.) For obvious reasons, I will not be donating my mike & cable to the cause but I wanted to give a cost estimate for the project.

Ideally I'd like to get the installation in place after SxSW but before OoB.

Any A/V gurus who want to take on this project with me?

I'll take on the project, for sure, and I'll even contribute some real funds as soon as I get paid for my freelance work

My XL-1 actually has an attachment to take XLR input, too, so that's pretty cool.

arclight wrote:I'd like to find a way to get decent audio when we videotape shows.

YES!

You have most of what you need already, right? Its just a matter of what mic to buy?

Hardware is easy; like I said I have enough equipement for testing. The problem is mike placement (probably not too hard) and then getting the sound out of the board (assuming we use the board) and into a camera. I'll write up instructions but it's up to Someone Else (e.g. the Hideout, AIC) to buy the mike & cable.

Best way to get sound out of the board is probably going to be to feed from the monitor output on the board to the audio input on the camera. This may, of course, require some special wiring or adapters, but will allow you to pick up the mic feed as well as any music playing through the system.

The only possible downside to this (as I have not had a chance to do this in my theatre yet) is that when music is playing through the system it might overpower the mic...so you might have to spend some time tweaking the settings on the board...

As far as mic placement, I would suggest running either a single omni-directional drop mic at downstage center, or two omnidirectional stand mics to either downstage corner...

Let me know how it all turns out! I've been trying to work out a similar setup with my college's R/TV department for when they shoot our shows, but we just haven't had the time to get together and experiment...

It occurs to me to note that parabolic floor mics might be another possible solution to your problem, but I don't know just off the top of my head how much those would run, and they'll pick up footsteps and stage vibrations more than they will voices...

I think given that our theatre speakers up stairs are backstage, the drop mic will pick up the music well enough. We'll have to play with it a bit, though.

Also, instead of the "Monitor Out," if the board has a "Tape Out" jack, that should work just as well...but if you want the drop mic to pick up music instead of having it fed through the board, the "Monitor Out" might be your best bet for isolating the drop mic's channel...

I think...it's been a long day and my brain hurts...

Get an omni-directional mike so that you can capture audio around the whole stage and not just straight down.

This is all very smart stuff.

Something I realized when mic-ing various shows and stuff.

Make sure you get a good recording of the audience reactions too, sometimes that can be the most brilliant part of the audio. A well placed omni-directional mic might be the best bet because it'll capture all the stage sound, and a lot of the audience noise too, which really adds that extra touch, when it doesn't drown out the performers (i.e. putting the camera in the audience and using the camera mic).