[Todd Rogers]

Hey Guys,
Just thought I would report back for an update.
I ended up purchasing and using the Crown PCC 160’s. Wow, I was very pleased with the audio they captured. I placed two of them at the front of the stage, which was about 35 feet wide and 20 feet deep, and they picked up all the actors vocals with no problem. I angled the mic’s in just slightly towards center stage as that is where most of the action was. Both mic’s connected directly to my Canon XL2 via the XLR connections, and I set the record level to automatic.

I couldn’t be happier!
Thanks for all of your input,
Todd

[Todd Rogers]

Perfect. Thanks much for the info Wolf. I’ll check into the mic’s you mentioned.

Todd

[Todd Rogers]

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, the only thing coming through the house system is music… that’s it. No mic’s on the actors at all.

I do plan on hooking up a couple mics via the camera’s XLR inputs, but it’s down to a matter of which mics I should purchase/rent first. These mic’s will be placed in front of the stage aimed up at the actors. Of course, it would be good to know which mic’s have a wide enough spectrum range for covering the stage… at least most of it.

Thanks again.

[Todd Rogers]

Thank you again for your replies Ty. I have a lot of learning by trial and error ahead of me. I just hope I can keep the errors at a minimum!

Todd

[Todd Rogers]

Thanks again Ty.

I would love to mic each performer, but that just isn’t going to happen. This production is put on by a small community theater and consists of child actors.

In my attempt to research some options via the inernet, I came across the term “Boundary Microphones”. The explaination of these seemed to be close to what I might need. Have you any expierence with the Audio-Technica UA851A or similiar mic’s? My thought was to place a couple of these on the stage and connect them to my XL2 via XLR cable. I don’t need the best sound quality, I simply need the voices to be heard. If I zoom and the sound doesn’t match, that’s ok for this project.

I am a production team of one, so I’ll have to set it up and pretty much leave it.

How about this question: Is there a type of microphone that is more designed for what I am trying to accomplish? Would a boundary mic be a better fit than a shotgun style?

Thanks.

[Todd Rogers]

Hello Ty. Thank you for your reply.

Yes, after I posted my question I realized there were a lot of unknowns to give a “sound” answer!

1. How good do you want the audio to sound?
My main concern is being able to pick up the actors voices at a fairly good level. The more I capture their voices the better, but I’m not opposed to picking up some background noise… applause, or even an occasional sneeze.

2. How big is the stage?
That’s a very good question… I have not seen it yet! I’m sure this plays an important part in determining the proper mics. I will find the answer to this question, but for now let’s go with a 30 foot wide, by 20 feet deep.

3. How many people with lines onstage at the same time?
Again, at this time I do not know, but I will find out. However, for this excercise, let’s go with 8 actors that are spread out over the stage.

4. Is this a musical?
No. However, there may be musicals coming up in the future and I would like to be prepared for that.

5. Is there live or prerecorded music?
There will be music, but it is prerecorded and will play through the house system.

6. What do you intend to do with the footage?
The footage will be used to create a DVD for members of the theater and their family and friends to purchase… hopefully.

Thanks again Ty, and sorry I don’t have some of the production specifics. I realize this makes it hard to give a solid recommendation.

Todd