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I'm going to be needing help over the next month preparing for our cities Royal Conservatory competition choirs.

This is my first time recording choirs.

I'm needing overheads sometime here or in the future so I'm wondering what you all recommend I should buy or can I use these?

I have two ultimate support lighting stands. Can I use those for overheads anywhere or is that goofy? Mine are 20 years old but they look close to the newer versions of Ultimate Tripod speaker stands:
[="http://www.ultimatesupport.com/product/TS-80S"]Ultimate Support: Home[/]="http://www.ultimate…"]Ultimate Support: Home[/]
They're aluminum 2" tubes with one tear on top that has a 4' reach that can be adjusted to reach one way. Here's is the new version :
[[url=http://="http://www.ultimate…"]Ultimate Support: Home[/]="http://www.ultimate…"]Ultimate Support: Home[/]

I don't know how I would secure the mic(s) to them so its most likely not usable but I thought it was worth discussing in case someone has idea's and/or has used them for overheads in a similar requirement?

I have a few options that I'll be posting on Micing but want to get the larger overhead stands worked out.
Thanks for your suggestions and help!

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dvdhawk Tue, 01/25/2011 - 00:27

It would be nice and sturdy, but is it's thickness going to impede anybody's sight-line to the stage. Is it black or silver?

Just about every mic you've bought in the last 10 years probably included one of these - allowing you to put a mic clip on anything you can run a 3/8" bolt through. That could be right through the light tree or by using an [[url=http://="http://www.parts-ex…"]O-Clamp.[/]="http://www.parts-ex…"]O-Clamp.[/].

audiokid Tue, 01/25/2011 - 00:57

Awesome Dave! That's exactly what I need. You the man!

Good point . These Choirs are to be private in a Church. I am making the recordings and they will be sent away to be Adjudicated so, the visual isn't a concern. Just me and the Choirs I'm told.

They are silver.

I'm also thinking they could be used for a center in ORTF but its all new to me so just asking for now as I sort it all out in my head.

 

Here's my mics :

I want to try a few things and test out some new Audix Microbooms ( seen below)

 

Here are the mics on hand.

2 Royer 122's
2 50" Audix Microbooms and the entire line of mini condensers that I have never used before...
2 RODE NT 5
1 Mojave MA 100
Neumann U87

and... I'm really hoping I'll receive 2 DPA [="http://www.dpamicrophones.com/en/products.aspx?c=Item&category=234&item=24387"]4011A[/]="http://www.dpamicro…"]4011A[/] with the new MMC2006 Omni [[url=http://="http://www.dpamicro…"]sneak peak[/]="http://www.dpamicro…"]sneak peak[/] caps but they may not make it in time as they are in final production ( not yet released). These will be so sweet... I'm so hoping...

Thoughts?

Attached files

Boswell Tue, 01/25/2011 - 05:59

I don't think I would be starting this by considering how to support the mics. Before that, there is a lot to sort out in terms of the layout of the choir, the acoustic characteristics of the venue, the nature of the pieces being performed (e.g. are there in-place solos?) and the choir balance high-to-low. Only going through this sort of preparation will allow you to choose which of your mics (including the DPAs!) to use and where and in what configuration they need to be positioned. Get to that point, and you then have the relatively mundane problem of how to support the mics in the positions you have chosen.

Having said that, I rarely end up using the initial exact mic positions, so I find adjustable stands preferable to gantries, at least for the siting tests. For this sort of work, I have made great use of a K&M tall stand (goes up to 4m) to get mic sets into otherwise difficult positions. Choirs do have a habit of thinking you can just place a set of mics and then they sing, and can get tetchy when you go off to listen to a trial recording, come back and move the mics a little and then ask them to sing the same thing again.

audiokid Tue, 01/25/2011 - 12:50

Great points, thanks Bos. I won't know much until a few days prior to start time. Once I can sit with the director and go over it all, including access to the church, its all just lining up the gear I may or may not use.

Stands and cable, hardware and mics are the first thing on my mind. Where I live, you don't just go out and rent or buy it. Its all ordering. The things I don't have are stands so I'm going to be buying this stuff ahead of time, now...