Adding Pit amplification / electronics

[dcibrando]

I help teach a high school band (around 90-100 members) and we are looking into possibly adding amplification and electronics to our pit. Our pit usually consists of 1 marimba, 1 xylophone, 1 vibe, and 1 bells, along with of course various accessories, bass drum, gong, cymbals, etc.

This is all new to me/us so if you have any advice as to what to get, how best to do it, tips/tricks, etc. it would be GREATLY appreciated. Also please keep in mind we're on a budget here... so something that'll help increase our pit volume with the option to add keyboard/synth/effects and mic any horn soloists, etc. with decent quality sound is what we're looking for.

thanks!

[actucker]

I help teach a high school band (around 90-100 members) and we are looking into possibly adding amplification and electronics to our pit. Our pit usually consists of 1 marimba, 1 xylophone, 1 vibe, and 1 bells, along with of course various accessories, bass drum, gong, cymbals, etc.

This is all new to me/us so if you have any advice as to what to get, how best to do it, tips/tricks, etc. it would be GREATLY appreciated. Also please keep in mind we're on a budget here... so something that'll help increase our pit volume with the option to add keyboard/synth/effects and mic any horn soloists, etc. with decent quality sound is what we're looking for.

thanks!

Are you looking for information about what kind of equipment you need, or how to run that equipment? I can help with either. I would caution you though, amplification can be a tricky proposition. Amplification will not be discriminatory as to what sounds it makes louder, so you want to consider how well your students are playing first. If they're playing well, and you just want more contribution from them in terms of balance, go for it. Not suggesting that your students aren't playing well. Its just something that I run into with a lot of groups I consult with. The other consideration is beyond your student's control. Are the instruments in tune and in good shape?

Its very possible that all of this has already occurred to you. Just covering all the bases. Let me know what you need to know and I'll try to help as best I can.

[dcibrando]

good info and things to consider thanks. really what I'm curious about it what equipment is needed/preferred, how to run/attach/install the equipment, etc. advice/tips/tricks/things to consider or look out for

[actucker]

Ok. This is going to be a little bit of a brain dump, so forgive me, and feel free to ask questions.

You will need:

Mics for the instruments.

If your marimbas have graduated bars, I'd use one in the low register and one in the high register, for the rest, one strategically placed in the middle of the board. I wouldn't bother micing bells, cymbals, bass drum etc. Those instruments should project just fine if played properly with decent implements. The sort of go to mic that most groups use is the Shure SM57. It is a wired mic with decent frequency range, and isn't absurdly expensive. You can often buy them in packs which can save you some money as well.

Cables for the microphones.

Microphones usually take 3 pin balanced XLR cables. You'll need at least one for every microphone to run signal to the mixer. We'll talk more about wiring later.

Mixer

Depending on how much you plan to expand your electronic reinforcement, there are tons of options here. You will need a mixer with enough channels to run all of your microphones (1 channel per mic), and a few extra for any synths or other electronic equipment you might want (bass guitar, sampler etc). If you want to get super detailed and be able to program effects and other nerdy things, you can look into a digital mixer. They are a lot more money, but they also can do a lot more things. It doesn't sound like you need all of that (at least not yet), so a simple analogue mixer will do the job, and will be easier for you to figure out. You also need to think about whether your mixer will need an amplifier built in. This has to do with what kind of speakers you want.

Speakers/amplification

The first decision to make is active vs passive. In order for sound to go from the microphones to the speakers and create any sound, the signal has to go through an amplifier somewhere between the mixer and the speakers. Active speakers have that amplifier built in. The drawback to this configuration is that you have to run power to each active speaker along with your speaker cables, as opposed to passive speakers which only require speaker cables. If you already have a powered mixer (meaning there is an amplifier built in), or you plan on buying external power amps in order to have more control over the amplification of the signal (my preference), you should NOT buy active speakers. It is damaging and potentially dangerous to run your signal through two amplifiers.

Speaker cables

There are several ways to do this. If your configuration allows it, I"d highly recommend spending a few extra bucks to use speak-on cables. The not only plug in, but they snap in place meaning that a band member can't trip over them in rehearsal and unplug the speakers potentially damaging your entire sound system.

SO, to sum up the three options. You can do:

Mixer -> amplifier(s) -> passive speakers

Mixer -> active speakers

Powered mixer -> passive speakers

Now, I'm assuming your on a budget, so I'll let you in a few things I've picked up along the way. Don't bother buying absurdly expensive shock mounts for your microphones, and absolutely don't bother messing with microphone stands. Go buy yourself some of these:

Cut the ball off the top, and you have a round elastic loop. Take two loops and hang them from the nodes of the instrument. If you cross the loops over each other and hang the mic through the overlapping hole, the weight of the mic will hold it in place giving you a homemade shock mount. A bag of 100 of those loops will cost you less than one of the professionally made frame mounts on the market.

That should get you set up to mic your boards, and if you buy a mixer with more channels than you need, then adding in synth and other electronics become as simple as learning how those instruments work, and plugging them into a channel.

I hope this all helps. By all means, let me know if you have other questions. I mic a front ensemble every fall and indoor season with 4 marimbas and 4 vibraphones along with a full compliment of electronics, so I've learned a lot along the way.

[dcibrando]

thanks! that is great info!

[friceox]

Figure out what your ACTUAL budget is going to be.

Like what's been said before, you're going to need mics, cables, a mixer, speakers, power cords, etc.

One of the biggest things you're going to want to consider is HOW you're going to mount your microphones to the keyboards. Do you have field frame keyboards? Are you going to mic overhead or under the keys? I highly suggest making your own shockmounts out of PVC pipe and high tension rubber bands (there's a bunch of how-to articles on the internet on them).

If you don't have a shockmount and the microphone is mounted to the keyboard, then expect LOTS of annoying and bad sounding frame noise.

Don't skimp on your mixer. Think about the future when you're buying your mixer. Don't just settle for an 8ch mixer because the price is right. How many mics do you think you'll be using in the future? Do your research on your mixer. If it's a 16ch mixer, that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to have 16 full channels. Sometimes the upper channels will be combined (13/14 & 15/16). Check how many XLR inputs the mixer has.

Decide whether you want a powered or passive speaker setup. Each has pros and cons.

Whatever you end up doing, make sure you establish proper protocol from day 1. Make sure your kids treat the equipment with respect. Make sure they know how to roll up cables, etc.