Amplifying pits....

[mdsnsctfan]

Does anyones have any suggestions for micing keyboards and other pit instruments? How do the corps do it? What kind of mics do they use? Has anyone ever done overhead mics?

Just wondering!

[Tristan]

SCV did overhead mics in 2004, but I couldn't offer any advice as I have no experience with a mic'ed pit.

[kusankusho]

SCV did overhead mics in 2004, but I couldn't offer any advice as I have no experience with a mic'ed pit.

I just watched the SCV '04 DVD again the other day and all you can hear is the pit. It overbalances everything, including the greatest drumline in living memory (IMHO). :(

[gbass598]

You are better off using overhead mics because the sound truly does come from the top of the bars. The issue that typically can happen from that is the battery and other field noise bleeding through.

In the indoor line I teach, we used wireless mics hanging from the keyboard players necks. Their bodies blocked a lot of the external noise. We did have balance issues at times but that was just because we were trying to figure out the proper settings to use in the gyms we were performing in.

[jdheere]

That's a great idea - hanging the mics on the players. The sound follows the person and the sounds from backfield are minimized. hummm.

[MarimbasaurusRex]

In the indoor line I teach, we used wireless mics hanging from the keyboard players necks. Their bodies blocked a lot of the external noise. We did have balance issues at times but that was just because we were trying to figure out the proper settings to use in the gyms we were performing in.

That's a pretty good technique. I've used it indoors in concert settings. Lining up the directionality of the mic is a bit tricky and there can be interference from rubbing against clothing, but it's a good natural sound. The mic is actually pretty far away from the instrument and the natural keys get picked up better than the sharp/flat keys.

Overhead micing is really the way to go. Not sure why bleed from other sections would be a problem. It just makes the hornline louder, right? It's not like recording where tracks need to be isolated.

[phoenix_aurora]

I've never played in a miked pit, however the pit I taught durring the indoor season was.

I can't remember what kind of mikes we used, however most of the instruments had them clamped underneith. (Even though the sound truely does come from above) We had a 16 channel board and it took us months to keep the wires stright. Thats the biggest pain in the butt. Evenually we used a system of velcro and tape to have them all "snaked" together and in the right order and length, so all the kids had to do was roll it out and plug thier mike in. (they were numbered, ofcourse). Ultimatly a real mic "snake" would be the best for this, and not the system we used. (:

Balance wasn't usually an issue after alot of tweeking in rehersals, and making sure the amps were in the right places.

We used one overhead mic which was above the xylo/bells/omgloucan (sp?) center. We didn't mike our timps or aux percussion, and our two marimbas each had two mics.

hope this helps,

Edited July 11, 2006 by phoenix_aurora

[Divalish16]

Off the top of my head, the Bluecoats and the Crossmen are using overhead mics this year. I haven't heard Bloo in person yet, but I can tell you about the Crossmen pit sound. The mallet sound is pretty non-existent until they turn on their lavs for the Radio portion of the show. In my eyes, it's pointless to mic if the players aren't using the proper technique to pull the sound of the bars anyway. However, you could definitely hear an increase in the battery volume when they moved forward toward the pit - totally got picked up by the overhead mics. I do have to add that I only saw them at outdoor shows. Their APD from the Indy show definitely had a better sound in the dome.

For my indoor line, we mic'd the players because of the reasons that gbass already mentioned. We tried mic'ing underneath the instruments, but they picked up a lot of noise from the vibe pedal as well as clunks from the marimbas. They also picked up a lot of the sound and echo coming from the drumline, but ended up minimizing that by surrounding each of the boards with acoustic curtains.

Couldn't tell you the specs of everything off hand though.

For more info, you may want to check out the Jims' book - Up Front. They have a whole section about amplification and a list of specific equipment that they recommend for outdoor pits.

[headbox]

have any lines used the same method a studio drummer would use with a plexiglass box to block out other instruments? I would think a mic by the resonators would sound best and some kind of sound shield to eliminate bleed from the field would be best. putting mics above will give you more mallet to bar contact sound and not the full sound of the resonators... I would think.