How to do Theater Sound Without Breaking a Leg or the Bank. Part 1
So you have spent the last 12 weeks auditioning, memorizing lines, working on blocking, building sets, fitting costumes, rehearsing, and rehearsing, and rehearsing, and it’s time to put on the show. Everyone’s family and friends get in their seats, the lights go up, and you nail the performance! You step out in the lobby and the only thing people are talking about is how they couldn’t hear their kids’ lines. Or even worse, the mics were constantly feeding back! “What a shame, she practiced so hard.” “They couldn’t be heard over the music. Let’s go get some ice-cream.” What a nightmare!
There is a lot to consider when gearing up for your production. Who all needs a mic? How many and what kind of microphones do you need? How do you set them all up at the same? How do you get them loud enough to be heard without getting the dreaded feedback? Not to mention, how much will all of this cost?
You don’t need a technical theater degree to do this. Thankfully, Doo Wop Shop has been renting mics and sound equipment to schools, community theater companies, and churches for over 50 years. We can help guide you through the pitfalls and challenges of doing sound for your play or musical. Don’t believe me, just ask Andrew from Assumption High school:
And according to The Courier Journal they nailed it!
ACT 1: Mic Selection - lapel, headset, boundary, or tape it to their face?
Lapel or “Lavalier” Mics
The most common microphones used for plays or musicals are wireless lapel, or “lav”, mics. These microphones consist of a base receiver, a wireless body pack transmitter that can be clipped to the belt or concealed in the performer’s costume, and a small mic at the end of a wire that can be clipped to the lapel or taped near the performer’s ear or hairline. This mic offers the performer the freedom to move and dance around the stage freely while getting consistent amplification. Our rental mic of choice is the Shure BLX wireless system with the WL93 microphone. They offer professional sound and quality while still being affordable.
The WL93 most commonly used because of its very small profile. From an aesthetics perspective, the size makes it very discreet and sometimes even imperceptible from a distance depending on its placement. Often these microphones are taped to the performer’s hair line, cheek, or clothing in a way that can blend into the costume. When you order the WL93 mics, it’s a good idea to order 1 or 2 extra. In order to achieve such a discreet profile, the WL93 cable is very thin and can be prone to breaking or shorting during active performances or quick costume changes.
Headset Mics
The other popular option is our headset microphone. The biggest advantage of the headset mic is that you get the mic much closer to the performer’s mouth. This produces a bigger, clearer sound while reducing the chances of feedback. The headset mic is relatively low profile with a small mic capsule and several flesh colored frames that make it discreet. This mic strikes a good balance between aesthetics and better sound. They are great for musicals and vocalists. From a reliability standpoint, these mics are similar to the WL93 in that the cables are extremely thin to give them the desired look. Rough handling can damage them, so we’d also recommend picking up a few extra headsets if you choose this route.
Boundary Mics and Overheads
Another option for miking your performers is the boundary microphone. Boundary mics are flat microphones that lie on the floor, usually on the front of the stage facing the cast. These can be a great option for miking a chorus or picking up multiple performers at once. Boundary mics are useful when you’ve exceeded the number of channels you have on your mixer and need to mic additional performers, or for when you have a large group like a chorus where you don’t need to mic each performer individually. Drawbacks to the boundary microphone are that they generally need a hefty dose of gain to get a meaningful signal, so they can be prone to feedback. They are usually not useful for individual performers unless they are already projecting as if there is no amplification present. The other main drawback is that you will often get stage noise like footsteps or moving set pieces amplified by them. It’s a good idea to experiment with the mic placement during rehearsals to get a good feel for where they will work best based on the blocking of cast members and the needs for amplification.
ACT 2: How many mics should you get and for how long?
Everyone needs to be heard, but a lot goes into this decision. Do you have 6 main characters and a chorus, or is it a cast of 20 with performers coming and going on stage and everyone has lines all the time? We do not recommend using more than 20-24 mics at a time to avoid frequency interference between mics. We also strongly recommend that you don’t share mics between cast members. (ie: I will say my lines then go back stage, take the mic off, put it on you, and then you go out and say your lines, and back and forth.)
Another limitation on the number of mics is your sound board. If your system only has 6 or 8 inputs, you might consider renting a 24-32 channel board for the performance.
Lastly is Budget. How many mics can you afford to get? Probably more than you think. Doo Wop rents everything by the week or the month. Our rental mics are definitely the most affordable professional mics out there. Our monthly rates are often less than daily rates of other companies. This allows you to get more mics for longer, helping your cast get comfortable using the mics for extended tech rehearsals. I have seen a confident cast thrown off by slapping mics on everyone at the last possible moment in an attempt to minimize expensive rent-by-the-day charges. Please give everyone the time to adjust to being mic’d up!
Look out for Part 2 coming soon where I will go over setting everything up, where to place your speakers, eliminating feedback, and running the show.
How to set up and use your wireless lavalier or headset mic