As a church prepares for its big Christmas production, the audio team will likely face several challenging mic’ing situations. Perhaps the production uses multiple wireless head-worn mics for actors, requiring the team to juggle console channels and manage the packs effectively backstage. Maybe orchestra players are joining the production, or special effects need to sound convincing. The team may also be recording the production, streaming it online, or sending the audio to an overflow room. Each situation presents its own challenges and possible solutions, some of them unconventional.
A broadcast audio engineer who works on some of the largest live television broadcasts once demonstrated how creative microphone techniques can be. He showed a clip from a popular Broadway musical in which an actor continued speaking and singing under running water. No microphones were visible, but the actor was double-mic’d. The engineer explained how the mic elements and transmitters were hidden in the actor’s hair and how the production team had perfected the scene through repetition. The actor even shampooed her hair while navigating around the microphone elements and transmitter packs. It was an impressive example of what careful planning and practice can accomplish.
Questions of Equipment and People
Getting a microphone closer to its source usually improves live sound performance by providing better gain before feedback and reducing the pickup of nearby sounds. However, the team cannot always put a microphone exactly where it needs to be. That makes the actors’ acoustic output critical. They must project. Regardless of how they are mic’d, they need enough volume to provide a cushion. If an earset mic slips and an actor is not projecting, the scene could be ruined. Even a complete mic failure may not be catastrophic if the actor projects well, since another actor’s microphone, a boundary mic, or the actor’s natural voice may provide enough coverage in the room.
This leads to a creative possibility when channel count is limited. When actors project, two actors can sometimes share a microphone. For example, in a scene where two actors sit at a table talking, one could wear a lavalier mic that picks up both voices. Alternatively, a microphone could be hidden on the table. However, this is practical only when the blocking works in the team’s favor. Some or all of the actors may also be covered by boundary microphones placed on props or on the floor, although these setups can be tricky to pull off successfully. In many productions, the most practical solution is to assign a certain number of wireless packs and move them from person to person backstage between scenes.
The first step in preparing to share microphones is determining which actors never share the stage and can therefore share packs. Once those assignments are established, document them carefully. Create a master microphone assignment list and post it in multiple locations. Summarize the assignments by both microphone number and scene number. Mark up the script and console so the team thinks in terms of pack numbers rather than character names. The more time spent planning the script markup, console layout, and mic-swap procedures, the better prepared the team will be to train everyone involved and respond smoothly in the moment.
To prepare for quick microphone swaps:
- Rehearse the swap procedure repeatedly. Actors should become comfortable with the process before the production begins.
- Use separate microphone elements when possible. If the budget allows, provide enough microphone elements for everyone and swap only the transmitter packs between scenes.
- Choose equipment that makes swapping easier. If there are not enough elements for everyone, use compatible systems with removable cables where practical. The team may be able to leave the cables routed through the actors’ clothing and swap both the element and pack. This approach is most useful for particularly difficult costumes. With practice, a complete swap of the pack and element may take as little as 15 seconds.
A few stagehands should be available backstage to assist with swaps. It is also helpful to have someone available to assist female actors and children with microphone placement and costume adjustments, such as a parent or designated team member. Keep the swap routine consistent, with the same stagehand helping the same actors in the same order whenever possible. Repetition helps the process become automatic.
Reliable communication between the front-of-house (FOH) team and backstage is also essential. A dedicated intercom system or two-way radio is preferable to relying on personal cell phones. Even if the communication system is used only once during the entire production to relay a problem or solution, it could save the show.
Microphone element selection depends partly on visual considerations. An earset extending to just behind the corner of the mouth will generally provide the best sound, but it will also be the most visible. A shorter earset that stays closer to the earlobe may be less noticeable. Medical tape can help secure the cable or element when necessary. The boom on an earset may also be too short or have the wrong shape to position the element just behind the corner of the mouth, so the team may need to carefully reshape it according to the manufacturer’s guidance.
Beyond microphone placement, children need to project just like everyone else. One way to help them overcome their fear of microphones is to leave them unmuted during a supervised practice period and let them get comfortable speaking into them. Once they have had time to get the silliness out of their system, they may feel much less nervous when the production begins.
Creating realistic sound effects can also be tricky. What sounds real in a movie is often an elaborate combination of sounds, many of which have little to do with what is actually visible on screen. Prerecording effects well in advance gives the team time to layer sounds, experiment, and mix them until they sound convincing. Software such as QLab can then trigger playback during the production. QLab offers tools for layering audio files, creating loops and fades, and running cues automatically based on specified conditions. The key is to become familiar with the software and test the cues thoroughly before using them in a live show.
Striking a Balance for Broadcast
Planning microphone techniques with recording, broadcasting, and overflow-room audio in mind can be challenging. For simplicity, these needs can be grouped under the term “broadcast mix.” What sounds good in the room will not necessarily sound good to someone watching a livestream or listening to a recording. The mix often needs a different balance, and audience or ambience microphones can help remote listeners experience the atmosphere of the production and feel connected to the congregation. Different microphone techniques may also be needed to capture certain sounds more naturally for broadcast.
For example, orchestra players may be mic’d closely to provide enough gain before feedback for the FOH mix. However, that close-mic’d sound may not feel as big, smooth, or natural to someone listening remotely. Large televised award shows often use separate area microphones for orchestra sections to capture a more natural sound for the broadcast mix. Most churches do not have the resources to mic everything separately for the room and the broadcast, but it may be possible to find a microphone position that works well for both. Depending on stage volume and the room, a stereo pair may also do a good job of capturing the orchestra for broadcast.
Boundary microphones mentioned earlier may also capture dialogue effectively for broadcast, even if they are not practical for the house mix. This approach can give the dialogue a more theatrical, ambient feel.
It may also help to send a post-fader mix of the actors to the broadcast mixer, provided the FOH operator is following the script and executing the microphone cues reliably. This can reduce the number of recording channels or tracks needed and simplify the broadcast engineer’s job. The team should test the routing and confirm that the resulting mix provides the broadcast engineer with the control needed for a good result.
Even if the production will not have a separate broadcast mix, the team should consider using a multitrack recording system so the audio can be remixed later. Having extra material that ultimately goes unused is rarely a problem. Missing material that would have made the final recording better, on the other hand, can be a real disappointment.
