Hi Emily, It seems to me that, with the potential of multiple handlers of equipment, the ruggedness of the components would be a primary concern.
Also, once you develop a good setup (placement of mics, level settings on various channels, etc.), document it in several notebooks and also on a laminated sheet of paper that lives with the amp/mixer. I'm afraid I can't offer much specific equipment advice, but I'm sure people with more expertise will speak up on this forum or on the one Dave Casserly mentioned. I will say I've never worked with pencil mics, but I wonder about extra noise. Also, I've noticed that in open bands if a few key instrumentalists are miked, that carries the day in most cases. And a few instruments rarely need mics at all (for example, harmonica). --Jerome Grisanti On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 12:31 PM, Dave Casserly <[email protected]>wrote: > Hi Emily, > > I'd recommend the contra sound forum: [email protected] > > Once you join the group, you may want to search the archives, and they'll > have lots and lots of discussion. The folks over there will have lots of > suggestions for mics and systems-- not saying that people here won't, but > that list is another option. > > -Dave > > On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 1:20 PM, Emily Addison <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > Hello Contra Dance Organizers! > > > > I hope this question is ok for the organizer list. Is it a fit? Is > there a > > better place to ask? I'd love some advice on an appropriate sound system > > for a community band! > > > > *The context:* > > www.ottawacontra.ca started a "Community Talent Contra Dance" in > September > > 2012. As part of this, we created a community band that anyone can > join... > > right now we have about seven regulars as well as other drop in > musicians. > > None of the musicians are mic'd, only the caller. However, we have some > > really quiet instruments (e.g., nykleharpa) and we want to get into > playing > > dynamics ... thus we have tested and would like to purchase a soundsystem > > that mic's kind of like a choir (pencil mics etc). The band will be doing > > it's own sound and we want something relatively light and easy to move > > around. > > > > *Might anyone have advice on the system and mics we might buy??? Here is > > what we are thinking (although we are open to many suggestions!)....* > > > > *System:* > > We're thinking of getting the Samson XP308i. It would allow us 1 caller > > mic, 3 pencil mics, plus a couple more inputs for say an electric piano > or > > the like. It would be nice to have the option of 1-2 more pencil options > > but that could be too much. Samson has a more powerful version but it > costs > > more and even if we get 20 players out to the community band, we don't > have > > to mic everyone. *Are there other options we should be considering??? Any > > experience with this system???* > > * > > * > > *Caller mic:* > > I'm thinking a Shure 58. * This is the common wired mic yes?* > > > > *3 pencil mics:* > > We had tested Samson C02... I wasn't necessarily completely sold on these > > but they could be all right. *Do you have any preferred suggestions that > > would each work to mic a couple of instruments beside each other?* > > * > > * > > Much thanks for any advice! > > Emily Addison > > Ottawa, Ontario > > _______________________________________________ > > Organizers mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/organizers > > > > > > -- > David Casserly > (cell) 781 258-2761 > _______________________________________________ > Organizers mailing list > [email protected] > http://www.sharedweight.net/mailman/listinfo/organizers > -- Jerome Grisanti 660-528-0858 http://www.jeromegrisanti.com For the good are always the merry, Save by an evil chance, And the merry love the fiddle And the merry love to dance. ~ William Butler Yeats
