stereo microphone hangers

[rlcartwright]

Hi All:

I have to record a concert band in a theater that won't allow my tall mic stand in the seating area because of local ordinances. I, therefore, am trying to figure a way to hang an ORTF stereo mic array from the lighting grid in the ceiling. However, the stereo bar would have to face in the right direction and not twist out of alignment. I know that bars with a couple of cables for stability exist, but I haven't been able to find any online. I usually never have to do this, so I don't want to spend a ton of money.

Anyone have an idea of who would carry this sort of thing?

Thanks!

Robert Cartwright

[mikehalloran]

All you need are two cables to prevent twisting and some cable clamps available at any hardware store. Picture wire can be purchased that's rated to 100lb or more - you want it thick enough so that the clamp will secure it.. Attach the cables to any of the bars below and hang your array from the middle.

Cable clamps - these are too big but you get the idea



These are fine, too



Do not use these in a commercial setting (around people). They can fail.



This would work. $19 at MF. Attach wires at either end to stabilize the bar an either use the two mic posts or put one of them through the middle from which you hang your array.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessor ... mic-holder



I use something similar that I got from Radio Shack many years ago exactly that way. It looks similar to this. The two end posts should be removeable and the middle appears to be threaded. Attach your cables to the outer holes. $10-$12 from a lot of places.

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/3293 ... fgoda3oAMA

http://www.zzounds.com/item--MUPMY500




The only difference is that the RS bar was longer - identical to the black Atlas unit, in fact (I just checked). $22 and $24 from many places. The center is threaded - you can definitely unscrew the ends and put one through the middle. This leaves your outer holes free for the cables.

http://www.fullcompass.com/brand/ATL/St ... -Bars.html

[rlcartwright]

Thanks Mike! I already have two stereo bars, a simple OnStage bar (like you have shown) and a Shure A27. The Shure is a cylinder and wouldn't work. The OnStage is too small. I might get a longer bar like the K&M, which would allow for wires on either end. I would probably have to thread something like a mic boom (just the tube) through the center hole and tie the mic cables to the top of the tube to keep the stereo bar from tipping forward or backward.

I'm having a hard time visualizing the "harness" however. Would the two wires which are attached to either end of the stereo bar go all the way back up to the lighting grid, either keeping their spacing or spreading wider apart? I guess that's the only way they'd be able to prevent the mics from twisting around or swaying from side to side (especially if there's any air conditioning "breeze" up there).

I'll have to look for a diagram online, I guess. I wish someone made a complete "kit."

Thanks for your help!

Robert

[rlcartwright]

Well... I found the Grace Designs SB-30 30cm space bar kit with SB-HB-30 hanging bar for a mere $400 (sure was pretty though, and I love the adjustability). At least, it showed how they attached the cable harness to it, which answered one of my questions. Now, where did I put that Lottery ticket...

Robert

[mhschmieder]

Mike gave you a lot of good into already. I haven't had to hang from a ceiling yet, so can only offer my experience on ORTF, which is my favorite stereo miking technique. I have several stereo mic placement attachments and each has its strengths, but the one I use for ORTF is protractor based and thus is my favorite for that specific purpose:

AEA Stereo Protractor for Stereo Mic Pair

Also quite good, built very sturdily, but not quite as specialized as the AEA model:

K&M T-Bar Mount for Stereo Mic Pair

Shure A27M Stereo Microphone Adapter

[mikehalloran]

Every theater is different. You need to attach the twin cables up top in any fashion that works. If you have a light bar, then cable clamps will work. You can also use cast iron light bar clamps (all movable lighting instruments are hung from these) to hang your cables.

The top attachment needs to be spaced wider than the bottom to prevent twisting. How wide? You'll figure that out when you hang the bar - distance from the bar determines spacing. 2' spacing would be fine a couple of feet away but if you are ten feet away from the light bar, 6' spacing might be best. HVAC currents are your destabilizing factor here - not much else going on.

The center stud will have a standard mic thread. You can hang some arrays from it directly or use a 6" mic stand extender to give yourself a little distance. If you have a bar set up, hang it from that.

If you use two mics in holders on a bar, the K&M is perfect.

For those reading this and wondering, ORTF uses twin cardioid mic capsules spaced 17cm apart and angled 110 degrees. French broadcasting (ORTF) determined this was fairly close to the way we hear and it is a very useful stereo micing technique. The downsides are that it may leave a "hole" in the center if the array is to close to the source and that it doesn't collapse to mono very well.

A $400 bar is not needed here.

I have a couple of those protractor style bars, too. One is still new in its Radio Shack box. I don't know who made it nor if they are still being made. I like it for ORTF, too and attach it directly to my black Atlas bar when I have to hang an array.

In a great sounding room, I prefer a 2, 3 or 4 mic M/S array over ORTF for its mono compatibility and flexibility when mastering. ORTF often sounds better over headphones, though and M/S is more sensitive to audience noise. If I have carte blanch (rare), I'll use both and record to five or six channels.

I'll save M/S and the various arrays I use for another discussion thread.