Author Topic: SOUND: Working with a sound op.  (Read 7006 times)

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Bradley

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SOUND: Working with a sound op.
« on: Apr 20, 2011, 05:12 pm »
I'm SMing my first show and I had one question regarding working with your sound board op.

Regarding microphones on stage (not body mics, although feel free to answer with body mics in mind), is it the SM's responsibility to tell the SBO when to turn on/off a mic or should you leave it to the SBO?

bex

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Re: SOUND: Working with a sound op.
« Reply #1 on: Apr 20, 2011, 07:25 pm »
I give the Sound Designer or SBO a heads up in paper tech when lines are spoken offstage, otherwise it's their job to make sure the right mics are on/off.
You will have to sing for your supper & your mortgage, your dental coverage & your children's shoes, over & over again while people in desk jobs roll their eyes the minute you start to complain. So it's a good thing you like to sing.

babens

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Re: SOUND: Working with a sound op.
« Reply #2 on: Apr 20, 2011, 07:34 pm »
For me it will depend on the situation.  If it is a show where all the actors are on body mics then no, I will leave it up to the board op to take care of it all.  If we are talking about a small handful of mic cues (offstage or otherwise) in a show where the actors are not otherwise on mics then yes, I will include them as part of the calling.

For example, when I was in undergrad I did a production of The Magic Flute.  We only used two microphones in the pit, one to pick up and enhance the bells for the sequence at the end of Act I with Monstatos and his slaves being enchanted by the magic bells, and the other to pick up and enhance the piccolo that was playing Papageno's pan flute cues.  As these mics only needed to be on for very specific moments in the show I included them as called cues.

Celeste_SM

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Re: SOUND: Working with a sound op.
« Reply #3 on: Apr 20, 2011, 07:37 pm »
Typically I provide the sound op with a mic plot, but it's up to him to take the cues to turn mics on and off on his own.

Joshua S.

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Re: SOUND: Working with a sound op.
« Reply #4 on: Apr 20, 2011, 07:56 pm »
As usual, it all depends on the situation.  When I design or run sound for a show with lots of mics involved (especially musicals) I don't want to be on headset because I want both my ears free for live mixing.

On_Headset

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Re: SOUND: Working with a sound op.
« Reply #5 on: Apr 20, 2011, 08:20 pm »
The important thing to bear in mind is that it has to be someone's responsibility. It's probably more convenient to hand it off to the board operator, but if they can't keep up, or they benefit from having warnings, or they're still comparatively inexperienced and require hand-holding, etc., there's nothing wrong about having cues for it.

Just make sure that someone's taking care of it.

Mac Calder

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Re: SOUND: Working with a sound op.
« Reply #6 on: Apr 21, 2011, 08:48 am »
Sound ops are generally only on cans at top of show and out of interval. At least on complex shows where they need to clearly hear the room (small shows with a couple of actors delivering spoken word claiming they need both ears is bull). Generally the issue of lack of communication is solved by giving them a copy of the script (or rather the sound designer a copy of the script) which they use to create a mic plot and cue list. Add some cue lights for any cued sound FX or Off Stage Dialogue, Bobs your uncle.

If you are really worried about being in contact with your Sound Op, get a flasher for your comms set - basically it is a big light that you loop out of the comms beltpack. It lights up and flashes whenever someone presses the call button. More complex shows, we tend to put a second comms beltpack at AX, however instead of a standard headset, we use a clearcom "Phone" handset, so that the sound guy can jump on and off comms quickly.

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Re: SOUND: Working with a sound op.
« Reply #7 on: Apr 22, 2011, 02:34 am »
I generally would have an A2 for cues when I was mixing.

The blanket answer is it depends on the situation.
Philip LaDue
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Re: SOUND: Working with a sound op.
« Reply #8 on: Jun 10, 2011, 01:44 pm »
I have been blessed with awesome sound ops throughout my career.  They usually have scripts and are live mixing during shows.  I have almost always left their cues up to them, since it is easier for them (and me) to take their own for speed and quick-draw purposes.  I have had to give cues for micing when it was a rather inexperienced operator and was not paying attention. 

 

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