Mic suggestions required for Edinburgh Fringe stand up show

[recordplay]

Hi All,

I'm looking for some recommendations for a client that is performing at Edinburgh Fringe. The Engineers charge £15 per show for mic hire and offer a range of options. As th show runs for 12 days it makes sense that he buys his own mic. He's very animated and would enjoy the free roam of a lavalier or headset mic but also is very good with using a handheld mic and using the mic to emphasise loudness etc by moving the mic further away from his mouth. Be great to check out a few suggestions from anyone that has had a similar situ ?

[Mike Stranks]

Bearing in mind he's animated and is good with a handheld, the obvious solution is a handheld radio mic...

BUT... the area is likely to be awash with RF, so interference in the licence-free bands could be a real issue...

SO probably best to get a cabled mic... need to get one that is good with handling noise - rules out my current choice...

The AKG D5 is well thought of and is on budget... Others can advise if it's good as a handheld...

[Drew Stephenson]

I agree with Mike in terms of a wired, hand-held mic being the best option.
Getting into specifics then becomes a balancing act. Omnis have less handling noise but don't allow a performer to play with proximity effect. Cardiods are the reverse.
An AKG D5 or similar super-cardiod (Shure Beta58a?) seems like a sensible balance - I certainly don't notice excessive handling noise with my D5.

[Hugh Robjohns]

The Engineers charge £15 per show for mic hire and offer a range of options. As th show runs for 12 days it makes sense that he buys his own mic.

I wonder if there's a major misunderstanding here?

A mic is of no use on it's own. It needs a PA to work.

I wonder if the sound engineer is actually asking £15 to hire his PA for the gig, with a range of mic options, thus covering his time and overhead costs.

The alternative would be working without a PA in a small venue... theatrical projection is still a skill!

If you were to turn up with your own mic, expecting to plug it into his PA, how does he cover his costs? Why would he let you plug in to his PA?

Many performers gave their own PA, of course and would prefer to use it (and their own sound operator).

I'd go back and check the situation if I were you...

[recordplay]

Thanks all. Hugh, I think they charge for mic hire as there are 10-12 'one hour' performances a day (all different) so the engineer must use this as an opportunity to earn some money for loaning various mics. I presume this covers the costs of wear and tear of lots of different performers using his equipment (mics). PA is provided (No hire fee).

Sounds like a handheld would be preferable and thinking about it there seems to be a few cons from going down a headset/lavaliere route where a decent dynamic wired mic will be reliable and affordable and not limited in terms of how he uses it.

[Hugh Robjohns]

PA is provided (No hire fee).

Okay...

I've never before come across a venue providing a free PA with sound engineer without a usable microphone... Just seems a very odd situation to me. But I've no idea how the Fringe technical resources are organised.

[Arpangel]

Maybe "mic hire" is a way of saying "PA" and Hugh may be right, the fifteen quid is for the PA with a mic.

[wireman]

I would also assume that the mic hire is coming with some support/backup if it or what it is connected to breaks.

[AlecSp]

Indeed, it sounds like the whole situation is quite likely misunderstood.

Other than in the middle of Covid times, any stand-up event I've ever come across has a mic provided on a stand, which all the talent uses. And that mic would normally be a bog-standard SM58.

Though I never use SM58s myself unless the talent insists, standup is my one exception. It's what they expect. And the fact that it doesn't sound as good as the better mics I'd use on singers is immaterial.

Even if you turned up at a stand-up event with your own mic, the fast flowing nature of the event doesn't lend itself to mic changes. Usually, the MC introduces the talent, who's on the same mic within seconds - the same at the end of their set.

That's just how it works.

If, indeed, the venue's charging the talent £15 as a PA fee, then no-one should really be using them. It'd be a return to the insidious pay-to-play world that we've more or less waved farewell to. If it's the case then, however desperate your friend is for the exposure, I'd recommend they walk.

[Dave Rowles]

If it's £15 per channel for radio hire per act, then that seems fairly reasonable. Usually I'd hire out radios for £30 a channel a day, so if you've got 3/4 acts on that means they are making a killing on it, but then again it's a high demand area/time and so having working wireless probably comes at a premium.

If it's £15 an act for a wired mic, then that's totally over the top, and well worth buying your own wired mic. If the PA is provided for free then I'll be amazed if a wired mic isn't provided, and if not, then name and shame the tech/venue because that's robbery and they deserve to be called out for it, and explain their thinking. Don't say PA is provided for free but you can't have a mic...that's stupid.

If it's wireless you're thinking of buying, then I'd say...don't.

As has been mentioned it's a time when wireless frequencies will be saturated, and the chances of interference rearing it's ugly head, thus destroying the show, is very likely with the lower cost radio systems. I'd suggest you'd want to look at Shure ULXD or Axient at £2k and £3k a channel respectively, or the Sennheiser EW-DX or 6000 series, which work out about the same to ensure you've got access to clean wireless channels, and then of course you'll need a frequency licence if you need to go out of the licence free bands to get a clean signal.

This is basically a way of saying, if you want wireless, hire it from the tech. There really isn't a cost effective or logistical alternative.

If you want wired, they will probably provide that for free, but if not, I'd recommend the sE V7 as a great wired mic for the gig. I still find it very hard to believe that a wired mic isn't provided.

[recordplay]

Hi All,

Thanks for the responses on this, very helpful and to paint a clearer picture having found out more myself now. Yes, it was £15 for the wireless mic hire, PA was all provided, wired mics/stands etc are provided as expected but the performer didn't want to use the same mic as all the other performers. Mainly, as he didn't want to pick any colds or bugs or anything as its quite a long run of performances so wanted to take his own mic. We got an SM58, it will work for him for many years to come. Glad I didn't go down the wireless mic route, thanks everyone.

[Hugh Robjohns]

That all makes sense. Thanks for the update. I hope the show is successful.

[sonics]

Someone, somewhere, sometime will probably use your mic. If you do wish to be especially careful, get a couple of replacement grilles and good anti-bacterial wipes.