[SML] Glazing of Control Booths

[e-mail frank.wood95]

The BBC always maintained a strict acoustic separation between the
studio and the control room. Big windows with proper acoustic
double-glazing, six-inch spaced. The monitors were also of very high
quality.

Theatres are different, and have variable needs. Most of my work, both
as LD and SD, has been in a small amateur theatre. The control roomis
dead centre, and shared by lights, sound, and sometimes a follow-spot
or a calling SM. We have no reason to provide the lighting side with
acoustic access to the auditorium, although this is often done at the
tech rehearsal.

The sound side is a different question. The companies with which I
have worked there seldom, if ever, require a live mix. They cast
actors and singers who can fill the auditorium without help.
Occasionally, there is a show that needs one. The received wisdom is
that, in that case, the sound mix in done within the auditorium, by
bare ear hook-up.

I am not totally sure of this, myself. Many years ago, I installed a
high quality M-S pair of microphones in the auditorium, for a stage
sound feed. When I first listened to them, I though that I was IN the
auditorium, and slapped all the mute buttons I could find. I though
that what I was hearing was going out to the speakers. It wasn't, of
course, but it was that realistic. It was a pair of fairly gash cans.

I tried doing this on one show, but the director was highly
dissatisfied, so I didn't pursue it.

On 30 July 2015 at 21:42, Alex Donkle via Stagecraft
<stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:
> Just my experience, but when I've mixed using headphones I've found
> dynamics significantly harder to judge than mixing with speakers.
> Headphones of any kind tend to compress the sound, which can be great
> for finding errors while sound editing, but difficult to deal with
> while mixing.
>
> That said, there's also been a few major bands that have toured with a
> separate control-booth truck with studio monitors and video cameras,
> so the A1 mixes the concert from the truck outside the venue.
>
> Alex
>
> On Thu, Jul 30, 2015 at 9:22 AM, Richard Niederberg via Stagecraft
> <stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:
>> Dear Chip.
>> That is partially correct. When I worked on the Sensurround system for the
>> movie 'Earthquake', we made audience members feel the 'quake' in their gut,
>> using subsonic sound. The A1 still regulates the intensity from the FOH
>> position.
>> /s/ Richard
>> _________
>>
>> On Thu, Jul 30, 2015 at 9:47 AM, Chip Wood via Stagecraft
>> <stagecraft at theatrical.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> Richard, Richard, Richard- you said it yourself "sub-sonic".  Who cares if
>>> the mics can't pick it up, neither can the ears.  For a freq that low you
>>> feel the vib in your tush, not your ears.
>>>
>>> Chip 1
>>> On 7/30/2015 4:09 PM, Richard Niederberg via Stagecraft wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Dear Alex,
>>>> And how do you handle a <8 hz subsonic rumble that you want to introduce
>>>> subtly for a realistic earthquake or helicopter effect that creeps up on the
>>>> audience, if the microphones can't faithfully pick up accurately at that
>>>> frequency?
>>>> /s/ Richard
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ____________________________________________________________
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>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> /s/ Richard
>> _________
>>
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>
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-- 
Frank Wood