Big Gospel chorus..

[Treeline]

I may be tracking a large (50-member) Gospel chorus with a small band (guitar, bass, keys, drums, horns) concert in May. They also need sound reinforcement because of balance issues with the band - concerts have been problematic in the past. I've done this stuff before but never with this big a group. I'm thinking the biggest issue has been poor monitoring - the chorus never knows what the band is doing and the band can't hear the chorus. The band, of course, compensates by getting louder, which screws up everything.

My plan is to do some serious sidefill monitoring with the chorus - maybe a fender Passport system set up as sidefill, with a monitor mix that gets them the band activity. The band would have good monitors with a lot of chorus in the monitor mix, FOH would be very light to boost the chorus a bit and provide for balance.

For both live sound and tracking, I'm thinking simple - an X/Y small condenser pair on a high boom, center on the chorus with two PZM units on or near the floor in center front. A soloist will have a mic. The band is fully mic'd; everything goes into a mix that is more monitor mix than anything else. I'll work out a combination of signal splits that should get me some tracking. All monitor and speakers are EQ'd and go through limiters. I might get 6 - 8 tracks recorded.

Am I missing anything here, other than perhaps a little sanity? Anyone recently done large chorus sound reinforcement and / or tracking?

Thx.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

I'm not going to claim to have a lot of experience with a combo choir/band, so take this with a heavy grain of salt, of course.

But overall it sounds like you have a decent foundation for a plan. I'd highly recommend being in on the rehearsals and using those to fine-tune your set-up (I *hope* that the band and choir will have a chance to rehearse together.) And of course, the sound checks before the show can be priceless for that.

If I were in your boots, my main concerns with the above plan would be two-fold:

First, would be the physical layout of the chorus. Will they be tight enough for an X/Y to cover evenly? 50 singers is not necessarily all that big if they are laid out in 5 rows of 10, but if it's 2 rows of 25 or something like that, I might be concerned about the X/Y getting the flanks well enough. Also involved is just how bari- or alto-heavy the choir may be, volume wise; and whether they are layed out in a balanced manor or not (including consideration for the "balance" of the room, especially if the choir is off to a side or in a corner or something like that). Sometimes it can be advantageous to hang a non-coincident pair with one side a bit lower than the other in order to make up for such an imbalance, and handle a bit wider of a soundstage.

Second, I'd be somewhat concerned about the PZM idea. Maybe it's not an issue, but I'd worry about potential interference coming from stage vibrations from the on-stage band amplifiers. If there's enough physical separation, I might not have such a worry, but if there's something like the band front and center with the choir behind them by 10 feet or so, I'd be more concerned about the stage vibrations.

All caveats apply to this post .

G.

 

[Treeline]

Thanks -

GFH over on RP suggested I use an ORTF arrangement instead of x/y - I believe for exactly the reasons you pointed out. So that will be my plan - about 110 degrees separation.

The PZMs could be on plywood "shelves" that are a foot or so off the floor, with the sidefill monitors at about 6' high on either side of the chorus pointed at the center, top riser. No wedge monitors.

The band would be stage right (audience left) of the chorus. These concerts will be in a couple of local churches (decent acoustics but tight spacing).

 

[NYMorningstar]

I've done this alot and the bottom line is take control.

If you are not in control of the sound, ipso facto, the sound will be out of control.

A choir needs a director who with your help, will ultimately balance the sound of the singers.

The best configuration that I've experienced is with an overhead x/y arrangement, setting up the choir in a horse shoe arrangement with the sapranos on the inside and the altos, tenors and bass in the rows outside of them. The director needs to control their volumes and you need to control the bands. Somehow you need to impress upon the band that they are there to support the choir (good luck with that one).

I just have the monitoring simple keeping in mind the choir wants(needs) to hear the choir and the band wants to hear the band.

Another setup that works well is separating the singers into groups accordingly with their own mics. That makes your job a little harder with monitoring and balance but gives you more control.

Good luck with whatever you choose. If you make it through the day without anyone quitting you've done a great job!

 

[Treeline]

If you make it through the day without anyone quitting you've done a great job!

Um... That has to include me, I suppose...

Thanks - I've found this is the only approach that ever works. Fortunately I usually do sound engineering for the same band and we know each other pretty well, so communication is easy.

I'm focusing on the monitoring because in the past these guys haven't been able to hear each other well no matter what they tried. I think it's a function of the size of the choir and the limited space available in a church concert setting.

I'm planning to do some sound / monitoring during the three rehearsals prior to the concert, and that may help me dial something sensible in.

But "more me" is always an issue.

 

[NYMorningstar]

I'm focusing on the monitoring because in the past these guys haven't been able to hear each other well no matter what they tried. I think it's a function of the size of the choir and the limited space available in a church concert setting.

In a limited space the reason everyone can't hear each other is because it's too loud for that space. Especially in a church where there is no sound treatment you will have standing waves or as I call it, eternal sustain Think bass traps if they want it right.

From the monitoring perspective, keep in mind the band turns up because they don't hear themselves, not because they don't hear the choir. Take away that ability from them and you'll do fine. G/L