Spring Awakening Wireless Mics

[caitlinette]

Posted: 3/15/09 at 11:40pm

I was watching a few clips of the show with some friends. One remarked how he hated the handheld microphones because he didn't think they were necessary since the actors' speaking lines were delivered without mics. Now, I'm almost positive they do use mics -- the wireless kind. In fact, you could clearly see the tiny black mic at the top of the forehead of Moritz and Melchior but my friends insisted it was hair and just part of their wig.

Frustrating! Can anyone confirm that those were mics I was seeing, with pictures or otherwise?

[blaxx]

Posted: 3/15/09 at 11:59pm

The actors had body mics. You were not high.

[Tag]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 12:00am

They use both.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 12:19am

Yup. Mics-a-palooza.

[TimeSquare3]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 12:25am

The hand held mics are quite retarded.

[emo_geek]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 2:09am

it is a statement of some kind

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 2:38am

The reason they use the mics has been discussed to death so I'm not going to repeat it. I just wish the hand held mics were used as props instead of actually being functional. I remember the switching from body mic to handheld in San Diego was really obvious and very distracting audio wise and a really annoying element of the sound design.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 5:06am

While I agree that the mics use/symbolism has been talked to death...I'm suprised that there was an issue with the audio on tour. Not that it's an excuse, but wasnt' SD the opening of the tour?

I saw the show on B'way more times than I'd like to admit to and there was never an issue.

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 1:05pm

Hand held mics and lavalier mics can, and often do, produce a different type of sound, and the change can be noticeable. Is that what Cats is referring to, or were there actual problems, i.e. pops, hisses, feedback, etc.?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 1:33pm

I spoke to the sound designer and he said it was a very hard show to do because there was sound coming from three different types of mics, the hand held, the body and the stage mics.

[bwayblonde]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 1:56pm

they were mics...they use both...and no i dont know why lol

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 2:12pm

There was no feedback or anything, it was just as Byron said. The change was noticeable and for me it was difficult to adjust to the varying levels of audio. I didn't notice it at all on Broadway.

[caitlinette]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 3:28pm

So, anyone have a picture that proves the existence of body mics?

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 3:57pm

I would think your own ears would be more than enough proof. (If any Broadway musical was going to drop the use of body mics it certainly was not going to be Spring Awakening.)

But since you don't seem to believe what your ears tell you.

You can see the lavalier in Wendla's bangs. The small black speck right above her forehead.

[TimeSquare3]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 4:14pm

Most of the time mics a photoshopped out of pictures.

Updated On: 3/16/09 at 04:14 PM

[caitlinette]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 6:15pm

Byron, it's my friend who doesn't believe the mics are there not me. Thanks for the picture...Hopefully that will convince him.

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 6:20pm

No problem, caitlinette.

Not only are mics often photoshopped out of pictures, but they also are not present if the picture is from a staged photo call, rather than a production photo shot during a full run thru, dress rehearsal, performance, etc. No point in putting them in mics (and paying your sound crew to prep them) if you are just taking pictures.

[steven22]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 6:22pm

its for show!

[TheCharleston]

Posted: 3/16/09 at 6:25pm

No it's not.

[Tag]

Posted: 3/17/09 at 1:15am

In this video you can see most of the cast already have their mics on. Also at around 3:42 the SM announces that the cast needs to get their mic packs for sound check.
SA Tour