"Dave Plowman" wrote in message ...
In article G7WXa.73276$o%2.35024@sccrnsc02,
David McCall wrote:

Which is exactly what you want for clarity. It's possible to add reverb or
acoustic, but not remove it.

I'll have to agree with you that close micing would be might be
the safest way to go in this situation. I'm just very resistant to
using lots of mics in any situation where 1 might do. I would
rather have a little room tone, than to take a chance of a mic
not being open when somebody starts speaking. Being that I'm
not a clairvoyant, I've always lost the first word of someone that
decided to interrupt or speak out of turn. Another thing that has
really turned me off to close micing is the way it is being used
in the theater. I know it has nothing to do with this situation.

Has anybody, besides me noticed, that the more equipment a
theater uses for theatrical performances, the worse the sound is?
The worst sound I have ever heard was Phantom of the Opera,
when it played Boston a couple years ago. They had mics on
just about everybody, several racks of hardware, and 2 huge
mixing desk. We were sitting first row, and I couldn't hear the
direct sound of the orchestra, or any of the actors. All I could
hear the sound blasting from the public address system. I call
any system that you are aware of, a public address. I was taught
that sound reinforcement was supposed to be totally transparent.
You should be able to switch the system on and of, and the only
difference will be that it sounds a little clearer when it is on. This
is easily done, in any theater that has decent acoustics, as long
as the actors can project to the 10th row on their own. If your
actors can't speak loudly and clearly enough to be heard in the
10th row, then better actors should be hired. PZMs can do it
quite nicely, but that is another thread. I just appreciate natural
sound. If I want to hear sound coming out of speakers, I might
as well stay home.

I responded to you because of your blanket statement implying
that PZMs total are crap. I just don't buy it.

David