Planning a performance and wondering how to make sure your cast sound brilliant? This month, we’re here to give you tips on what you should provide your audio engineers to help build a simple and effective mic plot.
What is a Mic Plot?
A mic plot is an organisation tool that shows which microphone is assigned to each performer, scene, or musical number. Think of it as a map to guide you through the sound setup and keep things running smoothly during the show. Mic plots are considered the heart of every performance as it allows your sound team to accurately and efficiently ensure every voice is heard.
What Information do You Need?
A Script - Your mic plot is going to be, in-part, based off of the script you are using; so it’s important to provide a clear, readable copy for us to use. Your sound engineer will also use this to follow along with your performance in real-time to ensure a perfect theatre experience.
A Complete Cast List - An accurate and detailed cast list is the first building block of a successful mic plot. And it isn’t as simple as just who is playing your leads - ensemble members playing multiple roles are just as essential. When recording your cast list, it is important to keep in mind even one-line characters and character groupings.
For example, we recently put together a mic plot for a production of Legally Blonde, and some of the cast lists included:
Susie playing Elle Woods
Romaine playing Warner Huntington III
Angus playing Emmett Forest
But it is also included:
Oliver playing Grandmaster Chad, Dewey & Kyle B. O’Boyle
Penelope playing Salon Worker, Cashier, Stenographer & Greek Chorus
Bridgette playing Ensemble, Parade Folk, Greek Chorus & Defence Team
Ensuring that every role played by an actor/actress and every line of your script is accounted for in your cast list allows your sound team to operate seamlessly through your performance.
Number of Microphones - The number of microphones used in your performance will be a deciding factor in many variables of your show. Whether everyone is having individual radio head sets, or your concert style performance has your cast sharing handhelds between themselves, the amount of microphones will vary how large your mic plot is, the amount of staff required to set up for each performance, the budget and the time required for your bump in. Letting your project manager know the amount of microphones you want early on will allow you to receive an accurate quote and give them ample time to have your gear allocated and ready for you come show time.
Planned Mic Swaps - Many performances have more cast than microphones. Whether this is due to number or budget constraints, sometimes you may find yourself having to swap out microphones between performers during the show run. If coordinating this is proving difficult, you can always reach out to your project manager for help, but a good rule of thumb is that each change will require 2-3 minutes and should ideally fall somewhere in the script where the performers have enough time to make the change. Sometimes this is during the performance while the rest of the cast are still on stage, but can also happen during intermission.
Sound Effects - A lot of scripts will detail sound effects through the performance to help enhance the experience for your audience. Providing a list of what sound effects or vocal filter effects you would like, and in which scenes (page numbers are ALWAYS appreciated), will allow your project manager to accurately detail these on your mic plot so that the effects are deployed at the perfect moment by your sound engineer.
Want More Tips? We hope this guide helps your understanding of what you need for a successful mic plot! If you have any questions or need further guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to make your events sound seamless!
Wishing you a fantastic February,
Loud and Clear Audio - Bringing Your Sound to Life!
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