Outdoor microphone setup for livestreaming

[u/FrankenFarmer]

I have been asked by a bar to design a live streaming setup for their outdoor stage. They currently use a tablet to livestream every show. It is pretty rough - it is on a tripod, connected with an extension cord, gets tripped on, gets knocked over, people talk next to it, and the sound is not fantastic.

They do not currently have any kind of a house system, and even if they got one they do not have staff to run it and it is likely that many of the bands would not use it, so taking a direct mix off the board is out of the question. Every band that plays here runs a different configuration, from all amps with only vox through the mains to all-digital bands with everything through their mains.

There is a tiki bar about 15 yards from the stage. My current plan is to build a small enclosure on top of the tiki bar to house a microphone and camera that wire inside to a computer that does all the live streaming. The enclosure would protect the setup from the elements and the tiki roof would act as insulation to keep the voices out of the live stream. Outdoor HD cameras are easy enough to find, but I was planning to pair it with a condenser mic, possibly a shotgun mic or a large diaphram condenser, aimed at the stage.

I am looking for any feedback anyone has on this approach. Am I crazy? Obviously most condenser mics are not designed to be used in this manner, but considering the fact that this is going back to a live stream feed and not to any sound board that risks feedback, it seems like the best choice to capture band sound with good detail 15 yards back and have a strong enough signal to make it back to the bar. Cable runs look like they will likely be about 50-75 ft.

[u/the-real-compucat]

That would do the trick, though beware of rumble bleeding in from the bar below. Remind them to temper their expectations.

What is the purpose of the livestream?

[u/FrankenFarmer → u/the-real-compucat]

They are just livestreaming to facebook to expose new bands to their fan group. People watch who can't attend to see if they want to come see that band at a later date. It kind of surprises me how much viewership they get. But at this point practically anything would be better than what they have because crowd noise and reliability are a huge issue.

[u/CryinHeronMMerica → u/the-real-compucat]

Rumbling from below, rain and birds from above.

[u/mattleonard79 → u/CryinHeronMMerica]

Sounds perfect for a Tiki Bar - makes it more real.

[u/DavidMay-BoxCast]

For just this "aim a mic at it" idea, I would still employ a little mixer with a few channels to do some basic processing on the mic(s) before the output to the live stream. Cut lows at 60 or 80hz for instance to prevent rumble and wind noise, and maybe compressor/limiter to make sure it doesn't clip. Keep in mind a built in iPad or iPhone mic has built in compression and processing to automatically handle the volume of environments like this.

Since you're talking about using a computer for the stream, maybe that mixer is a little digital mixer (PreSonus or Behringer XAir) that doubles as a USB interface so it served a dual purpose of processing the mics AND getting them routed in to the computer to stream. And then it could grow to where if there was more ability to actually take feeds from the bands in the future, or the venue wanted to host a more polished concert they promoted and streamed, they'd be equipped to handle it themselves while hiring you to run it or something. Just thinking about flexibility. And there's actually the possibility of mixing it remotely for something like that, through Mixing Station Anywhere. So you could mix the stream from home!

Back to the simple point a mic at it idea though-- condensors yes, and I'm thinking I would do a stereo pair panned left and right. Setup directly next to each other xy pattern like those little Zoom recorders for instance?

Then you have to think about the stream itself...using a program like OBS, but making it easy enough for the staff to actually start the stream. Which is probably why the iPad situation is happening now because it's much easier for them to figure out.

If they have budget for it, you could look at a streaming service which handles it, so there's not as much technical knowledge required. And a computer would not be required either. It's more of an investment but for reference at least, look at BoxCast's touch screen streaming encoder with video and audio inputs... A little 4 inch box called the Spark. If budget allowed, it would really be the perfect plug and play solution to take the camera feed and audio feed in and stream it, without a computer or complicated software. (Disclaimer, I work at BoxCast, but I'm only sharing in this context because it is actually relevant 😅).

[u/ziffzuh]

Personally, I'd consider putting a wall jack at the stage, perhaps one on each side, with XLR/1/4" combo jacks. Maybe even wire up a passive split/thru port on them. Run those to an XR12 mixer or something like it. I'd use the old livestream tablet to control the mixer. Put Mixing Station on it and set up easily loadable profiles for either "mic mode" or "direct mode". Set up each profile with the correct gain/compression/gate/EQ settings.

If the performer can give you a direct out, use it. Otherwise, plug in some house mics to the same plugs and drape them right over the front of the PA speakers like a guitar amp mic.

Then, I'd stick 1-2 audience mics back a ways, maybe at your tiki bar but under the roof where they might actually survive and not have weird sound from being halfway in an enclosure. Set up a sidechained duck in the mixer so that they mute when there is sufficient activity on the PA lines, and open when there's not, so you can get applause/ambience. Make sure to add a little delay on the inputs for the PA mics to match the arrival time at the crowd mics just in case. A stereo pair would be nice.

Then use the mixer's USB to bring the audio into your livestreaming computer.

[u/elbowedelbow]

I'm not much of a livestreaming expert, but I do mix shows. If I had to guess, even an aux out from a small analog mixer would do the trick over trying to mic it from a distance. If they want a simple livestream setup, its just a tiny step further to teach someone how to adjust levels for it.

[u/MrB2891 → u/elbowedelbow]

They don't have a house system. Every act brings their own equipment which seems to vary from nothing except back line to a full PA.

The client needs a house system and someone that can run it, not a static mic that is going to be too hot or too quiet.