Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: three questions

Author

Message

Teach Me
Player
Player

Joined: 9/27/07
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Topic: three questions
Posted: 3/29/08 at 11:59pm

Three quick questions:

1.) Are there technical differences between the terms 'gels' and 'filters?' Are these terms used interchangeably?

2.) Could I have feedback from anyone's experience with Telex wireless microphones?

3.) Is anyone here worried about the move to digital creating chaos with their wireless microphones? I requested to purchase four wireless mics (we have the money in our account), and first was told I could only purchase Telex mics...and when I questioned this decision, the auditorium "dictator" said I would have to rent because they wouldn't work next year when we went digital (which, of course, is a line of b---), but I am curious if anyone is preparing for the future move to digital...

Thanks!

Teach Me

IP Logged

JoeMc
Celebrity

Joined: 3/13/06
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 832

Posted: 3/30/08 at 1:06am

1 -Colour Gel, Filter & Medium with lighting, are all the same thing.

2- Got none sorry!

3- Your radio mikes transmission, are Dependant on the type of receiver you have.

The only chaos I believe theatres will be caught up in, is that caused in densely over used frequencies in your area.

[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

IP Logged

Teach Me
Player
Player

Joined: 9/27/07
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: 3/30/08 at 10:30pm

Thanks!

I thought they were the same, but began questioning myself in a semantics debate.

As far as frequency issues...being fairly rural, we should be safe...and the mics I want have various frequency choices, so I am confident this should not be an issue...

I appreciate your input.

Teach Me

IP Logged

spikesgirl
Celebrity

Joined: 3/30/08
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 129

Posted: 3/31/08 at 10:37am

Originally posted by Teach Me

Three quick questions:

1.) Are there technical differences between the terms 'gels' and 'filters?' Are these terms used interchangeably?

At our theater - there is a slight difference between gels and filters. Gels add color to the set and actors. Filters diffuse the light, making it softer. You can use both at the same time.

2.) Could I have feedback from anyone's experience with Telex wireless microphones?

What's your question. We've used them and no matter what we use, we still have problems.

I posed your question to my husband and he said that the move to digital will have no impact on wireles microphones - not only is he a sound designer, he works for AT&T and is up on the latest technology. Tell your 'dictor' to stuff it - BTW, i wondered where our's transferred to - you have my sympathies.

Thanks!

I tried to answer your questions in turn and hope that it isn't too confusing.

Charlie

IP Logged

Aimee
Celebrity

Joined: 8/31/04
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 156

Posted: 4/08/08 at 12:20am

Odd. I heard the opposite. Though I am not 100 % positve I have all the terminology correct BUT this is what I "know"

That if your wireless frequencies are in that range (and there are some that will be/ or are) then you may have to get them changed (or change them) as that band will soon be released. I'm told the newer mics have already been modified (or whatever is actually done) to make sure there is no problem.

Aimee

IP Logged

Gaafa
Celebrity

Joined: 3/21/04
Location: Australia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1181

Posted: 4/08/08 at 1:28am

With #1 Charlie is quite right with the difference between filters & gel, which is a good idea in it's self to make the designation, of gel being for colour & filters for diffusion. As in days of yore they used red wine in a glass container to add colour to the light beam of candles & oil lamps. Where by they used silk to diffuse the light.

'Cinemiod' & 'Rosco' orginaly used dye doped Geletin as colour medium sheets. This was changed by adding Acetate to give it long life & reduce melting, called Geletan, which were available untill about the 80's. Then with the advent of higher temperature lights, they changed to the polycarbonate & the polyester sheets of today.

I cut my teeth on Cinemiodoriginally, which I believe was an offshoot company of Strand electrics. I knew by heart all the 100 or so colour number code & the coresponding colours, which ( have lost now & it is a useless bit of info these days?}

So the name Gel stuck for the sheets of colour medium used.

As an aside the normal sheet size gel also remains the same, as it was with Gelatin orignaly. Supposedly it was based on the size of Bakers trays used to produce the gel sheets & has not changed since.

Another bit of useless trivia is that Lee adopted the orginal Cinemiod colour code numbering & just added 100 to them to number thier product.

You will still come across the old Cinemiod & Roscolene Gels every now & then, that have survived. It is easy to pick them about by thier thickness & not being as mailable or as thin as the newer polyester gels.

Not being a 'Noisy' I couldn't advise on the radio Mic's, only to me it is Dependant on the receiver to pick up the transmission, so if the audio is transmitted in analogue, so long as you have a suitable receiver & audio system, it would work. Much the same as using a crystal radio, the fact that they have all changed to digital signals, the wavelength of the crystal radio can still be received & the wavelength is still there.

Well that's my zaks worth! [ AZak! - it's not even a Tra piece?]

I hope it helps?

Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}

IP Logged

Lights and Sound
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Lights and Sound

Topic: three questions( Topic Closed)