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R/E/P => Recording - Engineering & Production => Topic started by: joeyhavoc on January 19, 2011, 02:17:06 PM

Title: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: joeyhavoc on January 19, 2011, 02:17:06 PM
I saw the interview of Betty White by David Letterman for her 89th birthday.  It looked like they have a Neumann U47 Fet set up in front of him on his desk.

My questions are:

Incidentally, the hypertext feature is not intuitive and does not seem to support swapping long ugly code for a simplified word...

http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/video/?pid=qFXbGq36IZHAx0JA4da6j007B6w3_lax&vs=Default&play=true (http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/video/?pid=qFXbGq36IZHAx0JA4da6j007B6w3_lax&vs=Default&play=true)
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Jon Moen on January 19, 2011, 02:58:20 PM
The help file seems to be not complete yet but you can use BBCode for shortening long url's to a hyperlinked word or phrase.
Here is a reference for BBcode. They may not all be enabled on this board.

http://docs.simplemachines.org/index.php?topic=57.0 (http://docs.simplemachines.org/index.php?topic=57.0)
 
Code: [Select]
[url=http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/video/?pid=qFXbGq36IZHAx0JA4da6j007B6w3_lax&vs=Default&play=true]phrase or word of your choice[/url]
results in this:
 
phrase or word of your choice (http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/video/?pid=qFXbGq36IZHAx0JA4da6j007B6w3_lax&vs=Default&play=true)
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Dave_EK on January 19, 2011, 03:01:05 PM
The mic looks to be a 147 Tube... very similar in appearance to that of the 47 Fet.  The main differences that point me toward the 147 would be the stand mount, and the lack of switches on the back of the mic.

Is it on... don't know.
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: JimK on January 19, 2011, 03:10:31 PM
Do you mean this mic?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuacq51mdHs

Looks like it was a Neumann.
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Matt Pea on January 19, 2011, 03:46:46 PM
I could be wrong, but I thought that a lapel/tie-clip mic was used for the primary and the desk mic is used as a back up.
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Mac Kerr on January 19, 2011, 03:52:38 PM
I could be wrong, but I thought that a lapel/tie-clip mic was used for the primary and the desk mic is used as a back up.

I would expect a lav would be the mic, and the desk mic would be a prop.

Mac
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Matt Pea on January 19, 2011, 03:54:27 PM
I would expect a lav would be the mic, and the desk mic would be a prop.

Mac

That makes sense to me.
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Mac Kerr on January 19, 2011, 03:58:34 PM
Incidentally, the hypertext feature is not intuitive and does not seem to support swapping long ugly code for a simplified word...

http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/video/?pid=qFXbGq36IZHAx0JA4da6j007B6w3_lax&vs=Default&play=true (http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/video/?pid=qFXbGq36IZHAx0JA4da6j007B6w3_lax&vs=Default&play=true)

Was there a hypertext button in the old forums, I don't remember one. I just type the BBE code around the text you want to appear as a link:

Code: [Select]
[url=http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,323.msg1328.html#msg1328]The Original Post[/url]
which should look like this: The Original Post (http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,323.msg1328.html#msg1328).

Mac
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Malcolm Boyce on January 19, 2011, 05:20:28 PM
I would love to know if there's a story behind the removal of the 77DX that was his trademark desk mic for all of his earlier shows.  I remember hearing that it was a gift, and there was some controversy about it's move from NBC and so on.

Once RF mics became reliable...  80s I would guess, all those desk and boom mics became back ups didn't they?

I would assume earlier on it was the desk mic for the host, and a boom for the couch.
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: joeyhavoc on January 19, 2011, 06:41:16 PM
Was there a hypertext button in the old forums, I don't remember one. I just type the BBE code around the text you want to appear as a link:

Code: [Select]
[url=http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,323.msg1328.html#msg1328]The Original Post[/url]
which should look like this: The Original Post (http://forums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/topic,323.msg1328.html#msg1328).

Eureka!  It's the equal sign that I was missing...

Thanks!

joe
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: joeyhavoc on January 19, 2011, 06:43:16 PM
I would expect a lav would be the mic, and the desk mic would be a prop.

The have some good lav mics!
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Tim Halligan on January 20, 2011, 12:00:03 AM
I would assume earlier on it was the desk mic for the host, and a boom for the couch.

Indeed.

I would expect that the desk mic IS plugged in, and IS working...but is a backup in case the wireless lav fails.

I notice that the lav is in fact a single...so there is no backup lav being worn.

In the event of a failure, the desk mic would have to carry the load until the commercial break, when a replacement lav system would be used.

Cheers,
Tim
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: MagnetoSound on January 20, 2011, 03:03:58 AM
Is it my perverted mind, or does a 'lav' mic sound like something that just shouldn't be done?

Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Tim Halligan on January 20, 2011, 03:31:49 AM
Is it my perverted mind, or does a 'lav' mic sound like something that just shouldn't be done?

It's your perverted mind!   :P




"Lav" is short for Lavalier...


Cheers,
Tim
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: MagnetoSound on January 20, 2011, 03:33:29 AM
"Lav" is short for Lavalier...

Not in here it ain't!  ;D

Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Kerry Townson on January 20, 2011, 11:48:39 AM
I'm sure there was some serious negotiating with the union to eliminate the boom mic operator.

(pet peeve about talk shows)  I find it distracting when a female guest wearing a spaghetti strap or strapless outfit is handed a wireless lav after she sits down.  Bring back the boom! Keep the 4th wall intact!

Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: joeyhavoc on January 20, 2011, 12:17:37 PM
(pet peeve about talk shows)  I find it distracting when a female guest wearing a spaghetti strap or strapless outfit is handed a wireless lav after she sits down.  Bring back the boom! Keep the 4th wall intact!

Yeah, that bugs me too.
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Tim Halligan on January 20, 2011, 12:18:44 PM
I can remember watching Letterman in the late 90's and seeing a full studio boom...

...and occasionally seeing the mic drop into the top of frame.

I've never operated a proper studio boom...but I'm told by the old hands that there is a great deal of skill involved.

Maybe not so much for a talk show scenario like Letterman, but definitely for TV drama where the talent is a moving target.

Cheers,
Tim
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Tim Halligan on January 20, 2011, 12:21:14 PM
(pet peeve about talk shows)  I find it distracting when a female guest wearing a spaghetti strap or strapless outfit is handed a wireless lav after she sits down.  Bring back the boom! Keep the 4th wall intact!


Could be worse...could be breakfast tv - a la NBC Today - where they wear the lav mics like badges...and are fiddling with them on air...


Cheers,
Tim
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Duke on January 20, 2011, 01:41:27 PM
I saw the interview of Betty White by David Letterman for her 89th birthday.  It looked like they have a Neumann U47 Fet set up in front of him on his desk.

My questions are:
  • Is it a U47 Fet?
  • Is it even on?

I think it might be a Heil.
I believe Dave is a friend of Bob's.
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Tom L on January 20, 2011, 02:28:29 PM
This got bounced around in the "old" forum...

I had thought it might be a Heil too but was shown otherwise:

http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/mv/msg/26935/0/32/404485/#msg_num_16
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Duke on January 21, 2011, 09:48:24 AM
This got bounced around in the "old" forum...

I had thought it might be a Heil too but was shown otherwise:

http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/mv/msg/26935/0/32/404485/#msg_num_16
Positive proof!
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Mac Kerr on January 21, 2011, 11:24:04 AM
This got bounced around in the "old" forum...

I had thought it might be a Heil too but was shown otherwise:

http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/mv/msg/26935/0/32/404485/#msg_num_16

They forgot to draw a circle around the lav he's wearing, it is undoubtedly the live mic. Maybe a Fisher Boom (http://www.jlfisher.com/booms/model_7_boom/index.asp) as backup.

Mac
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: ericswan on January 25, 2011, 10:53:43 PM
Yes definately a 147. And pretty sure it is plugged in but rarely used except when Dave whacks with his pencil.

Dave used to have a DX 77 at NBC, was given another one when he switched to CBS.

This mic was stolen a while back.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106053/trivia?tr0635166 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106053/trivia?tr0635166)
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Gareth Hunt on February 12, 2011, 10:51:42 AM
Indeed.

I would expect that the desk mic IS plugged in, and IS working...but is a backup in case the wireless lav fails.

I notice that the lav is in fact a single...so there is no backup lav being worn.

In the event of a failure, the desk mic would have to carry the load until the commercial break, when a replacement lav system would be used.

Cheers,
Tim

HAH! You appear everywhere, Timbo, with that poison you call toast spread ;)
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Fletcher on February 25, 2011, 11:08:16 AM
I would expect a lav would be the mic, and the desk mic would be a prop.

Interestingly - the desk mics on those shows are modified versions of what they really are... they're modified to work in either Omni or Figure 8 and are there not only as a prop, but for use as a back-up in case the redundant lav system fails [gotta love triple back-up!!!].

Peace.
Title: Re: David Letterman's "Microphone"
Post by: Tim Halligan on February 25, 2011, 09:23:49 PM
...and are there not only as a prop, but for use as a back-up in case the redundant lav system fails [gotta love triple back-up!!!].



Live TV: You can't have too many backups. This was beaten into me from day one of my TV career.

Things fail - this is not a question of "if" but "when".


Cheers,
Tim