Sarah Angliss

I'm wondering if anyone has come up with a solution to a problem that's cropped up due to Covid. I need to find an alternative to a mic in this scenario as the mic is presenting too high a risk of transmission of Covid:

I'm making a fun outdoor exhibit for families where (were it not for the pandemic) individuals are invited to sing for 20 secs or so into a cheap dynamic mic placed in front of some bird automata I've designed. I'm writing a Max patch to take each vocal recording and use it to control the singing of the bird automata. The birds have simple, roboticised slide whistles so they can whistle and riff on the sample (via pitch and volume tracking). They also riff with each other based on the sample. The premise of the exhibit is 'teach the birds to sing'. 

...everything about this is stuff is doable for me but I'm stumped by the input method, given the infection risk. I can't use a dynamic mic that goes close to people as it's too risky. When I'm dealing with the public, it can't be as controlled as a studio setup. I can't assume people will wait for disinfecting between takes. 

I experimented with a boom mic which is okay technically but novice users just don't 'get' the boom mic (they're too tentative as they don't get the sense they're singing into a mic). For that reason, it simply doesn't work socially - especially with under 10 year olds.

Is there a way I can set up a phone to always pick up - or always play back answer machine messages - and send its output to Max? Has anyone had success doing this e.g. with something as simple as a headphone socket -> soundcard connector? Is there a way to do this digitally? Or to allow people to Bluetooth a voice memo to a laptop, so I don't need to use a phone as a reciever?

Are there any other obvious workarounds? I need to avoid any surface that's touchable by visitors that they might be tempted to touch, as it feels like that's necessary as part of the recording. So contact mics are a no-no. I don't need a good quality recording at all, just something good enough for me to do some rudimentary pitch tracking (and that doesn't have to be perfect). A mobile phone setup is of interest as a good number of visitors will have a mobile. Not ideal but might be a good workaround, given the circumstances?

NB We're in a park so there's no venue wifi I can use.

Hello
I'm wondering if anyone has come up with a solution to a problem that's cropped up due to Covid. I need to find an alternative to a mic in this scenario as the mic is presenting too high a risk of transmission of Covid:

I'm making a fun outdoor exhibit for families where (were it not for the pandemic) individuals are invited to sing for 20 secs or so into a cheap dynamic mic placed in front of some bird automata I've designed. I'm writing a Max patch to take each vocal recording and use it to control the singing of the bird automata. The birds have simple, roboticised slide whistles so they can whistle and riff on the sample (via pitch and volume tracking). They also riff with each other based on the sample. The premise of the exhibit is 'teach the birds to sing'. 

...everything about this is stuff is doable for me but I'm stumped by the input method, given the infection risk. I can't use a dynamic mic that goes close to people as it's too risky. When I'm dealing with the public, it can't be as controlled as a studio setup. I can't assume people will wait for disinfecting between takes. 

I experimented with a boom mic which is okay technically but novice users just don't 'get' the boom mic (they're too tentative as they don't get the sense they're singing into a mic). For that reason, it simply doesn't work socially - especially with under 10 year olds.

Is there a way I can set up a phone to always pick up - or always play back answer machine messages - and send its output to Max? Has anyone had success doing this e.g. with something as simple as a headphone socket -> soundcard connector? Is there a way to do this digitally? Or to allow people to Bluetooth a voice memo to a laptop, so I don't need to use a phone as a reciever?

Are there any other obvious workarounds? I need to avoid any surface that's touchable by visitors that they might be tempted to touch, as it feels like that's necessary as part of the recording. So contact mics are a no-no. I don't need a good quality recording at all, just something good enough for me to do some rudimentary pitch tracking (and that doesn't have to be perfect). A mobile phone setup is of interest as a good number of visitors will have a mobile. Not ideal but might be a good workaround, given the circumstances?

NB We're in a park so there's no venue wifi I can use.

Thanks!

Sarah

www.sarahangliss.com


Hello
I'm wondering if anyone has come up with a solution to a problem that's cropped up due to Covid. I need to find an alternative to a mi

pandemic-workaround-for-this-exhibit-mobile-phone-other-suggestions

that sounds like an interesting exhibit, maybe one way would be to have them call a number hooked up to an answering machine within the same space and simply mic the answering machine(otherwise, you have to rely on people downloading an app or enabling some extra connection settings on their phone... and even then, need to create an additional automated way to receive and transmit from a server of some kind to the setup itself).

i wonder too, if you could just set up a boom mic behind something or even use a pzm mic:

https://www.mediacollege.com/audio/microphones/pzm.html

(additionally, brass and copper screens/surfaces can help eliminate the chance of contamination further, though this is not a fully reliable solution in and of itself, but just some added protection, and this particular source of information could be cross-referenced more, but just to explain a little: 

https://www.freepressjournal.in/science/coronavirus-fight-the-deadly-virus-cannot-survive-on-brass-copper-surfaces

sounds like a beautiful exhibit, hope you'll videograph/document it and share more here, would love to see the final result. all the best!

i wonder too, if you could just set up a boom mic behind something or even use a pzm mic:
https://www.mediacollege.com/audio/microphones/pzm.html 

(additionally, brass and copper screens/surfaces can help eliminate the chance of contamination further, though this is not a fully reliable solution in and of itself, but just some added protection, and this particular source of information could be cross-referenced more, but just to explain a little: https://www.freepressjournal.in/science/coronavirus-fight-the-deadly-virus-cannot-survive-on-brass-copper-surfaces)

just some ideas until others chime in.
sounds like a beautiful exhibit, hope you'll videograph/document it and share more here, would love to see the final result. all the best!


Prompting the audience to a particular action can be sooo difficult - some thoughts that have worked for me

I put condition checker-circuits in my patches to help guide audience members to the proper/needed input - then direct them with simple messages. Most of my stuff has a screen or projector involved so I just font it onscreen. "Stand on the X" "You are too close" "one user only" etc. etc.

You indicated "bird automata" so I'm assuming your project is mechanical, outdoors, and probably no screens to send messages with... 

You indicated the boom mic works fine (when the audience "gets it")

SO - I personally suggest staying with the boom mic ( no touch / easy / safe ) and just bypass the "get it" factor with one sign/indicator that says "Stand on the X and Sing". A good boom mic should have no problem at 3 feet over someones head - Then have your patch somehow direct them to "Sing Louder" when it needs more volume...

Some silly thoughts on ways to message the audience :

Lighting on the automata/landscape that changes colors/on/off when you are singing loud enough. The "ooooh" factor would be huge.

An automata bird in the foreground could point to a "Sing Louder" sign until the the threshold needed is met. (silly idea - but kids will loooove it)

Hope this helps you any towards your goal.

I hope the project is a great success - sounds neat. Please post back here when it is live

Prompting the audience to a particular action can be sooo difficult -  some thoughts that have worked for me

I put condition checker-circuits in my patches to help guide audience members to the proper/needed input - then direct them with simple messages.  Most of my stuff has a screen or projector involved so I just font it onscreen.  "Stand on the X" "You are too close" "one user only" etc. etc.

You indicated "bird automata" so I'm assuming your project is mechanical, outdoors, and probably no screens to send messages with... 

You indicated the boom mic works fine (when the audience "gets it")

SO - I personally suggest staying with the boom mic ( no touch / easy / safe ) and just bypass the "get it" factor with one sign/indicator that says "Stand on the X and Sing".  A good boom mic should have no problem at 3 feet over someones head - Then have your patch somehow direct them to "Sing Louder" when it needs more volume... 

Some silly thoughts on ways to message the audience :
Lighting on the automata/landscape that changes colors/on/off when you are singing loud enough. The "ooooh" factor would be huge.

Audio playback  "I cant hear you!"

An automata bird in the foreground could point to a "Sing Louder" sign until the the threshold needed is met. (silly idea -  but kids will loooove it)

Hope this helps you any towards your goal.
I hope the project is a great success - sounds neat.  Please post back here when it is live

Pandemic workaround for this exhibit - mobile phone? Other suggestions?