This just in:
There's no date listed for when this may happen, but could be a cool opportunity for a bunch of West coast (but not limited to) SSD folks to meet up and trade recordings after the fact?
asked Aug 16, 2011 at 21:54
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I'm close enough to Vegas that I may be able to make it down. :D– Dave MatneyCommented Aug 16, 2011 at 22:56
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@Dave, keep your ears open for the implosion date. Would be a really fun trip! Are you in LA?– Jay JenningsCommented Aug 16, 2011 at 23:15
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Nah, Salt Lake City, so it's still a 6 hour drive.– Dave MatneyCommented Aug 17, 2011 at 15:02
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1According to Google Maps I'd have a 1 day, 19 hour drive, but this sounds too awesome to pass up.– Miles B.Commented Aug 19, 2011 at 16:09
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1 Answer
I'm not in the neighborhood, but I can offer some advice from experience
demolition TNT is incredibly loud. I mean INCREDIBLY LOUD!!! Even if you've personally fired a really large gun, rest easy in the knowledge that you have no idea how much explosive force you're dealing with. If you have mic pads, use them. If you have front end pads, use them. Do anything you can to avoid post A/D limiting or clipping, because it'll suck. The TX stadium implosion was spl unlike any I've ever experienced before or since, and it ended up waking my wife out of bed from our home 7 miles away. No manner of rifle will do that, so be advised.
actually, don't engage your limiter. just let that sucker clip.
have one "detail" mic that will run completely distorted through the initial blasts but will be properly gainstaged for verb and building crumble as the blasts finish up.
bring omni mics to get the low end right.
prescout for crowd-minimal environs. Most demo companies don't tend to advertise when they'll be imploding buildings because they don't want to have to deal with crowd control. When they do advertise they tend to draw crowds and news coverage (sometimes helicopters as well) In the case of this specific building, I'd wager that the best bet is to be in a nearby hotel, since its on the strip anyway. Just be absoulutely sure well in advance that they won't clear you out of wherever you end up recording during the actual implosion. (I ran into that when I did TX stadium)
don't bother filming if you're going to need to be mobile. There'll be tons of footage from others.
run every mic you have at the thing, even if they're all basically from the same perspective. Also, try pointing some mics away from the building if channels allow. The reason being that spls of that magnitude affect both air and your mics very differently. Reverberations will be incredibly loud, and having as many channels as you can swing will give you the best options to play with after the fact.
if you can, coordinate with another recordist for a perspective from at least 1 mile away (and maybe out of eyeline around a building corner). The sound will travel that far and still be incredibly loud, and reverb of that nature will probably end up being the coolest thing to come from the shoot.
be prepared for the implosion date to move at a moments notice.
enjoy yourself. this is cool stuff!
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1If anyone goes out, the observation deck at the Stratosphere can see the building -- you may get some sweet tail from there. (Oh, man, only in sound design do we talk about getting tail in Vegas that's NOT a prostitute.) Commented Aug 17, 2011 at 15:05
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I'd guess that the obs deck will be packed with people for the event though, and you may have wind issues as well. nice sightlines can actually be BAD things for events like this.– ReneCommented Aug 17, 2011 at 16:23
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2Rene, its answers like yours that make SSD so awesome. Thanks Commented Aug 17, 2011 at 20:20
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