A surround related hardware question

[hollywood_steve]

One of my goals next week at AES is to corner a few folks and question them about surround recording of traditional acoustic music. (realistic surround, not special FX surround)

I have been kicking around a few ideas regarding a rig that would facilitate deploying 5 mics in a surround array. Most of us are familiar with a few surround bars that mount 5 (or more) mics in a near coincident array. But I'm more interested in something like the Variable Space Array as described in the article Practical Surround Microphone Techniques available on the DPA website.
http://www.dpamicrophones.com/Images/DM01472.pdf
(see image below)

I've done some fooling around with half-assed arrays consisting of a stereo bar and a few single mics, all on their owns stands; but I really like the idea of a single rig that willl allow individual mics to be adjusted in relation to the others, but then the whole array can be raised, lowered or moved in any direction all together as a system.

(the little coincident surround rigs do this, but they are often so small as to only allow the use of mics like little Schoeps or similar mini condensers. I want to work with real arrival time differences, AND I want to be able to utilize my existing collection of overgrown mics, like my Bottle and various ribbons)

So I've been sketching out a bunch of ideas, but now I'd like to try some fabrication. My first thought was to try to system offered by AEA, where they provide adapters to allow standard 1/2" plumbing pipe to interface with 5/8" stand hardware. But what I really want is a king sized erector set where I could bolt together the required configuration from a set of easily assembled parts. Can anyone suggest any suitable materials (other than the AEA idea)?

Although I do not wish to copy the VSA array (in the photo), I am looking at something similar with 5 arms that pivot from the center point and also allow for varying distances from the center. But I don't have access to any shop facilities, so I'm lookin for something with Erector Set like ease of construction.

Does any of this make senese?

[Remoteness]

Man, I miss Hollywood Steve!

[David Rick]

I don't know what happened to Hollywood Steve -- nothing bad, I hope!

Anyway, I'll respond to the thread, since you revived it.

The rig in the picture looks a lot like the one that Mike Sokol built for his traveling surround seminars. If I remember correctly, he used to work as a machinist, so it wasn't too hard for him to work up. At one point he was thinking about selling them, but I guess he decided they would be too expensive to have much of a market.

The "erector set" approach is easily (but not cheaply!) achieved with AEA parts. I started with one of Wes Dooley's Decca Tree kits and added an extra crossbar. I went with 1.3m crossbars and a 1m center bar. I have a bunch of his threaded mic adapters that attach to the bars and slide wherever I want 'em. The whole thing can be raised on a sturdy light stand of the sort that Wes sells for audio use. I posted a picture of mine here in a gig report maybe a year and a half ago.

Schoeps sells something similar, intended for OCT arrays, but it doesn't look quite as adaptable.

Michael Williams has designed one of the most interesting surround mounts I've ever seen. Imagine a half-open upside-down umbrella with five stays and the fabric stripped off. A microphone attaches to the end of each stay. The stay angles are adjustable, and so is the length of each. It appears very easy to adjust this rig to get whatever geometry array you need -- much quicker than rejiggering my AEA bars. You probably wouldn't want to fly the thing though: it would be rather visually obtrusive.

David L. Rick
Seventh String Recording

[Yannick]

The problem is, for the rear mics (for those that use a 5 mic spaced omni array) tend to be 3 to 5 m to the back. That makes one hellofabig array to raise !

In that case a decca tree for the front and a big stereo bar for the rear channels makes much more sense.

[Gerax]

I just built a simple "Surround Decca" setup, based on the drawings made by Michael Williams, I'm going to use it for a DVD project next week, I'll let you know how it works. The construction is really simple, just a few metal strips (alluminium to have it a bit lighter since it has to be flown), a few screws and the mic holders. It seems that it's also fairly well balanced. I'll try to take a few pics of it in use next monday when I'll have it set up.

L.G.