Quote:
Originally posted by PlugHead
Often in remote recording situations, there are imminent problems with the environment: hum (due to lighting: MH/flourescent, HVAC, etc.), leakage (traffic - air or ground, passer-bys), extraneous settling sounds (wood creaks, environment reacting to temperature changes, etc...) I often wonder how it's possible to do critical recording in these environments? Do most people book time in these places long after the city goes to sleep? Shut down the HVAC (if possible - most new buildings, this is impossible  ), players perform by stand lights/candlelight? How do you deal with these impediments? Seems there's always a catch when moving gear out of the familiar, and into the "real world".
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You nailed the issues pretty well. The solutions are all pretty "common sense" oriented, like turn off the HVAC- use the facility after hours, be very careful about mic selection - sometime you can't use the omni's.
The other reality in the remote "acoustic" realm is that much of the work is documentary in nature rather than "label release" in nature. Lots of choral societies, local and regional symphonic and chamber groups want a copy of their concert. Distribution is often limited, and they sell "live" albums too. If the recording was made with 150-300 people in the room - it just won't be critically quiet.
If it is an album gig, then you often get to try and pick the best compromise for recording, musos, etc.
The other bit that is definitely applicable for classical is Cedar NoNoise, etc. Even in studio recordings, you get 80 musicians in a room, and there will be noises to edit out - lots of noises (chairs sliding, a bow hitting the stand on a page turn, the trombone player who clears his instrument right at a breath in the oboe solo, etc.).
Even with amateur groups, two or three successive takes will often give you enough to edit around the worst issues.
One other tip is recording several minutes of room noise so that you can edit the start and ends of pieces pretty tight as that's when a lot of movement seems to happen.
You've also got to do some musician education about just how sensitive the mics are. If your director/conductor has recorded critically before, that is a big plus, as they know just how many (ie. all of them) of the little noises are picked up. I had a choral director who was amazed that his whispered mouthing of the words was audible with the choir.