Live Chamber Orchestra Recording

[hannaent]

I've been asked to record a live chamber concert consisting of three types of groups:

Chamber Strings

Flute, Oboe, Harpsichord

13 Winds (4 horn, 2 flute, 2 clarinet, 2 oboe, 2 bassoon, String Bass or Contra Bassoon....not sure yet)

I will be playing in the wind group so someone else will be monitoring that part of the concert.

My current setup is a pair of Earthworks QTC-1's, Earthworks 1022 mic pre and a Masterlink 9600 recorder. I have been thinking about getting a Lavry A/D converter but I'm not sure that I will have it before the concert.

I know that this setup sucks and limits the heck out of what I can do. Sure I wish I had a Millenia HV-3D Mic Pre and some DPA 4003 mics but I’m stuck with what I have right now.

I don't see that I will be able to change the placement of the mics once the concert starts since they will be dropped from the ceiling and I will have limited assistance with this….

Do you guys have any suggestions for Mic Placement / Height / Spacing or should I just run like hell?

P.S. This is for free and not for a pro group, so don’t give me the evil eye for taking this on.

[hollywood_steve]

I wouldn't be so down on the situation. You've got decent gear and with good placement a stereo pair should work fine on this ensemble, depending on the room. (I can't overstate the importance of the room and it's impact when recording acoustic music to a stereo pair.)

Hopefully, you will have a chance to listen to some rehearsals while placing the mics, because placement location is pretty much the difference between success and failure when working with only two mics. If you have to place the mics "blind" and hope for the best, have you or anyone else played in that room before?

Its hard to give any specific advice without seeing the room and how the ensemble is positioned. Just aim for the best balance between players while keeping in mind the ratio between direct and reflected sound.

Good luck.

[fifthcircle]

Depending on your solo situation, I'd venture to say that a spaced pair- perhaps about 3-4 feet apart would work quite well. You may also want to try a Jeklin disc... I'm not a huge fan of that sound, but some like it quite a bit.

If you can get an extra pair of mics, I'd put a pair in the center over and behind the conductor (ie X-Y or ORTF) and put your omnis out wide (like second row of strings or so) to open up the sound.

You'll be fine, though.

--Ben

[hannaent]

Unfortunately the room is nowhere near the best I've played in. There is some reverb, but it's not a concert hall. It's more of a multi-purpose resource auditorium. Since I have never tried to record in that hall, I’m worried that the room will probably work against me with some unfriendly room reflections. I guess I’ll find out soon enough…… LOL

Also is there some kind of triangulation formula that I should be using for calculating height above and distance from the center of the ensemble when I place the mics?

Thanks for the reassurances and advice!!

[fifthcircle]

Use your ears as a guide... I'd suggest starting at about 10 feet high and a few feet out. If you play in groups like this, you already have an idea of what it should sound like. From there experiment and see what works and what doesn't. If you move the mics and it sounds worse, chances are you moved them in the wrong direction...

--Ben

[hannaent]

Thanks Ben!

Hopefully I'll get some results that are worth posting to the Work in Progress forum.

[hannaent]

I know I am using omni pattern microphones for this, but I just wanted to double check that it wouldn't be a problem for the mics to be pointing directly at the floor. I don't currently have a way to "point" the microphones in a particular direction.

This is probably only relevant for cardioid mics but let me know.

Thanks!

[fifthcircle]

It can be an issue, actually... There is no such thing as a perfect omni mic. All of them exhibit some sense of directionality- especially at higher frequencies. You can wire-tie a mic cable to its clip as an easy way to point a mic (the principle behind mic hanging "slugs"). You can then tie it into place with a piece of monofilimant line (fishing line) that is tied between a stationary object (balcony railing, ceiling, etc..) and the loop created by the mic cable.

Here's a picture of a gig I did, that sort of shows what I'm talking about- it is a bit difficult to see, but perhaps you'll get the idea

[hannaent]

That is a pretty cool idea. I had been looking for some portable mic hanging hardware but haven't had much luck finding anything.

What are you using to screw into the Mic clip socket. I think I see 6" - 12" rod or something. I think I will need to have something like that so I can tie the mic cable.

[hannaent]

Oh I almost forgot.....

Do you know of anyone that sells assembled Mogami cables with XLR connectors already attached?


I am looking for a pair of 50' model 2549 with Neutrik Gold XLR connectors. Not the quad stuff!

Thanks!

[fifthcircle]

Originally posted by hannaent

What are you using to screw into the Mic clip socket. I think I see 6" - 12" rod or something. I think I will need to have something like that so I can tie the mic cable.

An Atlas LO-2B (quick release) and a Microphone hanging slug http://www.alphasoundandlighting.com/miscg.html

In the case of the 426, the angle of the hang wasn't working so I extended it out using a couple LO-2Bs...

--Ben