live classical recording for gearslutz virgin - Page 2

bishopthomas · 19th March 2009

Whew! Many of us thought you were long gone. So you're trying to pick up clients with this recording? I would think of it as an investment. Hire someone to record you this one time. Use the tracks to get clients and make money. Then for fun learn how to record yourself. It's a great hobby to get into, but there is a learning curve.

joelpatterson · 20th March 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by diva

... $900...

WHOA!

In this day and age, seriously, that kind of money should get you at least two day-long sessions at a more-or-less proper studio. 10 hour days, anyway.

I'd guess, saying as we're all chatting randomly on an internet messageboard, you'd do well to track down someone with a nice tube mic-- that seems to be what gets vocals to shine. Hopefully you could arrange some down time to record something at a church with some nice, resonant ambience, or maybe a hall of some kind.

And don't put up with anyone's blah-ish product and excuses about adding reverb. Your recording should lift people right up out of their seats-- if that ain't happening, someone's not doing their job.

Ozpeter · 20th March 2009

Diva - you know, the purpose you want this for is (in my view) more demanding than for an audition at the Met. Professional musicians listening to demo tapes hear beyond the recording and just listen to the musicality. When they hear a fairly basic recording they may be reassured it's not be constructed by micro-editing in a studio, but it's the real thing.

People wanting wedding or funeral music will tend to be swayed more by the actual recorded sound - and the issues surrounding editing vs natural will not occur to them. So, do be sure that the end result, whether DIY or pro recorded, sounds sexy as well as musical.

klaukholm · 20th March 2009

Glad to have you back Diva!

I am angry on your behalf when I hear a "professional" charged money to do the demo in a studio.
Too many engineers are clueless about classical music and recording in a dead studio is a flashing red light.
For this purpose I would accept a little background noise like you would get in a church.

The sound of a good and appropriate room is more important than your recording equipment.

In light of your experience with the "professional", I would not use him/her again even at the church. If you want a pro, get someone with classical music credits and ask for samples of their work, preferrably similar size ensemble and similar timeperiods.

If you do it yourself, I recommend you check out the make and model of your church mics as well as maybe the mixer/preamps available there.

Prepare well and reherse well with the accompanist to avoid too much editing, as it is hard to know what you have and not when you are behind the mic, plus you will likely have limited editing options (don't know garageband)

As you have an idea of how you want it all to sound, spend some time finding the right sonority, maybe during rehersals a day before the real thing. If you are new at this, leave several hours and do not be afraid to experiment, but start with things suggested here.

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19th March 2009	#31
bishopthomas Lives for gear Joined: Oct 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,565	Whew! Many of us thought you were long gone. So you're trying to pick up clients with this recording? I would think of it as an investment. Hire someone to record you this one time. Use the tracks to get clients and make money. Then for fun learn how to record yourself. It's a great hobby to get into, but there is a learning curve.

20th March 2009	#33
Ozpeter Lives for gear Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 624	Diva - you know, the purpose you want this for is (in my view) more demanding than for an audition at the Met. Professional musicians listening to demo tapes hear beyond the recording and just listen to the musicality. When they hear a fairly basic recording they may be reassured it's not be constructed by micro-editing in a studio, but it's the real thing. People wanting wedding or funeral music will tend to be swayed more by the actual recorded sound - and the issues surrounding editing vs natural will not occur to them. So, do be sure that the end result, whether DIY or pro recorded, sounds sexy as well as musical.

20th March 2009	#34
klaukholm Lives for gear Joined: May 2005 Location: EU Posts: 2,431	Glad to have you back Diva! I am angry on your behalf when I hear a "professional" charged money to do the demo in a studio. Too many engineers are clueless about classical music and recording in a dead studio is a flashing red light. For this purpose I would accept a little background noise like you would get in a church. The sound of a good and appropriate room is more important than your recording equipment. In light of your experience with the "professional", I would not use him/her again even at the church. If you want a pro, get someone with classical music credits and ask for samples of their work, preferrably similar size ensemble and similar timeperiods. If you do it yourself, I recommend you check out the make and model of your church mics as well as maybe the mixer/preamps available there. Prepare well and reherse well with the accompanist to avoid too much editing, as it is hard to know what you have and not when you are behind the mic, plus you will likely have limited editing options (don't know garageband) As you have an idea of how you want it all to sound, spend some time finding the right sonority, maybe during rehersals a day before the real thing. If you are new at this, leave several hours and do not be afraid to experiment, but start with things suggested here.