Mobile rig questions- interview for school

[SynthLine09]

Hey everyone. I have a "career report" presentation coming up in my brass studio class (i'm a trumpet performance major) for college, and I was wondering if I could maybe post a few simple questions and anyone that wants to answer them can. Aside from someday being a high school band director, free-lance player, and private instructor, I would really love to have a solid mobile recording rig. I'm not so interested in recording rock bands (though I'd certainly be willing.) The main goal is to provide high quality recordings for mainly classical musicians. I'd like to start early next year with at least stereo recordings. I'd be recording recitals with one or two instruments and piano, solo stuff, and maybe small ensembles. It'd be nice to expand to stereo recordings with mic's for individual performers as well.

In short, I want a versatile setup that can be transported easily, setup in a small or large space, and record anywhere from 1 to 10 instrumentalists. That being said, I guess I'll post a few questions. (I should state I already have a macbook pro, firebox, and an RNP and NT5's are on the way, I also own an SM57 and bluebird)

What are the essentials in equipment needed to have a successful/practical mobile recording rig? (preamp, mics, etc)

Any suggestions in equipment choices for such a rig?

Would the size of the venue and ensemble i'm recording have a large impact on the amount of gear I will need? Can I buy gear for both situations, are there certain things I need for a specific environment?

Any good marketing ideas or strategies to get off the ground?

Are their standard rates? Should they vary depending on the number of musicians, size of venue? Should they be hourly?

Random bits of advice?





Thank you very much for anyone that wants to help out

[DCtoDaylight]

I can't claim to have anywhere near the experience of others here, and most of what I do doesn't involve payment, but I did recently go through the process of putting together a high-quality portable rig after many years of having a project studio.

A Mac Book Pro is an excellent start - that's what I'm using myself, and it's been excellent. Based largely on comments here, I use a Metric Halo ULN-2 firewire interface - it's just two channels, but they're nice channels with very quiet and spacious preamps and solid converters. Current models go for $1650 or so new and you can find older ones for under $1000. Lots of pretty serious folks use them for minimalist setups; you just hook up a firewire cable, connect your mics and headphones, and you're in business. There are thousands of ways to build a nice setup, of course, but there aren't many one-box solutions that do as nice a job as the ULN-2, or that will continue to be a useful asset no matter how far into recording you go.

Then you need mics, which are a whole world unto themselves. I don't know much about the Rode NT-5s, but a pair of small-diameter cardioids is probably the most versatile starting point. With a good pair of those, your laptop and two channels of quality electronics you can make a plausible attempt at anything from a solo piano to a full orchestra, and learn a lot while doing it.

You'll also need mic holders, stands, rope, cables (get good ones), gaffers tape, headphones, tools....but if you keep things lean, you can fit it all (except the mic stands) in one of those carry-on rolling suitcases.

[ghellquist]

Some very quick notes on my ideas on classical recordings. I guess the situation is different with rock bands so I will stay out of that area.

MICROPHONESIt all starts with the microphones. And to cut it very short I can see three setups:

1) two microphones. A stereo set of microphones. Straight to harddisc (or memory card). The two most common setups are probably ORTF and AB. ORTF (I recommend a google on that) or similare setups use two cardioid mics. AB uses two omni mics. The first point is to get really good mics (we are talking Sennheiser, Schoeps, DPA, Earthworks class here). Then you need a mic stand that is high enough for the venue (at least 3 meters, sometimes you will want quite a bit more). Then simply place the mics and the musicians in the right position in the right room and hit record ( here is where a lot of experience makes a difference). There are variations on the theme using different mic setups that in some cases really make a difference, one example might be Blumlein with good ribbons (say Royer SF24).

2) two or three microphones plus spot mics or ambiance mics. Now we are talking up to around 8 mics. We still start with the stereo pair as in 1) but add spot mics, outlaying mics, ambiance mics. With three mics we could run a Decca tree that will save some bad rooms or in some cases add just that sound you are looking for.

3) a lot of microphones. The standard when it comes to film music, often but not always used for classical recordings. A large film recording setup might use 50 to 100 mics.

Preamp and AD This is less important than the mics. No preamp is going to make a good recording, but it might spoil it. But you will still spend quite a bit of money on that. The Metric Halo has been mentioned. Once you leave two channels though, you will soon end up with racks of equipment. Your favourite AD, your favourite preamps and some computer interface. Add to that some mixing facility and speakers to allow for listening and a backup recording function. Don´t forget mic stands a a lot of cable and we are quickly approaching that "too large for your family car" packing size.

Recorder Computers are one way, but not the only one. Dedicated recorders generally has better reliabilty -- press record and they do that, computers can do a lot of things but might simply not record when you want to. The recommendation is to keep the computer free from internet and all other kinds of software. But you will probably still want to have a backup recording a stereo signal. For really portable recordings you might look at some of the top end stand-alone recorders, personally I enjoy using my Sound Devices 722 for stereo recordings simply because it save such a lot of hassle and carrying. There are a few more in the same kind of quality bracket (say the likes of the Nagra VI or possibly the Korg MR1000 if the budget is less stellare). Next stup up in bulk is a portable computer and a sound card with preamp and AD.

Listening You need listening on location. If you cannot hear what you record you cannot get things exactly right. Headphones might be part of the solution, but they will not give the full picture. Speakers gives better listening, but you need long mic cables or a snake -- no way to listen to speakers in the same room as the performance.

Finally, a few words about the business side: I would believe it is about as simple as making money as a freelance classical musician. You need the equipment, you need the practice, you need the contacts. And a bit of luck of course.

// Gunnar