Choir Recording Tips

[ObLogic7]

I will be doing a session next Sunday where I will be recording a choir one section at a time for a single song. The choir that I am recording will be dispersed around the room during the live performance and will not be recorded then. These tracks will be used to supplement tracks that will be recorded during the live performance.

The session will be in a different room than the live performance. There are about 150 choir members total divided between 4 sections. The room that we will be recording in is designed to hold about 100 people. Each section will record with CD accompaniment.

I need suggestions on mic placement and techniques so that the sections will blend well in the mix. I also need suggestions on how to minimize bleed since it will begin to add up across the 4 takes. I have access to many different mics with different patterns and will have about 8 inputs available to work with so pretty much any configuration is possible.

We have about 1h 30m to complete the session for all 4 sections so anything to save time will also help. Ears for each member would be great but are not an option.

The purpose of the recording will be for CD and possibly video if it would make a difference as to how I should proceed.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[ObLogic7]

Anybody?

[DannyL]

When recording choirs, I prefer to use 4 section mics. Soprano, Alto, Tenor Bass. My mic of preference would be Neuman U87's, MT Gefel UMT70s', or any other quality large diaphragm side address mic, that is fairly neutral. I pan them as I see them, use a low end filter on each mic with little or no other processing.

I would not choose a Rode and am not overly fond of AKG 414's in this instance.

That said, I also have used an ORTF pair 1 to 2 meters over the conductor's head. My favorite here is a pair of Schoeps w/ CK4 cardioid capsules.

I prefer using shock mounts. I keep my cable runs hidden from people's feet...looks neater and is much more secure.

Hope this helps.

Danny

[Jim vanBergen]

Your biggest problem will be monitoring. If your choir is good at maintaining pitch, I would try with the conductor on cans for timing, but some groups- usually non-pro's) will drift in pitch- so perhaps multiple small speakers towards the singers would be helpful. Isolating the CD playback and preventing it from being captured by the mics is the key once you have your mic placement. Good luck.

[waldie wave]

If you can get hold of a Soundfield microphone it will assist you greatly in this process. I have an AMS ST250, which is like a Soundfield. I usually set it to figure 8 pattern with about 7.5 width and bass roll off. I pace it, depending on the room, usually where the conductor is positioned (3-4 metres back depending on the room and size of the choir). Using a Soundfield will save you a lot of time placing mics around a room. The biggest problem I have encountered with recording choirs, especially mediocre choirs, is when there is a singer that is constantly off key or when parts are sharp or flat. The conductor should have the cans on so he can detect these things. Otherwise, you will have to be alert and get them to re-do parts/the whole thing. There is no magical cure with autotune in this instances.

[Mark A. Jay]

I'm fond of using a binaural mannequin (KU 100 Neumann) relatively close to the choir, and an ORTF pair as well. Mannequin heads are pricey to buy, but they can be rented...

At times I have used a 2nd mannequin head further back in the house to get some additional natural 'verb; I'm a fan of taking more mics (and placing them apart) than I truly 'need' because it opens up so many possibilities during the mix phase.

There are obviously no hard and fast rules, because much depends on the size of the choir as well as the boundary conditions (the space in which they perform), so rather than say what you should / should not do, I'll just leave it at what's worked well for me.

Hope this helps.

[filipv]

If you're recording and things just don't work out, then try not to record with mics corresponding to distinct SATB groups of singers. Instead, try shuffling the choir members, so a baritone sings next to a soprano who sits in front of the altos and so on... diffuse the singers physically as much as possible. The end results may be better. If the singers are good, they should be able to do it.

I once needed to record a large mixed choir (50+ people) using only two U87s. The recording sounded good only after I convinced the conductor to shuffle the singers around.

Also, bear in mind that choirs consist of many people: not all of them will sing their best on the exact date/time of the recording session. If you notice one or more singers just don't sing right, pitch or dynamics-wise, politely ask them (through the conductor!) to take a break and try to record without them. It's not at all an inappropriate thing to ask. It's not uncommon for the conductor to do that in a rehearsing session. Since you're recording, you should be even more strict.

[Mark A. Jay]

Originally Posted by filipv

...I once needed to record a large mixed choir (50+ people) using only two U87s. The recording sounded good only after I convinced the conductor to shuffle the singers around.

Also, bear in mind that choirs consist of many people: not all of them will sing their best on the exact date/time of the recording session. If you notice one or more singers just don't sing right, pitch or dynamics-wise, politely ask them (though the conductor!) to take a break and try to record without them. It's not at all an inappropriate thing to ask. It's not uncommon for the conductor to do that in a rehearsing session. Since you're recording, you should be even more strict.

I applaud you...

I'm not sure that I have enough musical sensibility (when it comes to choir) to make such suggestions - I'm far more comfortable giving input when I'm recording rock, pop, or jazz and really defer to the conductor when I am recording choir or classical.

I'm not being the least bit sarcastic when I say that I applaud you for this. Thanks...it gives me something to think about next time around.