Live vocal recital recording

[JEspo1229]

I normally record only a couple times of year for our choir at church using a variety of equipment that I have collected. (Mostly low end.) I know that the recordings can be better, but most people are happy with them.

I am now being asked to record a live vocal recital. It will mostly be solo with piano, with a couple of vocal duets. It is on a stage in a small theater with okay acoustics. The music type will be half classical and half Broadway.

Here is my equipment list:
2-AKG CS1000 S
1-AKG Perception 200
3-AT2020
1-Behringer B-2
Symetrix 302 Preamp
FMR RNC
Nady TMP-3

I also have access to a couple ART Pre-amps and a mixer.

For the choir sessions I normally mix to 4 Tracks on a TASCAM 424mkIII from an XY pair of the CS1000s, the Perception for the soloist, and a combination of a few of the others as spot mics, then move the tracks to my computer and finish in Reaper. I also have a H4N and have gotten some good recordings from it.

What are some recommendations for this recital? Do I just do a single XY pair? I have never tried AB but will that give me better sound (if I get some omnis)? ORTF (what is the distance from the singers for ORTF)? Or some combination? I know from experience that putting a mic on the stage with the singer will not work especially during the duets.

I am trying to keep it simple but would like to keep the quality high. If I am willing to spend $500-$600 dollars would it be worth getting a decent pair of mics and do this just as a single pt recording? Would I be better with SDC (Oktava 012, AT4041, etc.) or LDC (AT4040, etc)? I assume with LDCs you do ORTF with a stereo bar.

Any help would be appreciated.

[pkautzsch]

Originally Posted by JEspo1229

Here is my equipment list:
2-AKG CS1000 S
1-AKG Perception 200
3-AT2020
1-Behringer B-2
Symetrix 302 Preamp
FMR RNC
Nady TMP-3
What are some recommendations for this recital? Do I just do a single XY pair? I have never tried AB but will that give me better sound (if I get some omnis)? ORTF (what is the distance from the singers for ORTF)? Or some combination? I know from experience that putting a mic on the stage with the singer will not work especially during the duets.

Spaced omnis give a very nice sound if the room is good. ORTF for me is the way to go if I don't know the acoustics and don't have time to find out - BUT, and that's a really big BUT, you're pointing your mics past the most important source (the singer) when using ORTF in a vocal recital.
The distance between source and mic ONLY depends on what direct/reverb ratio you want. I often end up putting the main pair a little closer than critical distance.
If "putting a mic on the stage" doesn't work, it's most probably too close. You need to get a good sound with the main pair, but a spot for some presence, and especially if they turn to the pianist, usually makes the difference between a "documentary" and a "record". Same goes for piano spots: usually you don't need them for volume, but for a bit more direct sound. Piano often is too distant through the main pair.
I prefer SDCs for most "classical" stuff. For broadway stuff a closeish tube LDC might work well in a studio setting, but that's not unobtrusive enough for a live setting. After all you want the performers to perform well.

[JEspo1229]

Thanks for the comments.

What I meant by "putting a mic on the stage with the singer will not work especially during the duets" is exactly what you said - LDCs are intrusive in front of a singer. The last time I tried something like that I ended up suspending the Perception angled down at the singer. It sounded okay but when she moved back and forth I lost some focus. That is why I thought single point stereo positioning would give me better converage.