Input on newbee recording with NT5, Apogee symphony IO and SCA C84

[gasconsax]

Hi guys,

First post on Gearslutz although I have been lurking on these forums for some time now.

I earn my living as a classical performer and teacher but I have started to do some recordings on the side as a hobby. Nothing serious (yet...)

Recently i had the chance to record some of my fellows here in Barcelona. They were performing Schubert´s octet on a fairly nice hall so I decided to record them.

As the title of the thread indicates, recording chain is a pair of NT5 with omni capsules spaced about 43 cm with a slightly open angle. Pre is Seventh circle audio C84 and converter is an Apogee Symphony IO going USB to my laptop.

This is a live concert so I didn´t have many choices regarding mic positioning, etc...

I have had the luck to have some recording techniques lessons with Pere Casulleras, former Harmonia Mundi engineer, and he says that in the end the most important part is the hall, performers and where you place the mics...no matter what they are. So I guess that I´m just looking forward to your impressions specially regarding the NT5 as they do seem to get a nice share of bashing around here. The omni caps seem nice to me (not so sure about the cardioid)

I´m purchasing a trio of Josephson C617 pretty soon so i hope I can improve in that area.

Thanks for your time. I hope you enjoy the clips!!

Best,

Nacho Gascón

[gasconsax]

2nd Mov

[gasconsax]

and 3rd

[rumleymusic]

It sounds like you know that the NT5 bashing is mostly elitist nonsense. With results like you got, it can be difficult to find fault. Having used both, however, I think you will find the C617 on a whole other level of sound quality. Faster, cleaner, more extended, and without any hint of distortion that the NT5's can sometimes display on harsher instruments.

Don't get rid of your Rodes though. They work great on many things.

Nice recording.

[gasconsax]

Daniel,

Thanks for your comments.

Yes, not planning to get rid of those NT5, they were my first pair of mics and I´m very fond of them. They can work really well in some situations.

I do expect those C617 to bring something more "special" to my recordings.

Take care

[npulsipher]

Originally Posted by gasconsax

So I guess that I´m just looking forward to your impressions specially regarding the NT5 as they do seem to get a nice share of bashing around here. The omni caps seem nice to me (not so sure about the cardioid)

Sounds like a great group of performance. And I agree with Rumley, the NT5s (and Rode mics in general) get more bashing than they deserve. Sure there are higher end mics, but the Rodes definitely do this performance justice. I listened to all three clips straight through I enjoyed it so much.

How were the performers arranged around the mics? I ask because I find myself wishing there was a little less clarinet , and a little more violin, and I wonder if it had to do with the way they were arranged.

Thanks for the music!

[gasconsax]

The performers were arranged in a semi-circle. From left to right: Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, French Horn, Bassoon and Clarinet.

I moved the performers before the concert as much as I could to achieve good balance. On the dress rehearsal I moved the middle row forward as I was getting a bit of the hole in the middle effect that I believe is still present in the recording but is somehow bearable. Same distance from the mics for the Violin and Clarinet but I guess the clarinet player really was into playing this piece

Thanks for listening and for the comments!

[newdigitaluser]

Originally Posted by gasconsax

Hi guys,

First post on Gearslutz although I have been lurking on these forums for some time now.

I earn my living as a classical performer and teacher but I have started to do some recordings on the side as a hobby. Nothing serious (yet...)

Recently i had the chance to record some of my fellows here in Barcelona. They were performing Schubert´s octet on a fairly nice hall so I decided to record them.

As the title of the thread indicates, recording chain is a pair of NT5 with omni capsules spaced about 43 cm with a slightly open angle. Pre is Seventh circle audio C84 and converter is an Apogee Symphony IO going USB to my laptop.

This is a live concert so I didn´t have many choices regarding mic positioning, etc...

I have had the luck to have some recording techniques lessons with Pere Casulleras, former Harmonia Mundi engineer, and he says that in the end the most important part is the hall, performers and where you place the mics...no matter what they are. So I guess that I´m just looking forward to your impressions specially regarding the NT5 as they do seem to get a nice share of bashing around here. The omni caps seem nice to me (not so sure about the cardioid)

I´m purchasing a trio of Josephson C617 pretty soon so i hope I can improve in that area.

Thanks for your time. I hope you enjoy the clips!!

Best,

Nacho Gascón

very nice
i enjoyed it
pleasant recording to listen to

might be improved slightly if you could try otehr mike positions but no complaints with this recording

there is ever so slightly a hint of something missing
but that may be that you didnt destroy the recording with fx and compression like so many are these days --and i am getting used to the bad stuff and starting to think that those are normal

good work !

[neirbod]

Originally Posted by npulsipher

How were the performers arranged around the mics? I ask because I find myself wishing there was a little less clarinet , and a little more violin, and I wonder if it had to do with the way they were arranged.

Very nice recording! The advice you got on the importance of hall, performers, and hall is exactly correct. I started out using Studio Project C4 mics and got some very nice results (also some poor ones as I was not consistently good at placement!). That being said, you will love the C617s. I use a pair as my "go to" omnis and find they do add something special.

My only small criticism is that I also hear the clarinet too loud. It sounds a little closer than the other instruments, based not just on the volume but the relative lack of room ambiance. Of course, for recording a concert we don't always have as much control as we would like over the arrangement of the instruments, so this may not have been avoidable.

Again, this is a relatively minor issue. Overall, this is a very nice recording.

[npulsipher]

Originally Posted by neirbod

...It sounds a little closer than the other instruments, based not just on the volume but the relative lack of room ambiance. Of course, for recording a concert we don't always have as much control as we would like over the arrangement of the instruments, so this may not have been avoidable.

Again, this is a relatively minor issue. Overall, this is a very nice recording.

I agree. Thanks gasconsax for responding. Since Violin and Clarinet are at the same distance, maybe it all came down to the direction they happened to be facing during the concert.

As neirbod said, this is a minor issue, and you should be proud of this recording. It sounds great.

[gasconsax]

Thanks for the comments!!

Yes, I agree. Shame I wasn´t able to move people around as I would have Liked. Clarinet player could have moved away a little and at the same time I could have faced the violin player forward a bit more...in general I also feel that mics could have been just a tiny bit little closer to performers. Next time I´ll be wiser!

Recording is totally unprocessed. The big -3dB or so peaks are in the 6th movement...

Good to hear that people likes the C617. I´m committed to those.

Cheers

[mathieujm]

Great recording but there wil be a big improvment with the C617 about the richness of the texture of the strings I think