on Location classical mic setup help

[studio freak]

Hi,

I´ve been recording almost all kind of music in my studio, but now I want to go out and also start recording on location classical music events and marching bands (on stage setup). This is a new step for me and I could use some advices on mic placement for that purpose.
I am familiar with the standard micing methods... coincident, near coincidente, spaced etc... and I would like to know how you people combine them to get the best results.
If you also know some usefull links post them, please.

many thanks

[ghellquist]

Quite a large question really. And difficult to answer as it very much depends: the room, the orchestra, the sound you are aiming for, how many mic stands you care to carry, what mics you have in the locker and so on.

I am no pro in this are, just a happy amateur, so take my words for what they are worth. Some typical setups:

1) - one main pair in the hall and nothing else. This is a very good starting point and in many cases it gets the job done. Sometimes it is the very best setup. The main pair can, depending on the room and orchestra, be cardioids, omnis, figure 8-s, MS. All of the different techniques has strength and weaknesses and are better or worse fits for the room. Get at least one high stand though, as often getting 4 meters up is a good thing.
2) - three omnis across the orchestra
3) - a decca tree in / above the orchestra - in some rooms this is just about the only way to do it.
4) - close-mic every instrument (ouch, not my favourite, but necessary in some rooms).

Once the main sound is done you may start adding in extra mics.
a) - outriggers, a bit outside the main pair, adding a bit of width to the stereo picture
b) - ambience mics further back in the hall, adding natural reverb
c) - selected spot mics on the things not heard well enough or not with enough resolution.

My approach is to start with one main pair. Getting that right the rest is easy. I really like omni-s rather close (about 50cm), but it all depends on the room. In some cases ORTF is the best solution. Rarely a Blumlein par (crossed 8) works, but when it does it can be heavenly. Sometimes MS is the solution.

My first addition is often a pair of omnis as outriggers. About the same distance from the orchestra as the main pair, say at 1/3 and 2/3 of the total width.

My second addition is to listen to the "mix" and see if any of the instruments really need spot mics. Typically I run a spot mic on solo players, if nothing else just to be sure.

To me it all boils down to experience, having made all those mistakes I am hoping to finally be able to do it right from the beginning.

The single most important thing to me is to train my ears to listen to the acoustics of the room. Sometimes listening with only one ear helps a bit, putting a finger above the other. Sometimes it helps to have a ladder to be able to listen where the mics are. Half of the fun for me is that I make mistakes at every recording session, sorry I mean that I learn something every time. I guess that if I ever reach the situation where I believe I know everything, a lesson or two from a real pro will take me down to earth quickly.

Gunnar

[Jim vanBergen]

Gunnnar gives good advice. Allow me to build on it:

For your first classical remote work, keep it simple. A matched pair of good mics, good preamps, good converters, and good recorder. Read up on the many options of matched pair recordings and listen to them! That means get out to the rehearsal room or concert hall and TRY THEM OUT days, if not hours, in advance.

I have found that the choice of miking technique (spaced pair, X-Y, ORTF, Blumlein, M-S) often pales as to what is happening in the room and the performance, what matters is that you GET IT (the technique) RIGHT.

You will learn volumes... so allow me this as well:
If you are already well-equipped with gear, don't be afraid to make multiple two-track recordings or a multitrack or many mics, and be willing to go with the "best" sounding pair. I have done orchestral dates where I ended up NOT using the center mic on a decca tree, another where I used more outrigger because it featured the first chair violin, and yet another where I dropped the outriggers and used L/C/R plus cello spot mic.

If you try an XY or ORTF pair as well as a spaced par, you will hear volumes of differences from room reflections, unimaginable differences in direct field, as well as the subtle yet massive-seeming differences in mic choice.

Yet much of what we use still comes down to personal preference.

For me, after the gear and technique is decided upon, it all comes down to exact mic placement, which can be a HUGE process. Regardless of what anyone tells you, it takes time to find the right place in a room, and the right place for the artist/orchestra. There is a lot that is out of your control, but you need to be aware that many times you CAN move the mics, the soloist, the entire orchestra, and make a huge difference.

Don't forget that the way in which you monitor will have a huge impact. If you are used to working on cans, fine. If you need your nearfield monitors, make sure you set up a good control room to work from!!!

Hope these thoughts help!

Jim