Mozart's Requiem concert recording

[pkautzsch]

Hi folks,
this is a short sample of a recording I did a few weeks ago at a festival in a 1960s German church seating about 1,000 which replaced a neo-gothic church that was destroyed in World War II.
They are very strict about mic stands (not that strict about DIY light stands which did blind some of the audience, though...), so I had to suspend nearly everything. The only mic stand visible to the audience was for the timpani mic.

Mics were:
-- Pair of KM183 about 12 ft above the 4th row
-- Three Straus packets (KM184 cardioid, MBHO MBP604 w/KA100 omni cap) in a sort-of "Mercury/Cozart" setup between first and second row of strings, also about 12 ft high
-- Pair of CMC6 w/MK21 wide cardioid capsule about 8ft over 3rd choir row, pointed to last row (and about 3ft higher than last row)
-- AT3035 for some double bass presence
-- Oktava 219 for two timpani, nearly not used in mix
-- two MBHO 604/100s taped to the stage for unobtrusive soloist spots - unfortunately two rich ladies in the first row hung their warm fur coats right over those two mics!!! (still, there was something useable coming out with lots of EQ)
All went to two Audient ASP008 pres w/Adat output, into Fostex D2424 and laptop-based Nuendo.

Here are two pics, one setup, one showtime, and of course the mp3 file.
Soloist and instrument spots were used on very low levels, the main sound comes from the Straus threesome and the choir mics, plus a little fullness from row 4.

[jdjustice]

Originally Posted by pkautzsch

- unfortunately two rich ladies in the first row hung their warm fur coats right over those two mics!!!

LOL!!

sounds good!!
now if you could just record my favorite Requiem, the Verdi, and post that.....

just kidding!


keep up the good work!


cheers.
~j.d.

[The Listener]

Great! Is it going to be published? Any other published work you did? I would maybe buy some CD recorded by you. It sounds great! Spacious and warm at the same time!

[d_fu]

Nice overall sound.
There seems to be some comb filtering when the soloists sing, or is that your anti-fur-coat EQing?
No dedicated choir support?

Could you post pics in higher resolution?


Daniel

[d_fu]

Originally Posted by jdjustice

now if you could just record my favorite Requiem, the Verdi, and post that.....

I was hoping for a job recording this piece, but someone else was already hired...

[pkautzsch]

Finally also a critical comment - I was wondering already. ;)
The Alto had a strange sounding "s", you hear that very clearly if you know it. I'd have mistaken that for comb-filtering too if I hadn't actually heard her the same in the room.
Larger pics come tomorrow.

[d_fu]

Originally Posted by pkautzsch

Finally also a critical comment - I was wondering already. ;)

Need to live up to my reputation, don't I...?

The Alto had a strange sounding "s", you hear that very clearly if you know it. I'd have mistaken that for comb-filtering too if I hadn't actually heard her the same in the room.

I see... WHo were the performers, if it's not secret? PM me, if you want...

Larger pics come tomorrow.

Great...


Daniel

[pkautzsch]

Originally Posted by The Listener

Great! Is it going to be published? Any other published work you did? I would maybe buy some CD recorded by you. It sounds great! Spacious and warm at the same time!

The recordings I do for this choir are usually only "internal" and for sale at the venue. However it's me selling them there...
I'd love to have properly published recordings soon. There are some "label" CDs I know I could have done better (and lots I know I will never do half as good).

[blackwatch]

great space!

[d_fu]

Originally Posted by pkautzsch

There are some "label" CDs I know I could have done better (and lots I know I will never do half as good).

Same here, no doubt...

[d_fu]

Originally Posted by blackwatch

great space!

Wanna hear some s p a c e?
http://gearslutz.com/board/showpost....8&postcount=40 (second link) ...

Sorry for the hijack.

[The Listener]

Originally Posted by d_fu

Nice overall sound.
There seems to be some comb filtering when the soloists sing, or is that your anti-fur-coat EQing?
No dedicated choir support?

Could you post pics in higher resolution?


Daniel

I know a lot of opera recordings where soloist sound like that... so I got used to it - I guess it is because they sing very distant form the mic? And we are used to proximity effect of the close recorded voices? I am not sure about that - but that kind of solo vocal sound can be found on many highly regarded opera and other vocal recordings where larger ensembles with vox soloists are involved. Maybe someone else can elaborate on that? And another thing - on the realistic listnening levels - that means - "be afraid of the fortissimo" :) - the effect is not so audible - vocalists sound natural... Maybe just my psyche...

[pkautzsch]

Here's a larger pic for Daniel ;)

[d_fu]

Thanks...
What kind of ropes were you using, where/how were they fixed, to railings on the sides? What length of wires did you use?
I also try to "fly" my mics wherever possible, some of these constructions/setups have been quite crazy...

[pkautzsch]

Got a gig there next weekend - it's a church I record in regularly and thus have been allowed to permanently mount some flying stuff. I hope I'll be able to take more pictures of the ropes and their setup. It's just wire rope stuff from the German equivalent of Home Depot.
Thin and lightweight mic cables are important here. Klotz-AIS TwinPatch. 1 metre is EUR 15 . Great for Stereo and Straus packet stuff, since it's only one cable for both mics.

[d_fu]

Originally Posted by pkautzsch

Got a gig there next weekend - it's a church I record in regularly and thus have been allowed to permanently mount some flying stuff.

That's quite practical... Your private playground...

Thin and lightweight mic cables are important here. Klotz-AIS TwinPatch. 1 metre is EUR 15 . Great for Stereo and Straus packet stuff, since it's only one cable for both mics.

Very interesting, thanks. I'm actually looking for something like this. I get most of my cables from Sommer Cable, but they don't seem to have something like this.

[EDIT] I just saw the Klotz is just a twin cable, I was thinking of a single cable with double wires... Sommer has similar cables (Peacock), and it's not as expensive.

I sometimes use a very thin cable called Cicada.

D.

[djui5]

Sounds good, nice work!

[George Necola]

the ssss and the mud kill the vibe a bit.

no offense.. I tracked once a violin/violoncello//clavinet trio (Smetana) and I can feel your pain. its something diffrent than triggering your shitty neighbour-hood deathmetal-band with drumagog. it's real:D

cheers

[bcgood]

Your recording sounds good to me! Sounds quite complex yet real. I didn't get a muddy feeling at all more angelic than anything else.

bcgood