where it all starts ...

Why make a recording of your Band, Choir, Orchestra, ...... etc? 

• To have a demonstration product for your prospective customers in order to generate interest and bookings for work.

• To raise money by selling CDs/Tapes to audiences / friends / parents at a profit.

• To demonstrate your ability to others.

• For the enjoyment and experience of making a recording.

• To have a permanent record / souvenir of your event.

• For improvement/rehearsal purposes.

A good recording can meet all of these requirements.

Why record on location rather than in a “proper” studio?

• Capture live musical performances in natural surroundings - not a clinical studio.

• Allow the performers to work in familiar surroundings and so perform more naturally.

• Eliminate the need to move large numbers of performers to an expensive and intimidating studio.

• Provide flexibility for shorter sessions to allow for performance fatigue with inexperienced players.

• If an audience is present, their excitement and reaction can be captured and can spur the players to better performances.

What is involved?

I  come to you and make a Digital recording of live musical performances at a venue of your choosing, for subsequent editing, mixing, sequencing, and delivery to you as a finished master recording.  The master recording and delivery formats can be chosen to suit performance and your requirements.  There are two possibilities: -

Location recording

We all want to achieve a great sounding recording and my mobile, flexible, and personal recording service means that performances can be captured almost anywhere together with the ambience and the inspiration of the location. Real Spaces often have pleasing natural acoustics that enhance the character of the music being played there. Churches, concert halls, barns etc. can all provide excellent recording venues. Without an audience, it is possible to record several takes or part-takes of each piece and edit them together into an overall “best” performance.  There is also flexibility for optimum microphone placements.

Live Performers / Bands – Concert / Gig recording

With an audience there is usually only one “take” for every item as it is performed live.  My microphones capture the sounds from the performers and the audience and each one recorded on it’s own track on a multitrack recording.  Microphone positions are selected to minimise visual impact to the audience.  This will be mixed down later to ensure that the recording can be balanced and enhanced to sound better than you might have believed possible regardless of the quality of the sound balance on the night.

Venue Selection

Live recording is best done in a venue with pleasant acoustics. Typically, if the venue sounds good to sing or play in then usually it will also be a good location for a sound recording.

A choir or brass band recording is easier to achieve when made in a performing area with a floor space that could take 4 to 5 times the number of players and which does not have a low ceiling. This sort of space helps blend instruments and voices into a coherent ensemble and gives the feel a real performing space. • Some venues, such as large churches are too big and will produce significant echoes and other reverberant sounds that could overpower the direct sound. Some music (particularly religious pieces) is designed to sound good in such an environment.

Big orchestras ideally need something like a large Town Hall for size but these often have boomy acoustics. In such cases, closer microphone positions will be essential.

If the recording venue is not where you usually rehearse or perform, it may be wise to have a pre-recording rehearsal there just in case there are any unforeseen problems.

External Noises - If there is a striking clock within earshot make sure it can be silenced for the recording or your recording options will be limited. Busy roads produce traffic noise that can spoil a recording so avoid this where possible. Likewise busy railway lines next to venues are best avoided. I even had one town hall venue where the local youths congregated on the steps every evening and created significant noise.

How does it work?

• On the day of the recording, I will arrive first to set up so that the performers / band can turn up, warm up, and get straight into the recording.  Set-up takes 60 - 90 minutes and is shorter when the band can provide one or two suitable bodies to help move equipment.

• I usually start each session by recording a short section of music to confirm that the microphones are working, are well positioned and set at optimum levels.

• You will need to take regular breaks during a session. For instance, there is a limit to how long brass players can perform before their lips begin to go. This limit tends to be shorter with third and fourth section bands.  You may want to review the recording after some of the takes, which will also give the performers a break.

• We will record for the allotted time with adequate breaks until you are happy that you have captured a good performance or the performers collapse!

• Once the performance is captured I will take the recordings back to my mixdown studio.  The recording will be set up there for mixing, editing and sequencing, to achieve a release quality recording.  (See section on Mixing / Mastering)

• Although most recordings can be completed on location, some may require the later addition of a solo part or a “voiceover” at the mixdown studio.

Tekky bits

• Microphones from major manufacturers such as Neumann, Studio Projects, AKG, Shure, Oktava and Audio Technica are used for high quality sound capture.

• Many other location recording services don't offer multitrack recording as standard or they charge extra to record with more than two tracks on location. All my recordings include up to 24 tracks of multitrack recording. Each microphone is recorded to it's own track to give maximum flexibility for mixdown, time aligning, etc to give the best possible final product.

• Location monitoring is by headphones and / or small JBL Control One speakers.

• The Master digital audio copy of the edited recording is usually supplied on CD, ready for mass duplication.

• You have the option to retain multi-track or master file copies for future editing / rework elsewhere (chargeable service.).