Topic: Levels

[Norm]

Hi,

I have been taping for 2 or so years now with varying results.
I was advised to up the levels so they are not quite maxing out, this is to capture as many as the frequencies as possible ?
However, during shows with vocal crowds (I dont mean collective vocals, I can accept that) but people shouting randomly etc, would reducing levels cut some of this out? Comments appreciated.
Just a bit pissed at the moment, a show I taped last night is full of quite audible talking and random shouting. There is nothing worse than a group of people wrecking the tape 

[pfife]

I don't knwo that the levels that you run are going to make the volume of the music louder than the talkers, in comparison.  However, for dynamic range purposes, its best to run your levels as hot as possible without peaking them.

[heath]

I don't knwo that the levels that you run are going to make the volume of the music louder than the talkers, in comparison.  However, for dynamic range purposes, its best to run your levels as hot as possible without peaking them.

qft

[sml42]

Hi Norm, good to see you around. I haven't been on the hubs in ages, but please keep in touch. Oh yeah, please tape stephen fretwell if you get the opportunity!

I was advised to up the levels so they are not quite maxing out, this is to capture as many as the frequencies as possible ?
However, during shows with vocal crowds (I dont mean collective vocals, I can accept that) but people shouting randomly etc, would reducing levels cut some of this out? Comments appreciated.
Just a bit pissed at the moment, a show I taped last night is full of quite audible talking and random shouting. There is nothing worse than a group of people wrecking the tape 

As well as improved dynamic range, running the levels hotter will also give you a lower noise floor. Sadly the levels won't make any impact on the talking/shouting. +t for your troubles, nothing worse than an inconsiderate crowd. The best advice I can give you is to use more directional mics if possible (are you still running the cmc's?) and/or position yourself away from the noisy elements of the crowd (e.g. FOB vs. stage lip).

ptfo,
stephen

[Norm]

Hi Norm, good to see you around. I haven't been on the hubs in ages, but please keep in touch. Oh yeah, please tape stephen fretwell if you get the opportunity!

I was advised to up the levels so they are not quite maxing out, this is to capture as many as the frequencies as possible ?
However, during shows with vocal crowds (I dont mean collective vocals, I can accept that) but people shouting randomly etc, would reducing levels cut some of this out? Comments appreciated.
Just a bit pissed at the moment, a show I taped last night is full of quite audible talking and random shouting. There is nothing worse than a group of people wrecking the tape 

As well as improved dynamic range, running the levels hotter will also give you a lower noise floor. Sadly the levels won't make any impact on the talking/shouting. +t for your troubles, nothing worse than an inconsiderate crowd. The best advice I can give you is to use more directional mics if possible (are you still running the cmc's?) and/or position yourself away from the noisy elements of the crowd (e.g. FOB vs. stage lip).

ptfo,
stephen

Hi Stephen, dont use the hubs myself anymore neither. I did see Stephen Fretwell in The Cluny a few months ago, but I didnt tape him.
Been trying to get out of taping lately, to be frank its getting on my nerves. I am still running the CMCs , but cant seem to pull a good tape anymore. Maybe I need to go back to taping 101.
The new Carling Academy in Newcastle is proving difficult. I have taped Starsailor, Doves, Maximo Park and Supergrass and not one has been satisfactory. Its depressing. I taped Ashcroft and Coldplay the other night, I only got half of Ashcroft (and in mono as my lead came unseated), and Coldplay was too quiet and maybe I was too far back, and I think thats why the crowd noise is higher relatively than what it should be. Some venues are pretty cool still, I know where I like to be, and mostly come out ok. If people want to help renew my faith I would appreciate it, just want to see some good results. I have pulled reasonable tapes in the past, but the best ones are maybe 5 out of the 30-40 shows I have probably taped.
Just reading on here last night about mic placement on here last night, does this apply to stealth mics, X/Y and the rest of them?
Also, a bit out of touch with the various acronymns FOB (?) although I was never into the theory really.


Thanks for anyway faith renewal,

Norm

[sml42]

Hi Stephen, dont use the hubs myself anymore neither. I did see Stephen Fretwell in The Cluny a few months ago, but I didnt tape him.
Been trying to get out of taping lately, to be frank its getting on my nerves. I am still running the CMCs , but cant seem to pull a good tape anymore. Maybe I need to go back to taping 101.
The new Carling Academy in Newcastle is proving difficult. I have taped Starsailor, Doves, Maximo Park and Supergrass and not one has been satisfactory. Its depressing. I taped Ashcroft and Coldplay the other night, I only got half of Ashcroft (and in mono as my lead came unseated), and Coldplay was too quiet and maybe I was too far back, and I think thats why the crowd noise is higher relatively than what it should be. Some venues are pretty cool still, I know where I like to be, and mostly come out ok. If people want to help renew my faith I would appreciate it, just want to see some good results. I have pulled reasonable tapes in the past, but the best ones are maybe 5 out of the 30-40 shows I have probably taped.
Just reading on here last night about mic placement on here last night, does this apply to stealth mics, X/Y and the rest of them?
Also, a bit out of touch with the various acronymns FOB (?) although I was never into the theory really.


Thanks for anyway faith renewal,

Norm

Ah! Shame about the fretwell I guess that was the september tour? I taped two dates off that, and thought he was on top form. Hope you enjoyed the gig (and hopefully you turnedup early enough to see liam frost, who blew me away!)

There was a recent thread on here about 'losing the faith'... *goes off to search*
here: http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=53569.0

5 shows out of 30-40 are your best? I think that's fair. This year I've taped about 90 bands, and the recordings I'm happy (REALLY happy) with I can count on one hand. I've managed to screw up as many through sheer idiocy (including 4 which would have been amongst my best of the year); and everything else I consider "average". I even got busted for the first time this year...

Reflecting on this, it makes sense - most of the time I expect to come away from a gig with a recording, apart from a handful of times I manage to fuck up. And when I do come away with a recording, I'd expect a handful of those to be kickass. You can argue the exact numbers, but statistically sooner or later you'll manage to pull a kickass recording. Of course you can never tell whether the NEXT gig is going to be THE gig, so keep on playing the game! Another way to look at it, if you've had a bad run - the bad run can't go on forever (unless you stop playing) so each gig you go to is more likely to be a good one.

And of course it never hurts to take a break once every while.

"The new Carling Academy in Newcastle is proving difficult." that's a decent size venue, right? (I guess, similar to the cambridge corn exchange? I've had very mixed experiences taping from the corn exchange). If you have the opportunity, try taping in different venues. I realise from your list, that the bands you want to tape are most likely to be playing in this or similar sized venues... but if the venue is rubbish (bad acoustics, noisy crowd, whatever) then perhaps just give it a wide space.

Or, maybe just take a few months out, and just go to enjoy the shows without worrying about taping.

best regards,
stephen

[Ed.]

go tape one of your favorite local bands and a smaller club/bar/pub and i bet you'll pull a great tape.

[nameloc01]

always seemed to me the best remedy for audience chatter and the ever present drunken jackass that screams at the band is to:
A) remove yourself from the immediate area
B)if you cant relocate get your mics up as far as possible above the audience,that will help alot.