Taperssection.com

Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: ace_92029 on October 28, 2005, 04:56:49 PM

Title: Best place for sound
Post by: ace_92029 on October 28, 2005, 04:56:49 PM
I am going to record u2 at madison square garden in November.   I have 2 of everything.  I will mix the sound post production.  Where would be the best 2 spots to record sound in this venue do you think?

I was told the center is best because the mix is geared for that area.  Although I can have a man on the right and left and mix later.   Or I may just have a center recording and a side recording and listen to it later to see how to mix it.   Everything is audience recording that I am doing (so no sound board).  Also mics are professional grade and so is recorder (recording at 24 bit).

Thx for any help-
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: SparkE! on October 28, 2005, 05:44:47 PM
Sorry, I can't answer the question you are asking, but I'd like to point out that by running two different units, they may not stay in synch with each other.  It's common for recording equipment to use quartz crystals that have 100 ppm accuracy and +/- 100 ppm drift over temperature.  Now they don't usually approach the worst case specs, but it's not uncommon for two rigs to develop 1/10th of a second skew between two sources over an hour's time.  So in post, you are going to have to selectively stretch one vs. the other or do some other similar operation to keep the two sources aligned.  I'm not saying that it can't be done, but it's not always trivial either.  I've done a fair number of mixes like that in post and the results are usually pretty good, but it's not as easy as align, slice and burn either.  It usually takes me at least 8 times as long to track out a show when using multiple, unsynchronized sources.
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: ace_92029 on October 28, 2005, 10:43:28 PM
I think it would be quiet easy.  I use Final Cut Pro 5.  If I sink them in the beginning of the concert to an inaudible difference and then find out if I am off near the end I can then change the speed consistently over the whole concert (both sound and video if need be) with one function...now it's just playing with the % near 100% to see where it lines up perfect...not too difficult.
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: itook2much on October 28, 2005, 11:18:40 PM
I think it would be quiet easy.  I use Final Cut Pro 5.  If I sink them in the beginning of the concert to an inaudible difference and then find out if I am off near the end I can then change the speed consistently over the whole concert (both sound and video if need be) with one function...now it's just playing with the % near 100% to see where it lines up perfect...not too difficult.

You're assuming that the speed fluctuation will be continuous, last the entire show, & not fluctuate + and -.  Each of these variables will defeat your stated method.
Usually the combination is aud & sbd matrix.  And even then it can be a nightmare.  I have 1 Mick Taylor show that had to be checked & corrected at 1-3 minute intervals when it was done.
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: TNJazz on October 28, 2005, 11:29:16 PM
When you say two of everything, do you mean mics too?  Or are you going to be using 4 mics (a stereo pair per recorder)?  Might want to re-think that angle if you're not using stereo pairs.

Synchronization of two sources is not as easy as you think.  Take it from someone who does it a LOT (and happens to be in the middle of a DVD multitrack video project as I type this...)

Dirk
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: bagtagsell on October 29, 2005, 10:55:03 AM
If I was running two rigs.  Put one person near the stacks to get a stack tape, and one person in the seet spot, to get more ambiance.
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: Aaron41 on November 01, 2005, 10:59:02 AM
get ready to lose lots of expensive gear to the band if caught.

I've heard about this incident. How can the band FORCE you to give them everything you have?
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: itook2much on November 01, 2005, 11:21:41 AM
get ready to lose lots of expensive gear to the band if caught.

I've heard about this incident. How can the band FORCE you to give them everything you have?

Well, I guess it really just depends on how resistant you are, & how harsh security wants to be.  In an extreme case, it's always possible they could just kick your ass & take it.  Most arena security I've seen has never been very ugly though, they're usually OK.  Clubs are often the worst.
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: pfife on November 01, 2005, 11:45:28 AM
get ready to lose lots of expensive gear to the band if caught.

I've heard about this incident. How can the band FORCE you to give them everything you have?

Well, I guess it really just depends on how resistant you are, & how harsh security wants to be.  In an extreme case, it's always possible they could just kick your ass & take it.  Most arena security I've seen has never been very ugly though, they're usually OK.  Clubs are often the worst.

I saw some venue security beat the shit out of a naked dude at the one and only Phish show I ever went to...


I pulled a stack tape at U2 in Detroit, and I think it rox, fwiw...
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: Swanny on November 01, 2005, 12:25:35 PM
I would run one rig forward and one backward about 5 ft from each other in the center. Then pull a surround out in post.
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: itook2much on November 01, 2005, 07:23:11 PM
Quote
I saw some venue security beat the shit out of a naked dude at the one and only Phish show I ever went to...

That's that peace vibe the scene was known for ::)

And how much of a threat could a naked guy have been? ???
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: johnnyb on November 01, 2005, 07:52:45 PM
Msg is hit or miss with sound, but ga on the floor would be the best spot
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: prof_peabody on November 01, 2005, 11:08:17 PM
I am going to record u2 at madison square garden in November.   I have 2 of everything.  I will mix the sound post production.  Where would be the best 2 spots to record sound in this venue do you think?

I was told the center is best because the mix is geared for that area.  Although I can have a man on the right and left and mix later.   Or I may just have a center recording and a side recording and listen to it later to see how to mix it.   Everything is audience recording that I am doing (so no sound board).  Also mics are professional grade and so is recorder (recording at 24 bit).

Thx for any help-

You must be the Noah of taping; do you keep two of everything in a wooden ark?   :D

Best way to tape would be to have two mics in one location as others have suggested.
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: BobW on November 01, 2005, 11:13:08 PM
MSG sound may be the worst that ever was and will be short of a small round college gymn.

I think about 20 feet from stage DFC running ORTF or OSS(jecklin) would be the best possible.
Or maybe a one stack pull from a farside (it's a mono PA)  thinking the more front sound and less reflected, the better.

If you go any distance, hypers or shotguns would be a must.

Stay far away from the overhangs

GOOD LUCK !!!
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: scb on November 01, 2005, 11:19:24 PM
msg sound can actually be pretty good, but it can definitely suck, too

give me the tix and i'll make a tape :)
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: cdevs on November 02, 2005, 03:47:34 AM
For best results I suggest you have your 'man' front row center with a shotgun microphone, held, head high, pointed directly at Bono. This will insure that your tape has nice clear vocals. Use of a pistol grip should help avoid hand cramps, and a zeppelin-style windscreen will help reduce the effect of indoor breezes caused by MSGs state-of-the-art air conditioning system. Something like ths should suffice:

(http://www.kenstone4.net/fcp_homepage/images_shotgun_mics/02_shotgun.jpg)

For the second, or 'ambient' mic...well, it's not much of a secret that the upstairs rest room at the rear of the hall is revered by tapers-in-the-know for its sublime echoacoustics. Make sure your other 'man' gets there early so that he can score the handicapped stall near the wall for maximum comfort.

Good night and good luck!




(Flame away, but anyone who comes in here talking that kind of game deserves a proper heckling)
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: CHURCH-AUDIO on December 01, 2005, 03:12:48 AM

See if they have a hard of hearing system find out who makes it find out what type of audio jack it uses to connect to the head set and hack it.
the mix will be from the FOH Console matrix ( I should not be telling you this ) sometimes they put an EQ on it to change the sound you will know when you monitor it if this is true if its a flat mix then your in business use another recorder for the room and your done. ( just make sure when you order tickets that you tell them your hard of hearing ) if MSG does not have a hearing system you can try and talk to Clair Brothers audio in PA that is the sound company for U2 and ask them. I am not saying this is going to work I have done it before with other bands and because I am a sound engineer that mixes concerts my self I know about this stuff :)





I am going to record u2 at madison square garden in November.   I have 2 of everything.  I will mix the sound post production.  Where would be the best 2 spots to record sound in this venue do you think?

I was told the center is best because the mix is geared for that area.  Although I can have a man on the right and left and mix later.   Or I may just have a center recording and a side recording and listen to it later to see how to mix it.   Everything is audience recording that I am doing (so no sound board).  Also mics are professional grade and so is recorder (recording at 24 bit).

Thx for any help-
Title: Re: Best place for sound
Post by: shaggy on December 01, 2005, 03:51:06 AM
whatever you end up getting, DON'T TORRENT IT!  Unless you like the idea of a bunch of ebay duping maggots making money off your efforts.