Topic: Taping a school band

[drewski1986]

I'm going to be taping my son's school band on Weds.  I've only taped loud rock shows in the past so I'm not sure which caps to use and what configuration.  I have Busman mics with card, sub-card, hyper, and omni caps.  I don't know anything about the room other than it is an auditorium.  I'm assuming I'll get real close, maybe clamp to something near the stage lip or use one of those mini stands on the stage.  Any help with the cap and configuration would be appreciated. 

[capnhook]

split omnis ----- about 8 feet that close ----- is what i'd try

[tbrown4]

I can certainly chime in on this one....

Being a middle school band director for several years, I have run both the split omnis on stage and ORTF cards just off stage, both yielded good results. Ideally, spaced omnis on stage AND cards from ~halfway back in the performance hall.

I now teach high school band. We have a guy that tapes for us. For our first concert this year (last week) he ran AKG 414s (Cards), ORTF from about 10 feet above the director's head (DFC) pointed slightly down, aimed at the middle (front to back) of the ensemble. Very nice results.

[live2496]

Same thing here. I got some advice from mschiff on this last year before recording a community band in a high school auditorium.

Spaced omnis (Oktava MC-012's) 30 inches apart on a horizontal bar above the conductors position. Very nice stereo image and captured the room sound as well. Doing this helps get away from the crowd noises.

I would avoid pointing them straight at the horn section. Go for the softest instruments... strings and flutes.

[boojum]

The mics to use depends on the quality of sound in the room.  If it is a good venue you want all the sound and omnis would be good.  If it is not a good venue cards would be better.  With omnis I find Williams research on mic spacing better than the rank amateur opinions.  His paper, "Stereo Zoom" can be found on this board or at Rycote.  Williams has years of experience and many hours of testing in his charts for mic spacing.  I use his spacing recommendations for omnis and find them spot on.

You would be well advised to read Eargle's books, the chapters on mics, and his book solely about mics.  Where that microphone is will be the most important decision of the recording.  Do your homework.  Bartletts texts on recording are also a good reference.  This is not guesswork nor is it all new land.  There are lots of previous studies on these matters.

Cheers

[TNJazz]

The mics to use depends on the quality of sound in the room.  If it is a good venue you want all the sound and omnis would be good.  If it is not a good venue cards would be better.  With omnis I find Williams research on mic spacing better than the rank amateur opinions.  His paper, "Stereo Zoom" can be found on this board or at Rycote.  Williams has years of experience and many hours of testing in his charts for mic spacing.  I use his spacing recommendations for omnis and find them spot on.

You would be well advised to read Eargle's books, the chapters on mics, and his book solely about mics.  Where that microphone is will be the most important decision of the recording.  Do your homework.  Bartletts texts on recording are also a good reference.  This is not guesswork nor is it all new land.  There are lots of previous studies on these matters.

Cheers

All good advice to some degree, but then again it ain't rocket science either.  Point and shoot.

[drewski1986]

Thanks for all of the replies.  As I said earlier, I don't know much about the room so I will bring all of my caps and take a guess after I find out where I will be able to set up.  Thanks again.

[ts]

Same thing here. I got some advice from mschiff on this last year before recording a community band in a high school auditorium.

Spaced omnis (Oktava MC-012's) 30 inches apart on a horizontal bar above the conductors position. Very nice stereo image and captured the room sound as well. Doing this helps get away from the crowd noises.

I would avoid pointing them straight at the horn section. Go for the softest instruments... strings and flutes.

"above the conductors position". please elaborate on this. mic stand directly behind conductor? how high? say there is not enough room between conductor and stage lip. or the conductor does not want a stand directly behind him. i would then have to setup on the floor and use a 17 foot stand to reach desired height. can one of those 3 foot stands be used on stage, or is higher better. i can't hang anything.

[boojum]

My experience with chorales has been to run a pair of omnis about three feet above the conductor's head angled into the center of the chorale.  In your case it would be of the band.  When I have recorded chorale works with soloists I usually put a pair of cards about an inch apart which I blend as a mono track.  Each individual soloist needed to stand before that pair of mics, which was their plan.

This weekend I had five soloists spread out and could not mic them all so I settled for an MS in the center of the soloists.  I will track each solo separately and adjust the volume on each one as needed.  It was all about one soloist who has a beautiful voice but has no strength.

You should do just fine with a pair of mics ~3 feet above the conductor's head angled into the center of the sound mass.  Post the results if you care to. 

Cheers

[live2496]

I was fortunate because...

1) the conductor and group gave me a free hand to place mics wherever I wanted to, including above the conductors head which exactly what I did. (Well actually about 3 feet ahead of the conductor). Up and out of the line of sight, facing into the orchestra.

2) I had access to a loaner mic stand. This is a huge stand that I was able to put on the stage and the base of the stand was off to one side. I put the mics on a bar at the end of that boom stand. I hope this answers your question. So, I was a bit between the conductor and the group and up 3-ft above.

Spaced omnis are ideal if the room sounds good. Cardiods may also leave you with a hole in the middle depending upon how close you are. The dilemma there is that you want to pickup the sides, but it could leave the middle with not enough volume. I would think that mid-side would be a good way to do this also if you have a mic that can do figure-8.


 
 

[aegert]

I just did my Sons concert and used 4022's ortf 3ft above the conductors head and it sounds wonderful.
A :-)

[ts]

I just did my Sons concert and used 4022's ortf 3ft above the conductors head and it sounds wonderful.
A :-)

So your stand was setup onstage directly behind the conductor? I'm thinking they may have issues with this. I could setup on the floor directly in front of the stage and prolly get above directors head. i thought of using my 4023's but thought LD's might be better suited for this type of job.

[boojum]

I just did my Sons concert and used 4022's ortf 3ft above the conductors head and it sounds wonderful.
A :-)

This man is ready for the big time now!