Recording - August 2018 - 14

TEN TIPS

FOR A SUCCESSFUL

LIVE RECORDING
2: BRING MORE STUFF THAN
YOU THINK YOU NEED.

drives, SD/SDHC cards, or even tape. And pack gaffer tape!
You'll never be sorry for bringing lots of gaff.
When it's all together, pack it neatly and know where to
find every item. Nothing raises your stress level (and that of
the folks around you) like frantically searching for something
you know you packed. See Figure 1.
.

3: SCALE YOUR RECODING RIG
TO SUIT THE OUTCOME.

The desired quality and eventual use of the recording
should
play a hand in the approach you take. If the recording
This may seem obvious, but I can't overstate the importance
is
strictly
to be used by the band or artist for their own
of having things in abundance when you're on site recording.
evaluation,
or if it's for quick turnaround on social media, a
If the setup calls for 20 microphone cables, bring 25 or 30.
simple
2-track
recording may be adequate. If it's for release
Even if you did a continuity test of all your cables before you
or
broadcast,
you
will want to go for a more sophisticated
packed them (and I recommend continuity checking on a
multi-input
recording.
regular basis), things can and do get damaged in the rough
It's totally feasible to capture a decent recording with a
and tumble world of a music venue.
simple
stereo setup. It can be as simple as a stereo mic like a
Some common causes of cable casualties include XLR
Shure
MV88
or RØDE iXY and a smartphone or tablet. There
connectors getting crushed by a heavy amplifier or monitor
are
even
binaural
microphones by companies like Core Audio
(or a 250-pound roadie's gaff-tape-encrusted Doc Martens),
leads breaking off due to stress, and out-and-out severing by
and Hooke Audio that you wear like headphones. (That
any number of vectors. Bring extra cables.
certainly takes the guesswork out of where to set up!)
You won't regret having spare DI boxes, either. Even with
I own a set of discreet microphones with matching
meticulous planning you shouldn't be surprised when your
preamps by Church Audio (see Figure 2). I use them most
artist shows up with an extra keyboard or guitar... and those
often with a laptop, but I also purchased cables that allow
extra DIs will require mic cables. (See above.) Make sure you
me to route them through my iPhone. A more modern and
have plenty of batteries for the DIs that use them.
high-def solution would be the d:screet subminiature mics
Bring more of everything... and that includes microphones.
by DPA Microphones.
You may need to get creative and spot-mic a few more sound
Alternatively you can use a small stereo recorder like the
sources than you anticipated in the planning stages. As well,
Zoom H5 or TASCAM DR-40. Many of these have built-in
if you're sharing mics with the FOH, you many find some of
stereo microphones. Some also have XLR inputs and supply
the venue's warhorse microphones have become a little worse
phantom power, which allows you to use a pair of your
for wear. The FOH mixer will likely let you swap your pristine
studio mics for the pickup. If possible, choose mics that
SM57 on the snare for his "used as a hammer just to prove it
have variable pickup patterns; you can experiment to see
could be" house mic.
which one provides the best balance of stage, venue, and
Make sure you have more than an adequate supply of
crowd sound. Figure-8 and omni patterns often work great
recording media, whether it's hard drives, solid state flash
in this application.
Whatever recording device you use, placement in the
venue will be critical. If possible, set up your rig
on mic stands that can get the microphones up 3
or 4 feet above the Front Of House position. This
is usually (though not always) the sweet spot in a
venue. You may have to find a way to secure the
mics and the recorder to the stand. (That gaffer
tape you packed may come in handy here.) If
the FOH position isn't available or not optimal,
setting up somewhere in the middle of the
Fig. 2: These Church Audio
venue, not too near the rear wall, would be your
microphones with preamp are my
best option.
old standbys for discreet miking.
Your recording rig scales up from here. You can
Fig. 1: Prepping road cases before the
achieve a more sophisticated stereo recording by
gig-time spent now saves worry later!
routing multiple microphones to a mixer and creating a live-to-2-mix on the fly. You will need to have
separation from the live room to do this effectively.
Moving beyond that will involve full-on multitrack
recording, and the next few tips will focus on that.
14

RECORDING August 2018

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