Why record a live concert? If you want a recording, why not take the choir to a studio and record the music? 

The simple answer is that there is often something very magical about a live concert.  Some choirs and performers are "up" for a live concert in a way that they just aren't for a rehearsal or studio.  There is a dynamic between performer and audience that is just not present during a rehearsal.  If your choir sings just as well in a studio (and you can afford the expense) by all means, record in a studio.  There are many fine studios that will be happy to have your business.  You will get a level of control that is just not possible live.  Since you will be able to correct musical mistakes, the CD will be musically cleaner.  For all these reasons you can end up with a clean modern "studio sound" CD of which you can be proud. 

If you are interested in recording a choral concert, there are a number of decisions that you need to make.  I hope that this set of web pages will help you with those decisions.  Click on the question to see a discussion of the issue.

Do I record at the concert, the rehearsal or both? - Can you afford to record at both?  When does recording at the rehearsal make a difference in the final recording?

 

How many microphones? - There have been many fine recordings made with only two microphones  Yet other recordings can many microphones.  How do you determine the number of microphones needed in a given situation.

Where do I position the main stereo pair of microphones? - Height, distance from the choir, orientation, separation, and the specifications of the microphones all make a difference in the recorded sound.  There is no single right answer that covers all situations, so how do you decide?

 

What are the benefits of mixing in the studio as opposed to at the concert? - Mixing in the studio can be expensive, so why do it?  The short answer is that sometimes we can make the choir sound better!  Here we will discuss what is possible and what isn't.

 

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Copyright © 2005 -2007 David A. Larrabee