what is best way to record a choir?

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kc2ine
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2011/09/01 10:50:28 (permalink)

what is best way to record a choir?

How they do professionally? each singer has a mike?
I may need to record in my studio some small choir around 15 people
but I have only 2 mikes, is it doable?  I'm not gonna get 15 mikes anyway...

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    The Maillard Reaction
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    . 2011/09/01 12:44:21 (permalink)
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    post edited by The Maillard Reaction - 2019/01/09 15:10:23


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    IK Obi
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    Re:what is best way to record a choir? 2011/09/01 16:49:23 (permalink)
    Yup for most choirs I'd stick with just two condensers anyways. X/Y or M/S would be the firs things I'd try out. Try them both and see which you like more.
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    kc2ine
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    Re:what is best way to record a choir? 2011/09/01 17:04:39 (permalink)
    sorry but what do you guys mean by X/Y or M/S? 
    I have NT1-A mike and will get another.

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    The Maillard Reaction
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    . 2011/09/01 19:09:45 (permalink)
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    post edited by The Maillard Reaction - 2019/01/09 15:10:30


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    kc2ine
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    Re:what is best way to record a choir? 2011/09/02 01:07:39 (permalink)
    thanks for tips, got to read about it indeed.
    Wonder if this technique gives noticeable improvements over normal
    mike position, sounds complicated anyway.

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    Jeff Evans
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    Re:what is best way to record a choir? 2011/09/02 03:13:48 (permalink)
    If you are going to go for an M/S setup then put the choir into a bit of an arc and put the microphones at the centre position or middle of the half circle.

    The great thing about M/S is that one of the microphones (M) is pointing directly at the front position and the side microphone pick up the sides very well. On playback and during decoding you can adjust/modify the relative levels of the two signals. (M and S)

    You can start with a normal decode and hear the natural stereo effect and that will be good but you can adjust the balances and pull the choir into mono more or increase the stereo effect/imaging after the recording has been made. There is added flexibility due to this.

    Also sometimes it sounds very nice for the M microphone to be put into omni. You will get a bit more of the room sound. Might be good if the room is a little less reverberated. String quartet sounds fantastic with an M/S setup with the M microphone in omni.

    If you can arrange for the M  microphone to have variable patterns and do two test recordings to see. (M in cardoid and M in omni) But you will need to have the decoder setup during replay and also it is prefereable to do the recording in a room away from the choir itself and set up a set of small quality monitors. If you can do that you will be able to do the tests right on site.







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    mattplaysguitar
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    Re:what is best way to record a choir? 2011/09/02 07:17:29 (permalink)
    M/S is very interesting. It sounds very wide and spacious. But if you're going super wide, it does lose depth in the 50% L and 50% R areas (there are things you can do to minimise this, but you'll lose width). It has its uses. Two VERY different results. For choir only, I would almost certainly use X/Y. If you have other music going on, then either could work. You really need to play with each and see what works.

    Spaced pair could give a nice result too. I wouldn't rule it out.


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    The Maillard Reaction
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    . 2011/09/02 08:02:03 (permalink)
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    post edited by The Maillard Reaction - 2019/01/09 15:10:38


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    Karyn
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    Re:what is best way to record a choir? 2011/09/02 08:18:04 (permalink)
    Last time I recorded a choir I had the opposite problem than Mike.   It was in Lincoln Cathedral!!
    AND they wanted to wander around while singing...  (it was the anual carol service at xmas, recorded for radio transmission just 1 hour later, I didn't even have time to hear the recording before it was transmitted)

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    #10
    kc2ine
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    Re:what is best way to record a choir? 2011/09/02 12:48:11 (permalink)
    how about singers positions to the mikes?  How they should stand, in a circle surrounding the mikes or normally in row?

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    The Maillard Reaction
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    . 2011/09/02 16:08:54 (permalink)
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    post edited by The Maillard Reaction - 2019/01/09 15:10:47


    #12
    rumleymusic
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    Re:what is best way to record a choir? 2011/09/02 16:26:23 (permalink)
    How they do professionally? 


    Appropriate, good sounding space, ORTF cardioids or AB omnis.  ~60% recording angle. No individual mics unless there are soloists.   



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