If anyone has any experience with recording concerts, could you please drop me a line? I have a few questions - and hopefully the result will be something of value for everyone.
An overview of the questions:
1) What is the ideal range for recording levels to produce a clean-sounding show? This, of course, varies with artists, venues, etc. But I don't know much about the venue - but I'm quite familiar with the artist.
2) Is an attenuator (Radio Shack?) worthwhile? If it is, how does someone use that most effectively?
Any other ideas, suggestions, etc would be appreciated either here or through PM.
I have been recording 'Live' performances since 1970s and my main advice (since most people are not able to set up their recording equipment in 'theoretically ideal' conditions into e.g. sound-board equipment) is:
1) Enjoy the 'concert' - do not get hung up on the recording your equipment probably stuck inside your shirt etc is doing-you could well get ejected/lose your machinery ...
2) Although I prefer analogue tape recordings (in practice usually on Compact Cassette) there are many convenient ways to record digitally.
3) It is better to have some sort of potential attenuation/ALC/AGC in circuit ... your/your partner's excitement over-recorded might not impress future listeners ...
4) Batteries-tapes-spare memory cards can be invaluable ...
5) Lots of peeps use small portable digital devices - some now use microphones transmitting to external recorders ...
6) Prompt effective 'processing'/'sharing' (IMO with as little messing-about as poss.) of resultant audio is a good thing, with as usual information for those who value it of details of recording-source etc etc ...
7) As 1) Enjoy the 'concert' - anyone who is fortunate enough to hear your recording is lucky/unlucky, and if they want pristine sound quality they must purchase commercial audio or video recording if/when available.
I am sure other people will give you more specific info, but IMO general guidelines are available on many bands' fora/torrent sites.
charliestumpy wrote:I have been recording 'Live' performances since 1970s and my main advice (since most people are not able to set up their recording equipment in 'theoretically ideal' conditions into e.g. sound-board equipment) is:
1) Enjoy the 'concert' - do not get hung up on the recording your equipment probably stuck inside your shirt etc is doing-you could well get ejected/lose your machinery ...
2) Although I prefer analogue tape recordings (in practice usually on Compact Cassette) there are many convenient ways to record digitally.
3) It is better to have some sort of potential attenuation/ALC/AGC in circuit ... your/your partner's excitement over-recorded might not impress future listeners ...
4) Batteries-tapes-spare memory cards can be invaluable ...
5) Lots of peeps use small portable digital devices - some now use microphones transmitting to external recorders ...
6) Prompt effective 'processing'/'sharing' (IMO with as little messing-about as poss.) of resultant audio is a good thing, with as usual information for those who value it of details of recording-source etc etc ...
7) As 1) Enjoy the 'concert' - anyone who is fortunate enough to hear your recording is lucky/unlucky, and if they want pristine sound quality they must purchase commercial audio or video recording if/when available.
I am sure other people will give you more specific info, but IMO general guidelines are available on many bands' fora/torrent sites.
Thanks for the thoughts. I have the gear issue all squared away - with the exception of either an attenuator or battery module. Sony Hi-MD recorder, Sound Professional In-Ear mics are what I'm using. Hopefully I can catch more than one show just in case one recording comes out crappy. Perhaps I could learn what went wrong and correct it for the next show. Not sure if the multi-concert effort will actually play out though.
The guy who taped a Bob Dylan show I was at last year had his microphones taped to the side of his sunglasses, which he wore across the top of his head. That way the sound went over the top of the microphones, rather than at them. We were also about 20 foot right in front of the right stack of a speakers. He got amazing results.
