Good stuff.digitaldrummer wrote: ↑Thu Oct 25, 2018 11:06 amI recorded this one a few years ago....
https://jaapblonk.bandcamp.com/album/north-of-blanco
it is of the "noise genre" so rather than describe that, just listen for a minute and you will get the picture.
Unusual recording gigs and new experiences- share your stories
Re: Unusual recording gigs and new experiences- share your stories
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Re: Unusual recording gigs and new experiences- share your stories
I saw Jaap Blonk perform many years ago--he was impressive! I can unequivocally say that he's the best Dada tone poet I've ever seen perform.
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Re: Unusual recording gigs and new experiences- share your stories
I think I posted about my most unusual one on TOMB when it happened:
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=84630&p=686510
Still my most unusual one, I'd say. But I've since done a few that were a bit of an odd challenge and maybe a little more technically interesting.
An acquaintance wrote a musical and had the opportunity to quickly record all of the songs with the help of a group of community actors. We had a very limited amount of time to do it - every song was 3 takes max, and I didn't have time to change the setup at all between the songs. The songs ranged from full-on chorus numbers to solos to duets to numerous characters singing at each other from opposite sides of the stage, etc. - all the different musical theater tropes - and I wanted to capture all of that appropriately, if I could. We had 30-odd performers (including a few kids), one piano accompanist, and a medium-size rehearsal room for about 8 hours to record over 20 tracks. And I had about the same amount of time to mix it - she was on a budget and couldn't afford to have me spend too much time on it. She basically just wanted a demo to use to "sell" the show for further development, so it could sound like it was a work in progress (which it was) but we also wanted it to sound as good and professional as possible.
What I ended up doing was basically a bunch of area mics in different configurations. I can't speak to exact mics and pres, but I believe I had a spaced omni pair; a couple SDCs in ORTF or NOS (probably NOS upon reflection - no pun intended - to control reflections a bit); a close LDC for solos/duets; an LDC back with the stereo pairs and up high-ish, 7-8', aimed down at the center of the stage; and a sort of combination M/S thing made up of the usual figure 8 side mic with the choice of 2 different mid mics, one cardioid or one omni. And a DI for the clavinova and a mic for the narrator, and I think something like a PCC for the "children's corner". It was kind of crazy, but it actually worked really well: when mixing, I'd just toggle through all the different options and go with the one that sounded best for that song - there was always a clear winner. There were only a couple songs that totally sucked, and a lot of it ended up sounding way better than it had any right to.
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=84630&p=686510
Still my most unusual one, I'd say. But I've since done a few that were a bit of an odd challenge and maybe a little more technically interesting.
An acquaintance wrote a musical and had the opportunity to quickly record all of the songs with the help of a group of community actors. We had a very limited amount of time to do it - every song was 3 takes max, and I didn't have time to change the setup at all between the songs. The songs ranged from full-on chorus numbers to solos to duets to numerous characters singing at each other from opposite sides of the stage, etc. - all the different musical theater tropes - and I wanted to capture all of that appropriately, if I could. We had 30-odd performers (including a few kids), one piano accompanist, and a medium-size rehearsal room for about 8 hours to record over 20 tracks. And I had about the same amount of time to mix it - she was on a budget and couldn't afford to have me spend too much time on it. She basically just wanted a demo to use to "sell" the show for further development, so it could sound like it was a work in progress (which it was) but we also wanted it to sound as good and professional as possible.
What I ended up doing was basically a bunch of area mics in different configurations. I can't speak to exact mics and pres, but I believe I had a spaced omni pair; a couple SDCs in ORTF or NOS (probably NOS upon reflection - no pun intended - to control reflections a bit); a close LDC for solos/duets; an LDC back with the stereo pairs and up high-ish, 7-8', aimed down at the center of the stage; and a sort of combination M/S thing made up of the usual figure 8 side mic with the choice of 2 different mid mics, one cardioid or one omni. And a DI for the clavinova and a mic for the narrator, and I think something like a PCC for the "children's corner". It was kind of crazy, but it actually worked really well: when mixing, I'd just toggle through all the different options and go with the one that sounded best for that song - there was always a clear winner. There were only a couple songs that totally sucked, and a lot of it ended up sounding way better than it had any right to.
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Re: Unusual recording gigs and new experiences- share your stories
Recorded a live comedy set a couple weeks ago. Pretty neat actually. Used a splitter to take a feed off the handheld mic without interfering with the FOH dude. Wide spaced pair of SDC's on either side of the stage and a 4050 in omni down low/center stage for audience mics / ambience.
Had to really be on the ball and ride my preamp gain for the main mic. It's pretty unreal how much dynamic range she had during her performance. Every time I thought I had enough headroom to cover in case she yelled, I had to pull back real fast to keep the channel from overloading (sytek preamps don't sound too good when they hit red, IMO). In retrospect, some light / fast peak limiting would have been more ideal, but in the end, it sounds like a real comedy record. Was able to really simulate an "I am in the room" feeling with the spaced pair. Josephson makes a hell of a microphone.
We're going to do round 2 soon. She wasn't happy with her delivery on a couple of the jokes, so she wants to get a 2nd take, then it's off to her producer to arrange the thing.
Had to really be on the ball and ride my preamp gain for the main mic. It's pretty unreal how much dynamic range she had during her performance. Every time I thought I had enough headroom to cover in case she yelled, I had to pull back real fast to keep the channel from overloading (sytek preamps don't sound too good when they hit red, IMO). In retrospect, some light / fast peak limiting would have been more ideal, but in the end, it sounds like a real comedy record. Was able to really simulate an "I am in the room" feeling with the spaced pair. Josephson makes a hell of a microphone.
We're going to do round 2 soon. She wasn't happy with her delivery on a couple of the jokes, so she wants to get a 2nd take, then it's off to her producer to arrange the thing.
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Re: Unusual recording gigs and new experiences- share your stories
I do a lot of comedy recordings these days. The dynamics are crazy. I usually split the stage mic 3 ways. One for FOH and two for me. Then I run two preamps. One set normally and the otherset 10 db lower. It's saved my ass a bunch of times.Recycled_Brains wrote: ↑Mon Oct 29, 2018 11:15 am
Had to really be on the ball and ride my preamp gain for the main mic. It's pretty unreal how much dynamic range she had during her performance. Every time I thought I had enough headroom to cover in case she yelled, I had to pull back real fast to keep the channel from overloading (sytek preamps don't sound too good when they hit red, IMO). In retrospect, some light / fast peak limiting would have been more ideal, but in the end, it sounds like a real comedy record. Was able to really simulate an "I am in the room" feeling with the spaced pair. Josephson makes a hell of a microphone.
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Re: Unusual recording gigs and new experiences- share your stories
It's such a simple trick but so good! I learned it from a FOH/club guy a few years ago, I was like, "Duh!"A.David.MacKinnon wrote: ↑Mon Oct 29, 2018 12:32 pmOne for FOH and two for me. Then I run two preamps. One set normally and the otherset 10 db lower. It's saved my ass a bunch of times.
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Re: Unusual recording gigs and new experiences- share your stories
Holy shit, dude, that's a HOT tip. Elegant. Def. doing that next time.TapeOpLarry wrote: ↑Mon Oct 29, 2018 8:28 pmIt's such a simple trick but so good! I learned it from a FOH/club guy a few years ago, I was like, "Duh!"A.David.MacKinnon wrote: ↑Mon Oct 29, 2018 12:32 pmOne for FOH and two for me. Then I run two preamps. One set normally and the otherset 10 db lower. It's saved my ass a bunch of times.
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Re: Unusual recording gigs and new experiences- share your stories
yep that trick is a classic.
I've mastered a few comedy records and indeed the dynamics can be crazy
I've mastered a few comedy records and indeed the dynamics can be crazy
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Re: Unusual recording gigs and new experiences- share your stories
"What's the deal with dynamics?"MoreSpaceEcho wrote: ↑Fri Nov 02, 2018 1:15 pmyep that trick is a classic.
I've mastered a few comedy records and indeed the dynamics can be crazy
Re: Unusual recording gigs and new experiences- share your stories
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