Here's the situation: I have an up-coming shoot at a bar. This bar is a small venue for bands (rock, blues, pop-punk, etc.). How can I capture usable sound of the live performance? Should I just try to tap into the PA? What if the PA route is not an option (for whatever reason)? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
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Getting Sound from a Live Performance
- Thread starter Aaron.Faulkner
- Start date
I have done this often. I use a mix of audio. Set up a good
mic and recorder at the back of the room to pick up ambience.
Set up two mics on either side of the stage to pick up a "stereo"
mix. And pull audio directly off the board.
mic and recorder at the back of the room to pick up ambience.
Set up two mics on either side of the stage to pick up a "stereo"
mix. And pull audio directly off the board.
You pull Remote One up outside the venue, tap into the on-stage audio snake and record each instrument and vocalist individually.
If you can't afford that a lot is going to depend upon the specific situation.
When you say small club do you mean 50 people or 500? The smaller the club the less representative of the mix feed off of the PA will be. You have to keep in mind that the FOH (Front Of House) mixer is mixing for the room, not for a live recording. In a very small room the mixes tend to be vocals and kick drum, the rest of the instruments don't need much in the way of "help" from the PA. In larger venues the mix will be more representative of what is happening on stage, but you still have to keep in mind that the EQ and volume balance are for the club, not an audio recording. I have gotten some very nice recordings off of the console in very large venues (1,000+); they still needed a lot of EQ work to smooth them out.
The viable solution is to take a feed of off the mix console and to also use a stereo mic or a matched pair of mics in the "sweet spot" of the room. The "sweet spot" is generally above and slightly forward of the FOH mixer. When you get into post you use a blend of the console mix and the mics.
By default you will have to use separate audio recorders; there's no way you can move around with a camera that is tethered to the PA console or stationary mics.
If you can't afford that a lot is going to depend upon the specific situation.
When you say small club do you mean 50 people or 500? The smaller the club the less representative of the mix feed off of the PA will be. You have to keep in mind that the FOH (Front Of House) mixer is mixing for the room, not for a live recording. In a very small room the mixes tend to be vocals and kick drum, the rest of the instruments don't need much in the way of "help" from the PA. In larger venues the mix will be more representative of what is happening on stage, but you still have to keep in mind that the EQ and volume balance are for the club, not an audio recording. I have gotten some very nice recordings off of the console in very large venues (1,000+); they still needed a lot of EQ work to smooth them out.
The viable solution is to take a feed of off the mix console and to also use a stereo mic or a matched pair of mics in the "sweet spot" of the room. The "sweet spot" is generally above and slightly forward of the FOH mixer. When you get into post you use a blend of the console mix and the mics.
By default you will have to use separate audio recorders; there's no way you can move around with a camera that is tethered to the PA console or stationary mics.
Thanks for the help!!
The room can hold about 200 people max. This is for a college project so I definitely don't have access to the kind of amazing equipment in your photo Aclove Audio.
Here's the sound equipment I have access to, in case that helps. Sorry for the #'s on similar items. I'm just copying and pasting here.
Floor Mic Stand 1
Floor Mic Stand 2
635A Stick Mic #5
635A Stick Mic #6
RE 15 Stick Mic #2
RE 16 Stick Mic #1
RE 15 Stick Mic #3
Azden Wireless
Shure Wireless #3
ECM 30 Lav Mic
Senn Wireless #2
ECM 50 #3 Lav Mic
ECM 50 #5 Lav Mic
AT 4073 #3 Shotgun Mic + XLR
KM 184 + XLR #1
ME 80 #2
Crown Stereo Microphone
Shure Stereo
AT 8533 #2 Lav Mic
ECM-44 Lav Mic #1
MKE-2 Lav Mic #01
MKE-2 Lav Mic #02
Neumann Shotgun Mic + XLR
Boom Pole #3
RE 16 Stick Mic #2
Senn Wireless #1
Boom Pole #1
Boom Pole #2
ME 66 #2
ECM-44 Lav Mic #2
KM 84 + XLR #3
635A Stick Mic #1
635A Stick Mic #2
EV DL 42 #1 Shotgun Mic + XLR
EV DL 42 #2 Shotgun Mic + XLR
Rode Shotgun Mic + XLR #1
Rode Shotgun Mic + XLR #2
Rode Shotgun Mic + XLR #3
Rode Shotgun Mic + XLR #4
Boom Pole #4
ME 66 #1
Rode Camera Mic
Rode Shotgun Mic + XLR #5
Rode Shotgun Mic + XLR #6
MEMWP Lav Mic #2
MEMWP Lav Mic #1
Shure Wireless 1
AT 4073 #1 Shotgun Mic +XLR
Boom Pole #6 (K-Tek)
Boom Pole #5
Boom Pole #10 (K-Tek)
Boom Pole #7 (K-Tek)
Boom Pole #8 (K-Tek)
Boom Pole #9 (K-Tek)
ECM 50 #2 Lav Mic
ECM 55
ECM 66 #1
MKE 300 #1
MKE 300 #2
MKE 300 #3
PMD 661 Power Adaptor
PMD 661 Remote Control
PMD 661 Remote Control 2
DAT Recorder #4
Fostex #1
Fostex #3
Fostex #2
Mixer #1
Nagra 4.2 Recorder #1
Mini Fostex
Sound Device #1
Nagra 4-S Recorder
Mixer #2
Mixer #3
Sound Device #2
Furman Mixer #3
H4
H4n
XLR cables
The room can hold about 200 people max. This is for a college project so I definitely don't have access to the kind of amazing equipment in your photo Aclove Audio.
Here's the sound equipment I have access to, in case that helps. Sorry for the #'s on similar items. I'm just copying and pasting here.
Floor Mic Stand 1
Floor Mic Stand 2
635A Stick Mic #5
635A Stick Mic #6
RE 15 Stick Mic #2
RE 16 Stick Mic #1
RE 15 Stick Mic #3
Azden Wireless
Shure Wireless #3
ECM 30 Lav Mic
Senn Wireless #2
ECM 50 #3 Lav Mic
ECM 50 #5 Lav Mic
AT 4073 #3 Shotgun Mic + XLR
KM 184 + XLR #1
ME 80 #2
Crown Stereo Microphone
Shure Stereo
AT 8533 #2 Lav Mic
ECM-44 Lav Mic #1
MKE-2 Lav Mic #01
MKE-2 Lav Mic #02
Neumann Shotgun Mic + XLR
Boom Pole #3
RE 16 Stick Mic #2
Senn Wireless #1
Boom Pole #1
Boom Pole #2
ME 66 #2
ECM-44 Lav Mic #2
KM 84 + XLR #3
635A Stick Mic #1
635A Stick Mic #2
EV DL 42 #1 Shotgun Mic + XLR
EV DL 42 #2 Shotgun Mic + XLR
Rode Shotgun Mic + XLR #1
Rode Shotgun Mic + XLR #2
Rode Shotgun Mic + XLR #3
Rode Shotgun Mic + XLR #4
Boom Pole #4
ME 66 #1
Rode Camera Mic
Rode Shotgun Mic + XLR #5
Rode Shotgun Mic + XLR #6
MEMWP Lav Mic #2
MEMWP Lav Mic #1
Shure Wireless 1
AT 4073 #1 Shotgun Mic +XLR
Boom Pole #6 (K-Tek)
Boom Pole #5
Boom Pole #10 (K-Tek)
Boom Pole #7 (K-Tek)
Boom Pole #8 (K-Tek)
Boom Pole #9 (K-Tek)
ECM 50 #2 Lav Mic
ECM 55
ECM 66 #1
MKE 300 #1
MKE 300 #2
MKE 300 #3
PMD 661 Power Adaptor
PMD 661 Remote Control
PMD 661 Remote Control 2
DAT Recorder #4
Fostex #1
Fostex #3
Fostex #2
Mixer #1
Nagra 4.2 Recorder #1
Mini Fostex
Sound Device #1
Nagra 4-S Recorder
Mixer #2
Mixer #3
Sound Device #2
Furman Mixer #3
H4
H4n
XLR cables
Get a recorder on the mixing console. Make sure that you have some in-line pads available, you'll probably need them. Use another recorder with one of the stereo mics above and slightly ahead of the console. If you have the availability get another recorder and a stereo pair split wide but close to the stage, and, if available, another pair about halfway up the room. You can never have enough coverage.