Recording choirs question - help?

[lastounce]

Hey I am planning on recording an 18 piece high-school student choir I'm wondering if you have suggestions as to what mic choice, placement etc to use. We are doing it in an auditorium. I'm willing to rent things etc...I want this to sound as good as it can without being over exposed.

Any help ??
Thanks!!!

[qgrm]

decca tree

[sdemott]

Either ORTF (with or without flanked omni room mics) or 3 spaced omnis in front of the choir.

I do a lot of classical recording (lots of choirs) and find the ORTF with omni flanks to be my favorite for capturing a realistic sound stage with plenty of depth. But with a choir that small you will probably get more than enough ambience with just the ORTF pair.

For mic choices, I'd suggest DPA or Schoeps cardiods for the ORTF pair (the DPA 3521 set is specifically meant for this application) - and a pair of Earthworks QTC-1s for the omnis.

As mentioned, the Decca Tree is an option, but if you have never used one you will want some time to work out all the details as the tree needs to be positioned quite carefully in a room.

HTH

[lastounce]

Thanks for the replies! Huge help...

One thing though, since I dont own (and can't afford...yet) the DPAs and therefore must rent them, I run into the problem of finding a place that rents them. I live in the toronto area I dont know if you knwo any places. Anyway, would something like 414s work for omnis and AT4051s work for the main pair (this is what I know I can rent for sure). I'll still s earch for the DPAs and earthworks though...

What would be your thoughts ont hose mics?

[Sam601]

Check Long and Mc Quade or Steve's on Queen St West from University

[sdemott]

The 414s will definately work for omnis. The 4051s might be a bit bright. I would prefer SM81s to the AT4051s. Other good choices for the main pair: AKG C480 (with cardiod capsule) or Neumann KM100 (with cardiod capsule).

HTH

[Chris Cavell]

I agree with sdemott generally, however I prefer 4051's to sm81's for almost any application including classical recording...but then again, I've never really liked sm81's...but every engineer is definitely entitled to their own opinions. Lot's of engineers like the 81's, so their has to be something to them...

414's should do fine for the more distant omnis; I would suggest using a pair of the older EB's or the newer B-ULS's over the TL-II's, but spaced as they are from the performers, the difference in sound shouldn't be overly dramatic. The TL-II's will be somewhat brighter though(possibly too bright for some, but the acoustics of the hall may actually favor such a microphone).

I definitely agree that the AKG c480 with CK-61 capsule or Neumann KM 184 will give you a somewhat warmer sound. I have found however that the C480 w/ CK-61 capsules to be a bit unpredictable from one mic to another...definitely get them in a matched pair. The 184's are far more "regular" from one mic to another in my experience.

That being said, I really like the 4051's. There are times when I'll reach for those instead of DPA's/B&K's cardioid options. The 4051's do seem to color the sound a little, but rarely if ever in a bad way, and simple distance and height adjustments often fix any problem areas in their sound. They are very predictable microphones and can deliver a fantastic sound if used as carefully as you would any of the other more expensive alternatives mentioned. Besides that, if you are looking to purchase a pair of small di's, the 4051's are IMO much more versatile than their more expensive counterparts within a studio atmosphere...swiss army knives that can often replace the specialty tools without most anyone noticing any drop in sound quality...supplement the swiss army knife with the specialty tools as budget allows.

[lastounce]

Thanks everyone! This is all great stuff to think about. Perhaps I will post the final result once I record the first week of june!

[Gene Backlin]

I have used Studio Projects C4's in ORTF for my daughter's high school choir.

http://www.ehmz.org/Gallery/songs/12_Stars.mp3

The above is an excerpt from a recent choral program.

Take Care,
Gene

[lastounce]

Hey how far away from the choir where the mics?