Need advice... live Gospel!

[ctmartin]

I know there are alot of people out there with alot more experience than I have!! I need your advice, particularly if you've recorded Gospel live, or classical, or rock... oh, whatever -- ANYTHING live for that matter! I REALLY appreciate it!

This will be 16 tracks into PT, with an ADAT running along side with the most critical tracks for backup (I probably won't need it). Like I said, it's live Gospel recording -- LARGE congregations -- and here's the setup:

Choir
Solo Vox
Drums
Bass
Gtr
Organ
maybe Piano
maybe Horns

I've never mic'd a choir before, and I'm pretty green when it comes to location recording anyway.

Questions & Plans

1. Are there any particular things/challenges to consider in a Gospel church situation?

2. Mic suggestions? Not a huge budget, and I don't have a huge mic collection (but I can pick up a few new things), so I'm thinking about:
a.) Choir: Earthworks Omni's (TC30K matched pair) up on a boom with a dual mic holder (now, how and where would YOU position it, or would you use something else? I'm not bringing M150's!).
b.) Solo Vox: TLM193, BUT, I'm wondering if it's a bad idea for a Gospel vocalist to be restricted to a stationary mic, not to mention the fact that they're right in front of the choir too, but I want a good consistent sound... what do I do?
c.) Drums: Overhead -- TLM103 x 2; Kick -- TLM193 out front about a couple feet.
d.) Gtr: SM-57
e.) Bass: D112 and D.I.
f.) Organ (B3): KM184 on top, E/V 408 (dynamic, good lows) on bottom sub/leslie
g.) Piano: a single AKG C414
h.) Brass: AKG C3000 (pad on)
i.) Audience (congregation) pickup -- on stage, facing audience: AKG C3000
j.) House -- for blend AND safety: wide-spread KM184's (2) up on booms.

I'm open to ANY suggestions from people who have done this before...

Thanks! Did I mention, I really appreciate it?

-Chris ("C")

[digiengineer]

C,

It sounds like you have a pretty good mic collection for someone recording Gospel! Here's some advice based in my experiences recording worship services:

1. Are there any particular things/challenges to consider in a Gospel church situation?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Yes, most churches (I assume you're recording in a church) are VERY live, and most church bands play VERY loud (mostly because of lack of a proper P.A. systems), so leave the large diaphragms at the studio.

Solo Vox: TLM193, BUT, I'm wondering if it's a bad idea for a Gospel vocalist to be restricted to a stationary mic, not to mention the fact that they're right in front of the choir too, but I want a good consistent sound... what do I do?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Yes, it would be a bad idea. Unless the soloest has recording experience, you could be in for a bad time. Try something handheld and stay away from super cardioid mics, most church soloest don't have good mic technique. A Shure Beta 58 gets the job done.

Bass: D112 and D.I.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I'd drop the D112 and go D.I. Keeping it simple will make for a better recording in this situation. More than likely, the bass player won't be in a good position (probably by the B3) to prevent bleed.

Kick -- TLM193 out front about a couple feet.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Once again, a large diaphragm mic will hurt you here too. Try using the D112 from the bass. I would also use some KM 184's or AKG 451 on the overheads. Keeping drum mics to a minimum is a good approach. Speaking of KM 184's, if you're going to use one on the B3, use a pad.

I hope this helps, good luck!