Escamillo--

What a terrible experience! I've been recorded professionally in a live setting, and on a four-track at home, and I can say a few things from my experience (and research).

1) It's fairly common to "layer" tracks on a recording. In popular music, for example, often the producer will have the drummer do one track, and the rhythm guitar do another, independently, to establish the "beat" for the song. Then all the other musicians add their parts independently. This gives a very "clean" and "editable" recording for commercial purposes, but in my mind totally destroys the "feel" of the music. I much prefer "LIVE" recordings, where all the sound blends naturally. Individual parts can still be highlighted with post-production manipulation, but not "edited".

2) It seems to me that your choir director and the project producer should have had a long conversation detailing what was expected of the choir and what the choir would need. At that point, the director should have communicated to the choir what the whole set up would be, so all the singers would be prepared for the experience. Finally, if the director thought that the producers expectations were greater than what the choir members would tolerate, the director should have gotten a lot more money for the job or not taken it at all, on the principle that if the group is going to suffer, and possibly lose talent because of working conditions, make it REALLY worth it financially, or don't do it.

Just my thoughts, for what they're worth. You do have my total sympathy. What little studio recording I've done at home has been a fairly miserable experience, though nothing as bad as what you relate! The live recording experience was wonderful, because I didn't even think about what was going on. Whatever you do, keep singing, and find other people to sing with!

V