Help: Recording Folk Music

Subject: Recording Folk Music
From: Ed Pellow
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 04:14 PM

I've been asked by a friend to help produce a CD of some Northumbrian Pipe music, as a charity project for a hospice.

I have no problems with creating the CD and have access to Sound Forge (including some decent reverb, compression etc. plug-in's for any digital editing that may be required).

Where I'm a bit more uncertain is in the actual recording. The recording will be made using a 4 track minidisc recorder. We have access to some reasonable mics, (SM 58's PZM etc.) but nothing brilliant. The group to be recorded consits of 7-8 players.

My initial though is to get the group to play in a fairly close semi-circle, and use a trio of SM 58's at say 5 metres (yards) central, left and right to capture direct sound, and use a PZM on a fairly distant wall to collect reflected stuff.

This is however a purely amateur guess. I realize that, even given the expertise in this group, it's unlikely that I'll get replies from people who have recently recorded septets of pipers, so any general advice would be appreciated.

Many thanks

Ed

Subject: RE: Help: Recording Folk Music
From: Willie-O
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 04:53 PM

I don't know anybody that has ever even heard a Northumbrian pipe septet, outside of Northumbria I guess.

But you might want to check in at the Home Recording Page at About.com

--very informative site, lots of links to people who really know their recording techniques, including acoustic specialists...

The host is:
Kevin Becka - Your Home Recording Guide

http://homerecording.about.com >mailto:[e-mail]

Bill C

Subject: RE: Help: Recording Folk Music
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 02 Dec 99 - 08:56 PM

G'day,
How many channels does your mixer have?

I think with 4 tracks I would use as many mikes as possible to record the group & much closer than 5m. SM58s work better close up I think. They're pretty common so you might be able to borrow more for the occasion. I'm assuming your mixer can handle this (another loan?) Mix down to stereo, experimenting with the mix before making your final recordings. This will account for 2 tracks.

For good ambience I think you should record the distant stuff in stereo - another 2 mikes, possibly not the best two. There's the other 2 tracks.

If you have reverb you'll probably want either the recorded ambience or the reverb but not both, I think that might muddy the sound.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: Help: Recording Folk Music
From: GeorgeH
Date: 03 Dec 99 - 09:10 AM

Unles you really know what you are doing, and are familiar with the room you are using for the recording, I'd give up any idea of recording the reflected stuff and go for adding some reverb etc. post-recording if you're not happy with the "live" sound.

Given that you've not enough tracks to mic each performer separately, and can't get accoustic isolation between them I'd say that your original idea of how to mic them is probably the right one, but not with SM58s.

Also - remember that if you close-mic the pipes you'll have to mic the drones separately.

G.

Subject: RE: Help: Recording Folk Music
From: Midchuck
Date: 03 Dec 99 - 10:07 AM

Why not mike just the drones, and sell it as New Age music?

Subject: RE: Help: Recording Folk Music
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 03 Dec 99 - 05:19 PM

Hi I agreee with George about adding later in the mixing...How livley is the room your recording in..Billy Pig sounded pritty great just with the echo of the hall and the response of the croud to his genius!!! Using a batch of mikes is great ...Different mikes give diferent flavers to the mix..Go ahead and try the shure mikes back abit and see how they sound before giving up on them ..I recorded a bango at 10 feet with two shures and it sounded great... Good luck and I'm sure all will work out fine ..The cause is such a good one I'm shore you'l have luck...All the best Guy

Subject: RE: Help: Recording Folk Music
From: lamarca
Date: 03 Dec 99 - 05:25 PM

I'm a volunteer on stage crew for a bunch of folk festivals, miking all kinds of instruments under the direction of pros. My professional sound tech friends say that the SM 58 has a relatively narrow pickup angle and is used primarily for close vocal work, so it will isolate out sounds coming from the side. As a result, it's not that good for area miking.

Not being one of the above-mentioned pros, I can't give alternative mike suggestions, but I could try calling the guys at National Events for some advice...