First orchestra gig

[obliou]

Hi everyone,
I'm a new DP user and I recently purchased a Traveler interface and a stereo pair of Oktava MK-012s. I just got hired to do my first full orchestra recording and I was wondering if anyone had some advice for me. Here's what I'm working with:
Two Oktava MK-012s (I was going to use them as omnis to try and capture more of the room...it's a medium sized concert hall)
MOTU Traveler Interface w/Firewire connection
Digital Performer 4.6
17" Powerbook, 1.67 GHz, 1.5 G DDR SDRAM

What does everyone think would be the best way to do this? Thanks!

[jon]

Hi everyone,
I'm a new DP user and I recently purchased a Traveler interface and a stereo pair of Oktava MK-012s. I just got hired to do my first full orchestra recording and I was wondering if anyone had some advice for me. Here's what I'm working with:
Two Oktava MK-012s (I was going to use them as omnis to try and capture more of the room...it's a medium sized concert hall)
MOTU Traveler Interface w/Firewire connection
Digital Performer 4.6
17" Powerbook, 1.67 GHz, 1.5 G DDR SDRAM

What does everyone think would be the best way to do this? Thanks!

Well, one large boom raised high in the air enough to get all the musicians and put that right behind the conductor or if no conductor get as close as you can. Get a pair of Grace 101 pre-amps for those Oktava's cause man they make classical recordings swing. Also get a roll of gaffers tape and tie down those cables cause when someone trips over your •••• and moves those mics out of place it's a bitch to get them back in position. Have fun and bring a CD recorder to back up your recording just in case. Just a word of advice please don't let the classical snobs get your hard work for free and charge them nothing because it is your first time.

[Spikey Horse]

Just a word of advice please don't let the classical snobs get your hard work for free and charge them nothing because it is your first time.

I'm confused .....who is being a snob here?

My advice is similar though - act like you know what you are doing, it will make everybody feel much better, including yourself! After soundcheck (BTW how are you monitoring?) if particular instruments or groups are getting lost ask the conductor to make them play louder (and vice versa).

Maybe get familiar with the music before hand (?) - just so you can concentrate more on the sound on the day... and you'll have an better idea what to ask them to play for a soundcheck...

[obliou]

Maybe get familiar with the music before hand (?) - just so you can concentrate more on the sound on the day... and you'll have an better idea what to ask them to play for a soundcheck...

Fortunately I'm being paid to record the dress rehearsal as well as the concert so I'll have a good idea of their sound in that hall (I also know the music pretty well). I have to be honest though and tell you this is not a professional gig by any means... I'm just a student recording one of my professor's pieces for her who happens to be getting paid. Unfortunately I have limited funds and high quality monitors aren't in the picture yet so I'll have to use headphones (I know...it sucks). Anyway I thought this would be a good place to seek some advice for my first orchestra recording, hopefully leading to more gigs and a career (????)

[sdemott]

I would go with the cardiod capsules in an ORTF configuration. Several feet behind the conductor & high enough so the mics can have a clear line-of-sight to the back row. That should keep everything balanced and get a good amount of "room tone".

Omnis can be great, but I find you need 3 to get a good recording without a "phantom" center image. ORTF gives a great spread and good realism.

My only other advice - keep the levels so that you are peaking under -6dBFS. I shoot for an average level of -20dB with peaks goingto -10dB. The performers will always pump out a few extra dB once they're in front of an audience.

HTH.

[jon]

Just a word of advice please don't let the classical snobs get your hard work for free and charge them nothing because it is your first time.

I'm confused .....who is being a snob here?

My advice is similar though - act like you know what you are doing, it will make everybody feel much better, including yourself! After soundcheck (BTW how are you monitoring?) if particular instruments or groups are getting lost ask the conductor to make them play louder (and vice versa).

Maybe get familiar with the music before hand (?) - just so you can concentrate more on the sound on the day... and you'll have an better idea what to ask them to play for a soundcheck...

Sorry Spikey Horse I knew I would get some heat for that comment and has nothing to do with the biz at hand but you know what i mean.

I have done quite a bit of these events and usually get called in at the last second and only get to do one sound check and that is when the audience starts clapping as the conductor takes the hill. I have to admit I Iove the energy of that first note though.

Also a good thing to remember if you have the time is many stages or platforms are made of wood so do a quick walk to see where the creeks are and mark them with the gaffing tape for the musicians so they will mind there steps. Also carry a can of WD40 to oil down creaky metal chairs cause you know when a quiet part happens and musicians are waiting to play they sometimes get a bit fidgety.

Enjoy!

[Spikey Horse]

Sorry Spikey Horse I knew I would get some heat for that comment and has nothing to do with the biz at hand but you know what i mean.

yes

Also a good thing to remember if you have the time is many stages or platforms are made of wood so do a quick walk to see where the creeks are and mark them with the gaffing tape for the musicians so they will mind there steps. Also carry a can of WD40 to oil down creaky metal chairs cause you know when a quiet part happens and musicians are waiting to play they sometimes get a bit fidgety.

Enjoy!

... you know some people put those noises IN when using Vienna S.L. and so on to add more realism and try and deceive the listener onto thinking it's a real orchestra ! Ha ha !

[jon]

... you know some people put those noises IN when using Vienna S.L. and so on to add more realism and try and deceive the listener onto thinking it's a real orchestra ! Ha ha !

No Way! I guess that makes sense if you want the real thing but if your going to go that far you might as well add the bus and car noises that usually happen at the quietest moments....

[obliou]

[quote="sdemott"]I would go with the cardiod capsules in an ORTF configuration. Several feet behind the conductor & high enough so the mics can have a clear line-of-sight to the back row. That should keep everything balanced and get a good amount of "room tone".

Omnis can be great, but I find you need 3 to get a good recording without a "phantom" center image. ORTF gives a great spread and good realism.

My only other advice - keep the levels so that you are peaking under -6dBFS. I shoot for an average level of -20dB with peaks goingto -10dB. The performers will always pump out a few extra dB once they're in front of an audience.

HTH.[/quote]

I'm not familiar with how to do ORTF configuration (I'm really showing my amatuerness :oops: )...

[sdemott]

ORTF - 2 cardiods about 6.5"/17cm apart from each other and each aimed 55 degress off axis. Something like this:

\---/

The general idea behind this is that the 55 deg. angle simulates the shadow effect of the human head, and the 6.5"/17cm is the approximate avreage distance between the ears of a human head.

A variation on this is the NOS pair, 8"/20cm between them and each 45 degrees off axis.

\----/

The beauty of these setups is that you get a great stereo image with good detail and a good amount of room tone. The trick is to get the mics up high and a few feet behind the conductor to balance out the performers. If the mics are too close to the performers you will get a pronounced "first row" with exaggerated stereo spacing.

Try googling these and a few others to get a feel for how people have used these.

ORTF, NOS, XY, MS, AB, Decca Tree, Blumlein