Recording A Choir

[Muller_Light]

I'm going on a trip to Prague next Easter with the wife's choir and have been given the lucky task of recording their performances.

I would like some advice of what microphone(s) to use, and where to put it/them.

I am going to record onto a portable minidisc player (if my son lets me borrow it!), but need a reasonable microphone (or pair of microphones) to plug into it.

I don't want to spend much (£150 max).

Whatever I get needs to be reasonably robust and not too heavy, easily rigged onto a stand and not too fussy about where it is. It also needs to be carried around the city for a couple of hours sightseeing by me - so no 10 feet long stands and microphones that weigh 10kg each!

 

The recording will all be in churches and my sole means of supporting the mics will be one mic stand, or whatever else somebody suggests. There will be no handy mains power, so electrets need to be battery powered (or include some sort of battery phantom power unit in the cost).

So what mics do people recommend?

Where is the best place to put a mic? I was thinking on a stand about a metre behind the conductor, and as high as the mic stand will go.

[IanG]

So what mics do people recommend?

Where is the best place to put a mic? I was thinking on a stand about a metre behind the conductor, and as high as the mic stand will go.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'd recommend a pair of Rode NT5 mics mounted in an X-Y configuration, or SE electronics SE1 mics if your budget doesn't extend to the Rodes.

 

Your placement idea sounds fine.

 

EDIT: I didn't read your comment about lack of power, but you'll need a mic preamp somewhere, so hopefully that will be able to provide phantom. (I don't rate the mic preamps in most minidisc recorders)

[Just Some Bloke]

So what mics do people recommend?

Where is the best place to put a mic? I was thinking on a stand about a metre behind the conductor, and as high as the mic stand will go.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'd recommend a pair of Rode NT5 mics mounted in an X-Y configuration, or SE electronics SE1 mics if your budget doesn't extend to the Rodes.

 

Your placement idea sounds fine.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Good choice and a single NT4 stereo mic might even be better, but a pair of NT5s cost £245+VAT (Studiospares catalogue) with one NT4 stereo mic about the same and, if I'm not mistaken, all require phantom powering.

 

It strikes me that you won't get brilliant mikes for your £150 max budget if you intend to buy. But if it really is just for this one tour, why don't you hire? You'd get some great mics and a phantom power unit for well within your budget that way. Excellent mikes come in under £30 a week each and a power unit would be less again.

 

Don't forget that you won't need two mic stands, just one stand and a stereo bar (dirt cheap to buy).

 

HTH

[Showcomms]

Hire a kit from richmond film services 0208 940 6077

2 x Schoeps (x-y) or Neumann 191

 

They will give good advice.

Even better

You might consider a local hire company in Prague your budget will go much further

Saves weight on the plane, lugging it around and you get local technical support.

 

This isn't a recommendation but a starting point:http://www.pragosound.cz/en/index.htm

[James]

Hire a kit from richmond film services 0208 940 6077

 

I know this should be in pet hates but shouldn't that be

 

Hire a kit from richmond film services 020 8940 6077

 

Sorry :o

[paulears]

The mic pre-amps on the Sony and Sharp MDs I've access to aren't the quietest I've come accross, so the hiss may mask any quality increase gained by better mics. I too suggest hiring a decent kit rather than a lashed together affair.

 

Technique wise, a single stand that can get up over the conductors head is a must. A couple of cardioids as a coincident pair normally work well - Decent headphones that shut out as much sound as possible will help you with the exact position, based on ambience and distance to the performers. If you have a pair of known quality mics, you can live with less truthfull sounding cans as long as they let you hear what the mics pick up. Your starting point of a metre behind and up is good starting practice, but if the building is large, you might need to do some experimenting to find just the 'right' place.

 

If you can get hold of an HHB 'purple peril' MD machine, they are great for this type of job and have phantom built in. added benefit is they have a usb socket for connection to a laptop, which could be good for security copying while there.

[oh lordy]

Hi,

 

Surely if you are going to sugest hiring then maybe hiring a better recording media might also be nessasary.

 

Oh Lordy

[Jivemaster]

Given the MD media, a pair of Midnight Blues 4000 electrets comes in below budget, and uses a single AA cell for phantom. Given a need for a great recording quality look at a better medium. Portable hard drive is available with quality preamps. Sensibly look for a pro sound recordist in Prague. could be as cheap as getting the kit insuring it all riks worldwide and doing it yourself. I guess few hirers will send stuf to eastern europe without insurance cover.

[robloxley]

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep99/arti...89d79cc8497dc01

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct99/arti...89d79cc8497dc01

[Muller_Light]

Thanks for all suggestions.