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Essential Elements: The Basics For Success When It Comes To Live Recording

From simple board tapes to complex multitrack recordings for a live album, planning and preparation are critical for solid results.

More and more these days, we’re tasked with recording live events in addition to providing sound reinforcement. Some recordings may be as basic as “board tapes” used by a band to critique their performances while others can be as involved as a multitrack recording for a live album. Regardless, here are some steps to help ensure that the end product is a success.

Preplanning

Preparation for every gig starts with making sure that we clearly understand exactly what the client expects. It’s not enough to rely on a rider to tell us what’s needed. (In fact, don’t ever rely solely on a band’s rider; always advance shows with the artist’s primary point of contact.)

The same goes with corporate clients, and even that’s sometimes not enough. At my company, we once had a client’s contact person tell me emphatically that a multi-track recording of a meeting would be needed, only to find out at the last second that the client just wanted an archival recording so that an assistant could take notes back at the office at a later date. It would have been difficult for this person to take said notes when the input of every participant at the meeting was saved in its own folder on a separate multitrack audio file.

Have A Backup

Unfortunately, things (especially electronic things) break, so having a backup recording system running concurrently is the way it needs to be when the recording is important. We have a government client that archives its meetings to a government-owned laptop computer, and provide a mono feed from an aux send on the console for the computer interface, with another aux send feeding our own recording device.

Following the first meeting, I handed the client a thumb drive containing a backup recording (WAV file) of the meeting, and she was delighted that we’d insured that the recording was a success. At the next meeting, she handed me back the thumb drive, stating that our recording was clearer than the one on the government laptop, so she’d used our “copy” as the actual archive.

Before The Show

Double check all signal lines and feeds before recording, leaving enough time to troubleshoot and repair. Make sure there’s no noise, hum or buzz in the signal.

We once did a multiday meeting at a ballroom where the recording was perfect for the first few days, and then some buzz found its way into the feed. It turned out that someone (not on our team) had interfaced another recording unit into our system, and it created a ground loop. Had we not checked things out before the meeting, there would have been a serious problem.

Do A Test

Test recordings are a must in making ensure that everything is working optimally. Be sure to record every input, including feeds from computers, backing tracks, announce microphones, and so on, so you’re not surprised later on.

At one gig where I worked as an A2, handling wireless system duties and babysitting the recording decks backstage, the house engineer forgot to send the VOG (Voice of God) mic to the recording feeds. I noticed that when the announcer spoke, the needles on the decks (yes, I’m old, these were tape decks with Vu meters) weren’t moving. A quick call over the intercom resolved the problem, but it could have been avoided in the first place if we’d simply checked every input.

Labeling

It’s easy to forget to label everything involved with a recording after a show is over, so take the time to do it beforehand. This includes the media and the media boxes, while recorded files should be labeled with the name of the client, the event, and the date. For small items like thumb drives and SD cards, we carry “zip top” lunch bags that can be quickly labeled directly with a Sharpie and then handed to the client.

Also be sure to label the console with routing for the recording. Once I was working a multiroom event with a tech who fell ill, so it fell to me to get his room/system ready for a meeting. Luckily he’d labeled the console (with another type of “board tape”) to point out the aux sends and sub-masters feeding the recording decks, and further, the levels of the feeds. This is great practice, and I really appreciated it because it saved me a few minutes (at least) that would have been spent tracing the setup.

Advantageous Paths

Speaking of routing, basic shows might just take a feed off the mains, but not all inputs on stage may be going to the house system. Loud instruments like drums, guitar amps and brass might not need as much reinforcement (if any) as the quieter things, so if recording just off the mains, not everything may make it to the recording.

The best bet is to set up a mix designed just for recording from an aux send, submasters or matrix – or a combination thereof. Speeches and meetings can benefit from using an aux send as well because it provides a handy volume control right at the console for setting gain structure and recording levels.

Consoles are offering increasing options for live recording, such as the Yamaha TF Series, which provides simple 2-track capability using a USB storage device to multitracking with a computer-based DAW, assisted by the supplied Steinberg Nuendo recording software.

Many modern consoles are already set up to record and/or have recording routing designed into them, such as a USB output that’s designed to interface with a computer and act as the audio interface device. Many of these consoles also allow tracking from individual channels plus the main outputs, and can be used with any digital audio workstation (DAW).

In addition, some allow recording direct to media, ranging from two tracks all the way to up multitrack. All the user needs to do is connect external media like a thumb or hard drive and record away. And as a bonus, many of these same consoles can then be used as a mixdown desk, adding effects and processing. Depending on the type of recording that is required, some desks can do it all internally without a need to interface with a recording deck or computer.

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