From: chrisc@gold.gvg.tek.com (Chris Christensen)
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro,rec.music.makers,rec.music.synth
Subject: Re: recording choral monophonic music [?]
Date: 23 Jul 92 23:23:17 GMT
Followup-To: rec.audio.pro
Organization: Grass Valley Group, Grass Valley, CA

In article <1992Jul23.040745.4793@news.cs.brandeis.edu> 
jacob@max.cc.brandeis.edu ( ) writes:
>First I have a rather specific question: what's the typical set-up
>for recording choral *monophonic* music (such as Gregorian Chant; as
>opposed to polyphonic music a capella, i.e. w/o instruments, where
>the choir is divided into sections that each sings its own line in
>the polyphony; such are for example works by Josquin des Pres or Palestrina)

I do a lot of choral recording so I will give you my methods.

I don't understand you discussion about Monophonic vs. Polophoinc  but
I have recorded acapella, with accompaniment (piano, orchestra).

The most important thing to me is to rely on the choral director's
judgement and *assume* that the choir/acconpainment is balanced
correctly at the conductors podium. If this isn't the case there is
little, but something that you can do........

I use a Triad microphone array just behind and over the head of the
conductor.  I have used heights of 9' to 20' above the floor.

A Triad mic array is three (reasonably closely matched) identical
microphones with the Left and Right mics set at or about 120 degrees
angle, and then a center mic.  So you have a Left, Center and Right
mic.

In practice I point the Left and Right mics at the outside edges of
the group that I am recording.  This effectivly sets the playback
image to the full width if the group.  I have used smaller spacings
for recordings like piano only where the acoustical image I intended
to caputre was smaller than the full width of the available image
space.

I also use mics that have very good of axis frequency response so that
the intermediate image is stable.

I have also done some really nice recording using two PZM's in a back
to back configuration.  This mic array automatically adds in the room
sound,  sometimes good, sometimes bad.

>Basically what type of machine is used in recording choral monophonic music?
>2-track, 4-track, 8-track or what? Also how are the choir and the mics usually
>placed?

I record directly to DAT (two channels)  

>If it makes a difference whether the recording is made live (for example in
>a church w/o any special accoustic insulation) or in studio consider that I've
>asked the question for both...

Most of my recordings are of live concerts in halls.  Choirs sound
best in a somewhat live enviornment.  If the room is dead or doesn't
have a "voice" (room sound) of it's own then I am forced to add it
electronically.........

That is the way I do it, others perfer to use a stereo pair in the
same location as I do and add a couple of spaced omni mics on each
side but in line with the main mics.

Also some use spot mics on specific solo voice/instruments.  This
works but can be tricky.

>Second I have a more general question which is more in the style of a clari-
>fication. Is it correct that multitrack recording (4-track and above) is only
>used for popular music (like I've always thought until now that I've really
>asked myself that question), or is it completely false? Again if it makes
>a difference whether it's live or studio I'd be interested to hear the answer
>for both.

There is a lot of orchestral music that is multi tracked also.  There
was a time that there was a LOT of mics and the orchestra was blended
in the mix.......

I believe that the trend these days (if multi tracking is decided
upon) that section micing is done and the balance is done in the
mix......

It is possible and I am sure that it has/is done that the orchestral
piece with vocal is recorded sans the "star" performer (stand in
singer there for the proper fell) and then the star comes in and over
dubs the vocal.

Multi tracking doesn't have to be single instruments on each channel
and then mixed as in standard pop recording.  Two channels on a multi
track can be a stereo source.

I have used multi tracks for editing where I record the first part on
channels and either cut or a quick fade at the edit point and then
roll that tape back and fly in the second part.

-- 
Chris Christensen                  The opinions I express are my own,
chrisc@gold.gvg.tek.com            and sometimes they are wrong!
916-478-3419 FAX 916-478-3887      After all, I *AM* only human.
Newsgroups: rec.audio.pro