by Doug Carney

Created on: November 26, 2009

Concert sound recording can be the most challenging environment for a sound engineer, if done correctly the listener will feel that they are an audience member of an exciting musical performance. For a good sounding concert recording a careful combination of microphone placement, equipment selection and timing are crucial. In some instances it is possible to obtain a better recording from a live show than from hours of work in a recording studio. The energy of the performers and the sound of the crowd combine to make an amazing recording, making it a great alternative to an expensive and lengthy process of making an album.

Typical concert recordings are approached one of three ways:

The Stereo Pair approach where two microphones are set up usually in or near the audience giving a result that is somewhat similar to what you would hear if you were in the crowd at that performance. This is a minimalist approach that sounds very authentic and will include the sounds of the environment and audience, for better or worse.

The Board Feed approach where the mix generated by the sound mixer is sent to a recorder. This is another quick and easy way to obtain a recording with minimal effort other than a portable recorder and the permission of the band and venue of course. However, this recording wouldn't include any instrumentation that didn't require amplification (like a drum set in a small room) and probably wouldn't include any natural nuance or audience reactions.

Then there is the Multitrack Recording approach that captures each microphone and instrument separately to be mixed later in a studio environment. Additional microphones are placed throughout the venue to capture not only the audience reactions but also to blend in the sound of the band in the space. This results in a cleaner sounding recording of the performance than either of the previous methods, but requires far more equipment and expertise.

Each approach has benefits and disadvantages. Multitrack Recording requires a lot more equipment and technical expertise but yields a much higher quality product. The stereo pair approach has a much smaller footprint and less impact on the band and venue but can be compromised by environmental conditions such as a rowdy crowd or a venue with acoustical anomalies.

Learn more about this author, Doug Carney.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.