| There
are a few crucial factors that all have to come together
to create a great brass recording and in fact the technical
aspect of recording gear and mics is only a small part
of the equation. After 25 years of recording brass bands
I think that there is one key area that has more effect
on the final sound than any others : The choice
of venue
For
me the choice of location is the single most important
element in the whole thing. With all location recording
the final sound is how YOU interact with the VENUE and
if you choose a good venue to record in then you can
have a great sounding CD. Get it wrong and it doesn’t
matter how well you play or what microphones you use,
it will sound poor.You might be the best band in the
UK and I can turn up with my super resolution recording
gear and £4000 microphones but if you have chosen
to make the recording in a small scout hut it will sound
small and “boxy” and poor. (I use the scout
hut analogy from bitter experience!)
From a sound engineers point of view a brass band consists
of two quite distinct elements that have to come together.
Obviously the brass instruments form the core of the
sound but its very important to be able to balance in
the percussion and with some bands now having 3 or 4
pieces of tuned perc as well as a full kit and tymps,
it's a real challenge to blend the two elements together
to create a cohesive sound. Interestingly some rooms
are good for recording perc while poor for the brass
and visa versa....so what do you look for?
Now
it’s the first thing I ask about when we first
talk about making a recording. I don’t mind how
good or bad you are because I think that making a recording
is great for any band but I do know that your choice
of venue will make all the difference. So get in touch
with me straight away and go along and take some shots
with a digital camera and email them to me.
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