Stereo Mics for live music

[Mark Andersen]

I am going to be recording a live performance (not overly loud) in the outdoors. There will be some ambient noise, city hum etc. What mics do you recommend? I'm thinking cardioid to record mostly what is in front of the mics and minimize surrounding and distant noises, although I know I wont be able to eliminate them altogether. I've done some tests with a pair of Rode NT5s but I feel that I need better quality than they can provide.

[Marc Wielage]

Very hard to beat a pair of Schoeps 641's -- often used for classical and/or acoustic music. Sennheiser MKH40s are good, too. I'd suggest renting, rather than buying, if this is just a one-shot event.

[Allan Black]

For the best results, you need to get the mics off the camera and into a suitable spot in an XY position right in front of the musicians. Recording to an external recorder is also best then syncing back up to your video in post.

imo the Rode NT5s are good enough for the situation you describe .. anything better (read more expensive) than those, you reach the law of diminishing returns.

Anything less than that, is compromising your audio. You maybe able to take a feed from the sound systems soundboard, but if you're not ofay with that, ask them for some help asap.

Try Googling .. 'recording in the XY position' then, 'taking a feed from a soundboard'. There's plenty of info out there.

The adage goes .. 'the worst mic in the best position is better than the best mic in the worst position'. That goes back to early analogue days.

Cheers.

[Ben Coleman]

While I'm not a sound guy (a lighting guy by trade), I know enough to be dangerous with sound. One thing that I can tell you about live sound mixing is that the mix for the venue is TOTALLY different from a mix for any type of recording. For any production worth its salt that is also recording the show, they will have a separate person mixing and record feed in an enclosed booth away from the influence of the live sound. While getting a feed from the FOH mixer is nice and clean, it will not be mixed in a fashion that will be conducive for good video audio. Your best bet if a separate recording mixer is not a possibility is for the FOH mixer to also run a multitrack recorder of every input, or groups of inputs if it is many tracks. That will allow you to mix that down in post to something that will sound good on screen. Since even that is rather complicated, the simplest solution would be to XY mic the the PA from the FOH position since that is where the best mix will be.

[Jack Cooper]

You maybe able to take a feed from the sound systems soundboard, but if you're not ofay with that, ask them for some help asap.

Mark, Totally agree with Allan. When covering Spring Break events in Padre many years ago, our team would patch right into the soundboard...Depending on the specifics of your final output, this would be my first preference.

[Mark Andersen]

Thanks guys, I'm going with an NT4 in a blimp. These performance are usually acoustic, think street musician, and rarely will have PA's or mixers. Pretty raw stuff, but we expect a "real" and raw sound. We'll see how it goes, going to shoot a test next week.

[Adam Clark]

the nt4 should do alright assuming you a miking only one or maybe two very close in proximity musicians while allowing you acceptable instrument gain vs background noise control (depending on setting of course - you said street though).

my thought is your issue with the blimp is going to be mic placement for optimal sound that does not interfere with your artist. musicians hate blimps in their business - and you're going to want to be close for music grade quality. i would try to make t as discreet as possible - small dead cat top or foam if you can. in another career life, i was a FOH sound guy and production manager at a big venue with big names for years and recorded a live track for a grammy winning album.

good luck.

[Dave Blackham]

I am going to be recording a live performance (not overly loud) in the outdoors. There will be some ambient noise, city hum etc. What mics do you recommend? I'm thinking cardioid to record mostly what is in front of the mics and minimize surrounding and distant noises, although I know I wont be able to eliminate them altogether. I've done some tests with a pair of Rode NT5s but I feel that I need better quality than they can provide.

This is well observed.

The first rule of recording is the mic position is key and it is more important that the mic ISNT looking at rather than what it IS looking at. Polar patter is argualbly the most important atribute of any microphone and is probably what adds cost to a mic.

For my money either a Schoeps AB cardioid pair or MS pair would be my starting point closely followed by a Sennheiser 30/40 MS pair. the Schoeps would be more Euphonic and the Sennheiser more neutral in character. Both should sound excellent though.

[Ben Rivalez]

So, did you post this up anywhere OP so we can hear?

[Tony Koretz]

Thanks guys, I'm going with an NT4 in a blimp. These performance are usually acoustic, think street musician, and rarely will have PA's or mixers. Pretty raw stuff, but we expect a "real" and raw sound. We'll see how it goes, going to shoot a test next week.

This would work ok if the performers are close together and don't move around too much, but if they move around in relation to each other it won't work too well at all. In that scenario, if you have a chance to set up mics on stands, a spaced pair may be better than X-Y. Record into a separate portable audio recorder if possible too.