Hello all. I was wondering if ASSR was going to be producing a DVD that addresses orchestral and classical recording techniques. Not just studio orchestral recording, but live as well. Most recordings I have done over the years has been live orchestral concerts, and the challenges are many. I have seen so many engineers setup so many ways, that I am not sure what is proper any more. for example, do I keep it discrete or put mics all over the orchestra? Separate by section for multitracking, stereo pair over the head of the conductor, blumlein, Decca? Do I trust the hall for the reverb or use my own? Analog or digital? It's just so confusing. And then the whole challenging world of a large ensemble in studio. Does everybody get headphones? What feeds do they get? Are the percussionists in another room or what? Are the rooms dry or live?
I think another entire set of DVD's should just about cover the topic.
Your last comment says it all, doesn't it?
This is a huge topic and we certainly are looking at making additional programs on the great many issues that surround (no pun intended) orchestral recording - both the intrinsic technical aspects that you mention, and also their application in film, TV, game audio, sample sessions, commercials etc.
This series does look briefly at live recording but really more from a rock band perspective. We do also look at large ensemble recording in the Recording A Choir section, which you might find contains some useful insights as well.
Alan conducted a fascinating interview with Simon Rhodes, an excerpt from which you can see for free on the website. Simon is the top orchestral engineer at Abbey Road and spoke to Alan as he was working on the Avator score with James Horner. Again, some very interesting stuff there.
Thanks for the feedback and input (no puns intended there either!).