need advice in recording bands live on stage

andi_gitarre · Post by **andi_gitarre** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:31 pm

hello

i have possibility record bands in clubs. i have expirience in studio recording but til know i did not record bands on stage.
it will be mostly small clubs. lets say 30 to 200 people. i think just a simple pa and mixer. guitar amps, drums and so on will not be send through the pa.

my problem is:

how do record them the best way?? my thoughts are going around to take the record out of the pa-mixer and put a microphone on stage but i think the result will not be that great. what should i do?

my setup right now is: macbook, firebox, condenser microphone and (of course) live 6.

what do you recommand?

thanks for help!
andi

v00d00ppl · Post by **v00d00ppl** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 6:31 pm

how many ins do you have on your sound interface?

andi_gitarre · Post by **andi_gitarre** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 6:58 pm

i use a presonus firebox with two mic/instr. ins and two line ins + two optical ins (but i have no preamp or something to use them, maybe someday)

yeah i know its ot that much but i have to make it work as good as it can be. its not about making a live record for a band. i just wanna have expirience with recording and mixing live sets and do the band a favour. but someday maybe there is an option to do that semiprofessionel

chris vine · Post by **chris vine** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:08 pm

If it is only 2 inputs, I'd make a stereo mix from 2 aux sends from the club desk - you can at least make a different mix to that of the house.

If you want to try using yr condenser mic to get an ambient sound, you could plug that into the house mixer as well and feed that to the aux mix too.

Best,
CV

andi_gitarre · Post by **andi_gitarre** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:12 pm

that would be an option but i think its better to connect the condenser mic directly to my firebox because than i can mix the "desk-mix" with my ambient. its more variable i think.

chris vine · Post by **chris vine** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:20 pm

Yes, I was just thinking of how many inputs you have or don't have available.

Anyway, you've figured out the options it seems.

I remember a guy who used to turn up to hardcore (punk) gigs in DC back in the 80s (oh yes) who used to take a mono line from the desk and then drape a 58 onstage to get the guitar amp sound (which NATURALLY was not in the house PA, seeing as the amps were definitely on 11.

cheers and good luck.

andi_gitarre · Post by **andi_gitarre** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:00 pm

thanks.
does anyone else have some expirience with that matter??

beatpoet · Post by **beatpoet** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:27 pm

I run a small gig every week (30-150 people) and I record it, I usually take a stereo out from the desk and condenser into my ultralite and mix it down at home. Keeping an eye on levels during the gig.

Works great for quieter groups but the louder groups can be hit and miss, mic placement can be tough in a small venue from week to week, depending on where the crowd are ect. I'm blessed with a nice cavernous venue though so the results are often better than expected. We run everything from acoustic banjo and saw to rock/metal and all kinds of electronic acts. So every week is different and thesetup might have to change.

andi_gitarre · Post by **andi_gitarre** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:39 pm

thanks. sounds interesting and your way is exactly the way i will do. except someone tells me a better way to record.

i think i will take outputs from amps if i can use them.

now i think about to buy a microphone with omni pattern. do you think i could get better results with it??

i think the best result i can get right now is to take the desk mix and mix it with an condenser on stage and one over drums if there are some. than i would use every in from my firebox. what do you think?

pepezabala · Post by **pepezabala** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:02 am

If it comes to recording acoustic bands (like a jazz combo with piano, double-bass, sax without amplifiers) I would highly recommend the Zoom H4 portable recorder. Cheap, small, sounds surprisingly good.