ACO recording

Every house engineer now and then has to baby sit a studio for a hire without actually doing any engineering.  I've done that this week.  The Australian Chamber Orchestra are using our orchestral studio for a recording with the Swedish record company - BIS Records.  I'm the on call house engineer this week with nothing to do.  Well, I did help them set up and I turn up every day and make sure the lights and air conditioning are good.

I don't mind occasionally doing brainless work.  It's a nice mental break to not have to have anything to think about except be on call to help out if needed.  It's always good to see how other engineers work as well.  As a sound engineer I believe you never stop learning.  There is always a different way to do things.

The orchestra are recording a buch of flute concertos with a flautist whose name I don't know.  It's good to have details sorted out isn't it...  the ACO consists only of strings by the way, with a guest flute player.

1st violins, 2nd violins and viola sections each have 2 spot mics - Neumann KM143 which are a wide cardioid pattern.

The 3 cellos and 1 bass are spotted with KM140 which are a standard cardiod so have more rear rejection than the 143.

The flute is being mic'd with 2 KM143 on a stero bar just above the height of the flute, approx 3 feet from the flute, panned hard left and right.  I thought that was interesting to mic the solo instrument with a stereo pair.

Then there are 2 KM 130 omni mics as a wide stereo pair out front about 3m high pointing down to the centre of the orchestra.  But because the flute player is facing the orchestra for the recording, she has her back to theses mics, so there is another stereo pair in the midst of the orchestra, facing the front, pointing down at the flautist, and about 1.5 m apart.  These are DPA 4006 omnis.