A friend has asked me to record a live concert on my HD24. The house board is a Soundcraft, i'm unsure, but I assume it has no built in patchbay or way of spliting the 16 channels coming from the stage. So I guess I need to find a way to split the inputs, one to the house board and one to the HD24's mixer. The mic splitters that i've found seem rather expensive, at least to split 16 channels. Anyone know of a cheap 8 or 16 channel mic splitter? Any other suggestions would also be welcome.
Recording live concert on multitrack
- Thread starter vbass
- Start date
TexRoadkill
Audio Bum
Find out if they are using the inserts on the soundcraft. If they are available you can use those.
DDev
New member
I recommend using the inserts for a concert, mainly because they are not affected by fader movements. The direct outs are balanced, however, and give you the full signal from each channel strip (ie. eq settings) and give you a straight recording that is really close in recorded signal levels to the actual house mix, making it theoretically easier to mix later.
If you decide to use the inserts just be sure that you only go to the first click or you'll effectively kill the entire channel (unless you build up special cables, which is another story).
Darryl.....
If you decide to use the inserts just be sure that you only go to the first click or you'll effectively kill the entire channel (unless you build up special cables, which is another story).
Darryl.....
Roel
That SMART guy.
Hmmm... I need some more info from you. Do you bring your own micpre's/mixer? Otherwise a splitter won't take you that far. But you already know that I guess.
So, there's a few ways. The ideal thing would be using a splitter ofcourse. That way you can work independently of the FOH mixer.
Another way is using directs outs from his board. Check the manual of the board if it has direct outs, and where they are located in the channel strip. Pre fader/post/... You really don't want them to be post anything except for the micpre. EQ could be ok, but there's nothing that guy can do with his equipement that you can't do at home. Plus, that guy is EQing to make it sound in that place, on that soundsystem. So he is really making it work for the respons of the room and system there, and not making it sound good in general, which is what you are aiming at in the studio.
Also, I don't think you want too many inserts in between. The comps and gates for a live environment are not always set that precisely, and I don't think you want them on track anyhow.
Then there's the option of using the inserts as direct outs. This is about the same as just using direct outs, but on a different place in the channel strip. Mostly preEQ and prefader. Check the manual of the board on this. Also, you gotta check that on-click thing, it doesn't work on all boards! (input/output, tip/ring are sometimes reversed on the inserts!)
Also, if the FOH mixer wants to use inserts, you got kindof a problem. Or you could make special Y cables for that?
You could also use the micpre's of your board, and feed him the inserts of your board, then record the direct outs of your board. This way you have control of the gain on the micpres!
And ofcourse you can use any combination here. Use inserts wherever he doesn't need them, and other things like special cables if he needs them....
Be carefull if he has control over the gain settings. Not all FOH mixers use the gain to get the signal at optimum level like you want as input for your recorder. Some will make a balance using the gains, and the faders will be almost alligned! You don't wanna go there...
I've also seen guys that have some channels clipping deliberately!
So, be carefull, talk it all over with the FOH mixer there, ask if he maybe got some ideas.... It will be more work for him too, so you really want the guy on your side!
So, there's a few ways. The ideal thing would be using a splitter ofcourse. That way you can work independently of the FOH mixer.
Another way is using directs outs from his board. Check the manual of the board if it has direct outs, and where they are located in the channel strip. Pre fader/post/... You really don't want them to be post anything except for the micpre. EQ could be ok, but there's nothing that guy can do with his equipement that you can't do at home. Plus, that guy is EQing to make it sound in that place, on that soundsystem. So he is really making it work for the respons of the room and system there, and not making it sound good in general, which is what you are aiming at in the studio.
Also, I don't think you want too many inserts in between. The comps and gates for a live environment are not always set that precisely, and I don't think you want them on track anyhow.
Then there's the option of using the inserts as direct outs. This is about the same as just using direct outs, but on a different place in the channel strip. Mostly preEQ and prefader. Check the manual of the board on this. Also, you gotta check that on-click thing, it doesn't work on all boards! (input/output, tip/ring are sometimes reversed on the inserts!)
Also, if the FOH mixer wants to use inserts, you got kindof a problem. Or you could make special Y cables for that?
You could also use the micpre's of your board, and feed him the inserts of your board, then record the direct outs of your board. This way you have control of the gain on the micpres!
And ofcourse you can use any combination here. Use inserts wherever he doesn't need them, and other things like special cables if he needs them....
Be carefull if he has control over the gain settings. Not all FOH mixers use the gain to get the signal at optimum level like you want as input for your recorder. Some will make a balance using the gains, and the faders will be almost alligned! You don't wanna go there...
I've also seen guys that have some channels clipping deliberately!
So, be carefull, talk it all over with the FOH mixer there, ask if he maybe got some ideas.... It will be more work for him too, so you really want the guy on your side!
Downside Studio
New member
Mics--->cabels--->splitter--->seperate recording preamps--->HD24
................................|-------->stageblock/FOH
Often the stageblock has splitting functions for seperate monitor console. If this console is not used (eg monitors driven from FOH-console)you can use these.
The very very last option is getting your signals from the FOH console. You definitly do not want do be dependable on that guys settings. No matter how good this guy is, remember that mixing live is adjusting the venuesound with the stagesound as base. Mixing for cd leaves you with only the mics..you've lost the stagesound completely. That takes totally different eq/comp/gate settings.
I do a lot of live recording on multitrack for commercial recordings. The first thing I invested in was the splitter and preamps.
................................|-------->stageblock/FOH
Often the stageblock has splitting functions for seperate monitor console. If this console is not used (eg monitors driven from FOH-console)you can use these.
The very very last option is getting your signals from the FOH console. You definitly do not want do be dependable on that guys settings. No matter how good this guy is, remember that mixing live is adjusting the venuesound with the stagesound as base. Mixing for cd leaves you with only the mics..you've lost the stagesound completely. That takes totally different eq/comp/gate settings.
I do a lot of live recording on multitrack for commercial recordings. The first thing I invested in was the splitter and preamps.