Classical Concert

[Vagodeoz]

Here is a sample of a recording I did of a 90-piece orchestra plus a piano.
So check it out and tell me what you think about it.

Rhapsody in Blue

 

[Vagodeoz]

Please? not even one suggestion or comment?

 

[chazba]

My Momma taught me that if you can't say anything nice, say nothing. I will say something nice. I enthusiastically support community music projects no matter what. It doesn't matter that the level of performance is not what you might hear from a full time professional orchestra. The important thing is that people are having an opportunity to rehearse and perform together. Community orchestras are the classical equivalent of "garage bands". The get as good as they can and do 1 or 2 gigs per year. God bless 'em for the artistic drive that motivates them. A few years ago I attended a performance of Handel's Messiah by our local university orchestra supplemented with some of the local symphonic pro's and with a community based chorus and soloists. It was as good as anyone could ever hope to hear. The next year I took part in a "Messiah Sing-along" with a few hundred other wanna-be singers that probably sucked but was very satisfying to all who took part. It ain't about perfection, it's about participation.


chazba

 

[mshilarious]

You need to work a bit harder to integrate the piano spot mic with the orchestra. Right now the balance, tone, and space of the piano is so different that is sounds a bit like piano karaoke. The orchestra is noticeably brighter (and very brassy) and in a reverberent space. I would roll off the brightness of the orchestra and boost the highs on the piano. Also, check the phase of the piano spot vs. the piano in the main pair; I can hear a timing difference. Honestly, the pianist's timing could probably use some work, if you are inclined you could give them a hand with some editing. Then add some similar reverb to the piano.

 

[Vagodeoz]

Thanks!
chazba: Yeah, I agree. It surely isn't as seeing perform live the BSO, but it's probably the best we get to see here in Bolivia, and it's a good step in the right direction.
The average age of the orchestra is 16 years old. It's a project to keep boys in the suburvs away from the bad life (drugs, crime... etc) and well... get them to do something productive. So I think it's a great project! Also that orchestra is going to record with my band (we play sympho black metal)

Back to the recordings: I ended up recording it on my portastudio, and a digital 2 track back-up. The cassette surely lacked some top end frequencies, which I boosted with EQ. I guess I didn't add enough to the Piano, which was recorded with a ribbon, instead of the SDC as the main pair, probably that helped too. I'm going to try that in a while.
While I was mixing, at times when the orchestra hit full volume and the piano was also playing, the piano was barely noticeable, so i added a couple dBs at 2k to the piano and removed them to the orchestra, and it became much clearer. You think that was a bad decition?
Also the phase, the distance between the mikes wasn't that much but I'll double check anyway.
However I'm not too sure about the editing, since the mikes were close, there is piano all over the mikes (especially the main pair), and well, it's not that serious of a recording. I think they would rather have an accurate representation of what they performed so they can hear their mistakes and try to fix them.

All mistakes apart, I love the analog feeling courtesy of tascam 414mkII


Pd: Is there a way to get rid of tape hiss that is not Waves X-Noise?

 

[mshilarious]

While I was mixing, at times when the orchestra hit full volume and the piano was also playing, the piano was barely noticeable, so i added a couple dBs at 2k to the piano and removed them to the orchestra, and it became much clearer. You think that was a bad decition?

Pd: Is there a way to get rid of tape hiss that is not Waves X-Noise?

That was probably a good decision. You might consider more of that, even across the whole mix, not just in spots. You might look a little higher than 2kHz as well, I like 5kHz as a starting point.

There are plenty of noise reduction plugs, I haven't used that many different ones though. Is there something about Waves that you don't like?

 

[DavidK]

but it's probably the best we get to see here in Bolivia, and it's a good step in the right direction.
The average age of the orchestra is 16 years old. It's a project to keep boys in the suburvs away from the bad life (drugs, crime... etc) and well... get them to do something productive. So I think it's a great project! ?

They are doing a great job for that age. Good for them. The recording is fine, you can hear interesting stuff like the snap basses. As you may know, Venezuela has done incredible stuff with the Simon Bolivar youth Orchestra. It's really changing these young peoples lives.

 

[Vagodeoz]

Is there something about Waves that you don't like?

I'm not too sure about how to use it.
I could only set it up to remove a little of the hiss but tearing apart the audio a little bit. The more hiss reduction, the more tearing apart.
I don't know if it works that way or if I'm doing something wrong in the set-up.
Btw, is hiss a white noise? becouse the "less worse" result I got was with the white noise preset.

PD: I love Waves

 

[Vagodeoz]

They are doing a great job for that age. Good for them. The recording is fine, you can hear interesting stuff like the snap basses. As you may know, Venezuela has done incredible stuff with the Simon Bolivar youth Orchestra. It's really changing these young peoples lives.

Yeah! this orchestra works a lot with the Venezuelan orchestras.
Last concert I recorded (the one before this one) had a venezuelan solo violin player.
Here I just uploaded a little sample of that recording. There I only used the Rode NT5 stereo pair recorded into a laptop through a cheapass behringer USB interface. Comparations between both recordings? Which one do you like better? The digital one surely sounds more Hi-Fi but the analog is a lot warmer, especially the piano.

 

[DavidK]

Yeah! this orchestra works a lot with the Venezuelan orchestras.
Last concert I recorded (the one before this one) had a venezuelan solo violin player.
Here I just uploaded a little sample of that recording. There I only used the Rode NT5 stereo pair recorded into a laptop through a cheapass behringer USB interface. Comparations between both recordings? Which one do you like better?

This one needs the solo violin more centered, he is too far left. It has a lot of stereo separation, maybe too wide. The soloist isnt loud enough, which was probably the case in the concert but there are ways to fix that. Everything on this recording is either left or right, no center.

BTW, I am probably the only person in this forum who recognizes this music. Bruch Violin Concerto #1, first mvmt.

String players are a strange lot. Here's a passage they cant play because it is too hard. What do they do?? They rush.: Listen to the cellos, they are playing it fine. The violins are WAY ahead, they make the hard part even harder.

 

[Vagodeoz]

Hahaha yeah, I think you are the only one in the forum can recognice that music. Not even me... I didn't knew what it was called thanks!
As for the ultra wide stereo image... I didn't realice that... now listening carefully I think you are right... I think I set up the stereo image way too open. I think on the new recording (analog one) the stero image wasn't that wide, and I also had reinforcements mikes panned almost in the center.
As for the main violin yes, I placed the main stero pair behind the director and then the solo violinist went on stage and played in the director's left, so it's very left in the stereo take.
I remember my days playing violin, and I used to do the same, rush on hard parts. I guess it's some sort of self defense mechanism for the musicians, try to hide the mistakes behind speed