a live room...for mixing...eh?

[Kasey]

alright... so i am a fan of as live a sound as i can get, as in like what most people would use or want for a string ensemble recording. I do a lot of huge crashing drums, choirs, strings, etc. so yea, it makes sense. unfortunately i have to mix in the same room i track in. is there any solution to my dilemna? is diffusion the key? what shall i do? is there anyway to have a decent live sounding room also be a mixing room? I can put up bass traps but im afraid to put up normal absorption since it might kill some of that reverb i adore.

 

[emergencyexit]

Do you have a plan of the room? That would be very helpful. Also is there any possible way of having an other room somewhere. I'm using a boiler room to mix from right now... Outside of the house... Soon to be treated.

Ben

 

[frederic]

The easiest solution is to put on a pair of headphones, and record the strings, chior and percussion absolutely dry. No EQ, no outboards, simply dry. All you have to do is adjust the levels correctly which you'll hear (distortion?) as well as see (VU meters avg and peak). Then once you've captured things onto the recorder of your choosing, you can send the choir and musicans home and mix with your monitors and add whatever EQ and/or outboards that you feel bring out the performance, using portable bass traps and stuff that is easily removable during the actual performacne you are trying to capture.