Recording Gig this weekend - Help

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ChisCarlson

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I have really bitten off more than I can chew here. But I would like to do as good a job as possible. Here is what I am faced with. This weekend I will be recording (live) a large group consisting of 6 vocalists (lead with 5 back-up singers), 2 keyboardists (4 keyboards), full drum kit, bass, 3 guitars (1 accoustic) and two saxaphones (Tenor & soprano).

I will pulling my feed from the subs of a pretty good sized makie console that is running the sound for the house and running it into my mighty Fostex vf-16 (8 channels available for recording)

Can it be done? Can it be done well? What would any of you suggest for configuration of the subs and use of my limited channels available for recording?

In addition, another problem I will be facing is that the 6 vocalists pass around the lead vocal part. So I can't isolate the Lead vocal from the harmonies.

Any suggestions will be GREATLY appreciated.

Chris Carlson
 
I know it's uncool to reply to your own thread (especially when no one else has) but I thought I'd give an update and see if anybody had any better suggestions.

At rehearsal last night, Ifiddled around and came with this track assignment:

1 - Male Vocals (4 guys)
2 - Female Vocals (4 gals)
3 - Drums (Wish I could have done stereo but oh well)
4 - Bass Guitar
5 - Synths and Horns (2 synths and 2 saxes)
6 - Acct Guitar
7 - Other Guitars (2)
8 - Main Keyboard (Really another synth)

I tried to group them by function and possible EQ needs. Also I had to put the Bass Guitar on its own channel because he is VERY inconsistent (Volume wise) and I will have to be constantly adjusting to make him fit in the mix.

The syths and horns are taken from the direct outs of the Mackie and into a small four channel mixer and then into the Recorder. So I will have a bit more control there if I need to.

The drums are a sub of the 6 channels of drums on the Mackie
Bass, Acct Guitar & Main Keyboard are all direct outs of the Mackie

Am I missing anything here? Unfortunately as I said in my previous post, the lead vocals get passed around across all the vocalists, so I have decided to take the two vocal subs from the Mackie POST fader. This way, the Sound Guy will adjust for who has the lead vocal. This will probably crush the other vocalists but I can't think of another way to avoid losing the Lead vocal.

ANY suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Chris
 
Chris, by the time I saw your post the weekend was over. It sounds to me like you've come up with as good a method as can be, considering the limitations of the gig. If you had more tracks available, I'd strongly recommend an X-Y pair of condensers overhead in addition to the tracks you have, since I've never been able to get a good recording straight off the board in a live situation - However, in my case it was alway limitied to a stereo feed, so instruments that were amplified on stage always came out weaker on the recording.

Where you're recording separate groups, you should have a LOT more control of your own final mix... Steve
 
Thanks for your input Steve. Some of the sound I pulled from last nights rehearsal sounded pretty good - especially the instruments - I am very worried about the vocals though. It's like something was funny through the sub. The house sound was great but what came into my recording gear was very thin and airy.

I can probably help it a lot with EQ at mixdown. And if worse comes to worse, I can see if they want to try and replace the vocals later. But I (and they) really wanted to capture the live performance.

Well, nothing to do until Saturday. I hope it goes well.

Thanks again,
Christopher
 
I've only used a Mackie once, and not for long - but I think the FX returns go to the stereo mains, not the subs - if so, that would partially explain the wimpy sounding vocals.

If you're truly stuck with only 8 recorded tracks at a time, I'd sure try to make at least one of those tracks a live mic out front. Even at the cost of having to put maybe all the keys together on the submix.

Keep in mind that the sound guy is going to try to make the band sound good TO HIS EARS, WHERE HE'S SITTING. There's just no way it'll sound the same coming out of the board, since little of the room will be involved and any mics will be onstage.

There's no easy answer to this, I guess if there's time experiment with a room mic - if not, good luck (oops, I mean break a leg)... Steve
 
If you ever do such a thing again.........
Use a stereo pair for combined bass and drums
Mix the male and female vocals in one or 2 pairs, don't do a set of male and a set of femal vocals.
 
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