Recording "on location"

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andyhix

andyhix

:dank:
Anybody ever packed up shop and brought their recording gear somewhere else to set up a temporary studio? I am hoping to do so in the next few months, and just looking for tips or potential pitfalls.

We would basically be in a completely isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere for a long weekend, so everything would need to be thought out thoroughly in advance. The place (I would think) has great acoustics (at least compared to my basement), but has not much else.

Just curious if anyone has done this and has any stories to share, or things to remember...xtra strings, drum heads, extension cords, lava lamp, etc...
 
andyhix said:
Just curious if anyone has done this and has any stories to share, or things to remember...xtra strings, drum heads, extension cords, lava lamp, etc...
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Bring extra strings, drum heads, extension cords, lava lamp, etc.

And plenty of mind-altering drugs. :D

Seriously, though ... just walk through the recording session in your head, and make a check list of everything you'll be using. Bring extra long cables, because you never know what kinds of weird mic'ing situations / ideas you might run in to. Bring tons of junction boxes and extension cords.

Mark everything with colored tape or whatever, so you know it's yours. Take an inventory, and before you leave, make sure it's all there.
 
And keep it pretty simple... Don't give yourself too much rope to hang yourself with if time's a tickin'.

I've heard the stuff you do in your basement - You've got a good ear. I'm sure it'll go well.
 
Everything that chessrock said is spot on. I'd also double the emphasis on the junction boxes and extension cords, and I'd also add...

A couple of common spare tubes for guitar amps and tube processors. It's always on the trip to the gig in the middle of nowhere where an amp gets bounced around just enough to weaken the 12AX7s and 6L6s that are almost ubiquitous.

Plenty of batteries for pedals, stomp boxes, powered mics, etc.

A guerilla repair kit including wire cutters/strippers, knife, soldering iron and solder, screwdrivers, pliers, electrical tape and duct tape.

Plan your audio signal paths setups as best as possible before-hand and label the cables, mixer jacks, etc. so that you're not digging through a big box of unlabeled cables trying to find the one with the right length and connectors.

Watch and prepare for possible electrical grounding problems on-site. The potentials for lack of proper grounding or even three-pronged outlets exist on one side of the spectrum, and potential grounding loop problems due to lack of circuit isolation on the other.

Don't forget to bring something to keep Yoko occupied when she gets bored.

G.
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
Don't forget to bring something to keep Yoko occupied when she gets bored.
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They haven't yet invented an emoticon to signify the hillarity of that statement.

All good humor has a certain amount of truth to it. :D
 
Massive Master said:
They haven't yet invented an emoticon to signify the hillarity of that statement.

All good humor has a certain amount of truth to it. :D
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This was really meant to be about 70% serious and only 30% funny. But maybe that's what makes it funnier. :)

Nothing worse that the girlfriend(s) coming in to the room and whining "how much longer, I'm getting bored" after a few hours of setup and practice when the band just starts to find a groove that can stick to tape.

G.
 
bring a ground tester (cheap at home depot or lowes) to check your outlets and then try to keep as much equipment on a common grounded circuit. if you have a UPS or power filter, bring it.

we have a cabin built in 1938 and in order to get the equipment mostly noise free we added a stake outside into the ground and added a #8 wire to the fuse box. fortunately everything was BX (metal jacket) wired so we replaced most of the outlet plugs with 3 prong plugs and added a short ground lead to the outlet box (the wiring was only 2 conducter + the metal jacket...) huge difference in noise between amps and electronics... only took about an hour or so to add the ground wire and change 6 or so plugs. of course if you're not comfortable with electrical wiring do not try this at home :-)

in this case we were also only about 35 minutes from a home depot so it was possible to get the parts... at the least, try to make sure you have enough power cords, adapters, and some basic tools...

another thought - i have most of my rack gear now in a couple of portable boxes so moving things around is fairly quick and the equipment is safe and mostly pre-wired. got the 18U boxes for $75 off ebay. not super rugged but with care they work fine to move and protect the equipment.
 
Thanks John (MM).

As for Yoko, she (all of them, hopefully) would be left behind, so it would be just the band and an engineer, likely. No distractions. thank god.

The ground issue is one that troubled me a bit. I actually posted here a while back about that. I think I'm gonna have to ground out the outlets myself in a sorta half assed temporary way. Drive a rod into the ground, and run wires to the outlets.

And the mind altering drugs - of course!

Good tips, so far. We probably wont be doing this for quite a while, a few months at least - I'm just now trying to get the rest of the crew to commit to this notion. Thanks!
 
renting a generator

Hello again, I'm kinda rehashing an old post. In the following thread, I asked a question about some electrical concerns with this "on location" idea. https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=157802

Well, I just recently reserved the cabin that we will be recording in (not till early May), and was told that currently the electrical service is only working in the kitchen.

Well, given this, and the antique electrical service there, anyway, I'm thinking that renting a generator might be a smart/safe way to go. So I'm wondering what size generator I would need. I just got a "what size generator should I buy" sheet from HD, and now have a better idea how it all works. By looking at spec sheets/owners manuals online it seems mid-sized guitar amps only require about 100-200 watts of power. Is that right? Seems that the smallest generators produce like 3500 watts, and therefore should be adequate to power some lighting (including, of course, the lava lamp), 2 or 3 git amps, maybe a keyboard, a computer, and a few other sundries. Am I on the right track?

Also, anyone got an idea of the cost to rent one of these?
 
Have you considered the fact that generators are not silent?
 
I have considered that, but I was told in the other thread that they are pretty damn quiet. Additionally, it would be outside, quite a ways away, and on the other side of one, well actually 2 10" thick log walls. I'm hoping that would make it quiet enough?
 
We have recorded in places where when you open the gate to get in you interrupt the phone service which comes in via the barb wire fence... As far as grounds make sure the green or chassis ground is common with everything in the system... Then run a #14 or heavier guage to

Indoor copper plumbing (if availible)
Ground rod outside (if the ground is halfway moist)
If the ground isnt moist run the ground rod down into the outdoor crapper
Dont laugh a lot grounds in the old days were made by digging a big hole then filling with horse manure.. these lasted more than 20 years..
 
If we go the DIY grounding route, we would probably flop a grounding rod or similar into the nearby river.
 
Don't forget to bring the mic stands. I hate it when I do that.

Bring a couple UPS-es. Bring at least 50% more cables than you need. Since mic manufacturers refuse to make mic cases with a spot for the shockmounts, take a careful census of them, and make sure they come along.

Make a list of everything, and check each item off as it goes in the car. Do the same when you pack to leave.
 
Don't forget to take extra toilet paper, cabins in the country rarely have a good stock of this vital materal. Also never leave home without a roll of duck tape and a couple of plastic dropcloths.
 
cool. cool. cool. All good points. The mic stands, git stands, xtra strings, and drum heads were the first things I put on my load list. So, anybody got any insight into the generator option?
 
The power supplies have very good regulation now however i would have very good spike and surge suppressor power strips.. Also let the generaror run awhile before powering up.. Most important!!!! Dont let the mg run out of gas with everything powered.. That put spikes on the line like you wouldnt believe...
 
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