Jason Graham, Recording and Broadcast Engineer for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, explains how he uses ribbon mics when recording The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (formerly Mormon Tabernacle Choir) and also The Millennial Choirs and Orchestras.
Preamplifier and placement information is included in the video. The songs featured in the video are included below in their entirety.
Mics used:
SF-24V: Choir, Oipe Organ, Room
SF-2: Choir
SF-24: Sections
R-122V: Strings
R-121 Harp
dBooster: support Woodwind mics
Multi-Grammy Award winning recording engineer Michael Bishop explains how he mics and records this phenomenal CancerBlows live performance. Featuring some of the best-known trumpet players alive, the music is fantastic and Michael’s thoughts on how to capture brass, orchestra and big band properly using ribbon microphones is invaluable.
Huge thanks to Ryan and Niki Anthony, Michael Bishop and Erica Brenner.
The recording is available on Music=Hope Records and all proceeds from the sale of the recording help fund cancer research. Purchase the music: CD/DVD (the full concert and music experience): https://www.cancerblows.com/shop.php
Engineer/Producer: Russell Dawkins
Recorded at the studios of the Ukrainian Radio/Television Orchestra, Kiev.
Recording chain: One SF-12 stereo ribbon microphone with 35-feet of Monster cable connected to a Studio Technologies mic pre, then 6-feet of Monster cable to an Apogee A/D converter, to coaxial cable to the digital ‘in’ on a portable DAT machine. No compression or reverb used.
This exceptional recording of a full orchestra was made on one SF-12 stereo ribbon microphone, positioned over the conductor’s head, at a distance that achieved a nice balance of the orchestra and hall ambience. We use this recording regularly in seminars, as it’s a wonderful example of the amazingly natural reproduction a high-quality ribbon microphone is capable of delivering. The off-axis response is perfect, transients are natural with no overshoot or ringing, and the flat frequency response captures the full range of the orchestra with no peaks or dips anywhere throughout the frequency range.
Sergei Prokofiev – “Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 2”
Sergei Prokofiev – “Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 2” excerpt 2
RCA 10001 spot mic and SF-24 room mic on Malcom McNab’s Solo trumpet (RCA 60%, SF-24 40% in the mix).
Brass, French Horn and Bass Trombone recorded on R-122’s with an SF-24 as room mic.
Recording chain: RCA 10001 into a UA 2-610 tube preamp, SF-24 and R-122’s into a Millennia HV-3D preamp. Recorded to Digital Performer HD 192 (at 88.2/192), using the HD 192 converters. TC Electronics M-6000 and Lexicon 960 and 480 reverbs used in the mix. No compression, limiting or EQ used.
“Saloon Music for Bb Cornet and Pit Orchestra” (Bruce Broughton)
