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
Produced, engineered and mixed by Frank Bevans. Video by Frank Bevans
Recorded at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Sacramento, CA for the Music at Noon Series.
Recording Chain: One SF-24V (over the conductor’s shoulder) and four SF-2’s (one at each corner of the stage). SF-24V into a Millennia HV-3C preamplifier. SF-2’s into Apogee Ensemble preamplifiers. All mics through Apogee Ensemble D/A converters, recorded to Apple Logic Pro.
“Anyone in my position who needs to capture the delicate and beautiful sounds of the silver flutes has no choice but to record them with Royer microphones. Plain and simple. Nothing else comes close.”
-Frank Bevans (For more of Frank’s comments on the recording process, scroll down to below the videos.)
Prelude from Suite Antique (John Rutter, arrangement by Robert Rainford)
Aria from Suite Antique (John Rutter, arrangement by Robert Rainford)
Waltz from Suite Antique (John Rutter, arrangement by Robert Rainford)
Notes from Frank on the preparation for these recordings:
“I remember that set-up being very gear intensive.
I brought: 3 video cameras. Monitors, lights, tripods, cords, cables, plugs.
Audio gear, laptop, preamp, A/D converter, microphones, stands, audio cords, sand bags.
A rolling table and chairs. Not to mention a camera and lights for a group photo and my black suit.
“The acoustics of this old church were remarkable.
No reverb or enhancing effects were added to this recording.
The beautiful sounds you hear are thanks to the wonderful talents of the musicians and the ability of these Royer microphones to capture the natural voices of the flutes.
It was an honor to record the audio and video of this live performance of the Camellia City Flute Choir.”
Arturo Sandoval demonstrates his trumpet and piano recording techniques in the best way possible, laying it down in the studio. Each of these videos feature Arturo soloing on the trumpet and then doing some extraordinary piano playing. For the trumpet demonstrations, engineer Don Murray removed Arturo’s solo tracks from two recordings featured on Auturo’s record “Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You)” and Arturo recorded new solos.
Recording chain Trumpet: Royer R-122 and SF-24V into Millennia HV-3D preamplifier. Bricasti reverb. Recorded to Pro Tools. Recording chain Piano: Royer SF-24 and two Mojave Audio MA-300’s into Millennia HV-3D preamplifier. Recorded to Pro Tools.
The instruments are miked the way Arturo records in the studio: Trumpet – one R-122 close mic, with an SF-24V at a distance and blended for added dimension. Piano – One SF-24V at the knee of the piano, with two Mojave Audio MA-300’s set in Cardioid and spread out.
(Arturo normally uses SF-24’s in the distant trumpet position and on piano, but we had SF-24V’s on hand.) Trumpet: “Things to Come” (Walter Gilbert Fuller, Dizzy Gillespie) Piano: “Surena” (Arturo Sandoval)
Trumpet: “And Then She Stopped” (Dizzy Gillespie) Piano: “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” (Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach)
