AUdIoCoUrSeS
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 2014
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| Week 2 RT Music 1 |
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A) Questions
Reply to these questions in this thread!
1. Express the types of music typically played by an orchestra?
2. List the instruments that may be used in classical music?
3. Group some combinations of instruments that are used in classical music?
4. How are voices combined with instruments in classical music?
5. Where is classical music generally recorded?
6. Who might be involved in classical music recording?
7. What abilities and qualifications would you think a classical music recording producer need?
8. What abilities and qualifications would you think a classical music recording engineer need?
9. Discuss the working conditions of a classical music recording session.
10. Discuss the working conditions of a live classical music recording.
11. Discuss the way classical musicians work.
12. What is "The fixer" in classical music recording?
13. What types of equipment are used in classical recording?
14. Where is the equipment set up for a session or live recording?
15. How does the producer communicate with the conductor or performers in a session recording?
16. Does the producer communicate with the conductor or performers in a live recording?
17. What does the producer do during a recording session?
18. What does the assistant producer do in a recording session?
19. What does the producer do during a live recording?
20. How does the producer prepare for a recording session?
21. How does the recording engineer prepare for a recording session?
22. How do orchestral musicians prepare for a recording session?
23. What limitations are there for the producer in a live recording?
24. What limitations are there for the recording engineer in live recording?
25. Does a live recording of classical music require a PA system?
26. Are there any additional problems caused if a live recording is also recorded on video or broadcast on television?
27. How are microphones set up for solo instruments?
28. How is a microphone set up for solo voice?
29. How are microphones set up for chamber ensembles?
30. How are microphones set up for orchestral music?
31. How are microphones set up for music for chorus and orchestra?
32. How are microphones set up for opera?
33. How are microphones set up for a live recording of opera?
34. Is classical music recording straight into stereo or onto multitrack?
35. If a multitrack recording is made of classical music, what format will be used?
36. Describe the conduct of a recording session.
37. Describe rehearse/record.
38. Describe the conduct of a live recording.
39. How much editing is involved in classical music recording?
40. How are decisions taken on the selection of takes and edit points?
41. Who performs classical music editing?
42. What equipment is commonly used for classical music editing?
43. What problems are commonly found in editing classical music?
44. Are processors and effects such as compression/reverb/gating etc. ever used in classical music recording?
45. Discuss some of the technical difficulties associated with editing classical music such as this?
46. Often a digital reverb unit can be utilised for recording classical music for broadcast? Why is that?.
47. Indicate some administrative functions that a classical music producer or assistant producer might do in a classical recoding session.
48. Classical music recoding venues often differ from say pop recording venues. Briefly discuss some of the differences.
49. Orchestral harps, (besides the sound of the strings) can be tricky to record, why is that?
50. Would you think a compressor would be used in classical music recording? Discuss your answer.
_________________
It's all in the ears. - Learn the concepts not the software.
Audio Courses is a way into the music business for you
Last edited by AUdIoCoUrSeS on Mon Sep 13, 2004 3:01 am; edited 1 time in total |
Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:26 am |
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hoggs33
Joined: 09 Feb 2004
Posts: 55
Location: Nottingham, England |
Thanks for the advice - I am searching as wide as possible on the internet.
Duncan |
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Tue Mar 16, 2004 1:19 am |
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iNSTiNCT2765
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 60
Location: Denmark |
Hey Chris I got a question... I recorded my classical edit and its right on 29 seconds, but when i convert it to mp3 and play it, its only 28 seconds, would u still accept it?
- Aman |
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Thu Mar 18, 2004 10:33 pm |
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AUdIoCoUrSeS
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 2014
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| OK |
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Sounds very odd.......
Let's let it through this time though..
Looking forward to hearing them..
More to the point, looking forward to the questions being answered.
The questions are the FIRST priority everyone.
_________________
It's all in the ears. - Learn the concepts not the software.
Audio Courses is a way into the music business for you
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Thu Mar 18, 2004 10:56 pm |
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hoggs33
Joined: 09 Feb 2004
Posts: 55
Location: Nottingham, England |
Hi Chris. I have just uploaded my classical edit - I was not sure if you wanted them uploaded to our own folder or the classic edits folder si I have done it to both to be sure!!! I am not sure if I have actually uploaded the file correctly though - can you let me know if it is there. Thanks
Duncan (hoggs33)
p.s. I will be posting my answers to the questions shortly. |
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Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:21 am |
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AUdIoCoUrSeS
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 2014
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| Uploaded |
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Yes, looks like it's fine.
Will get to listen to it before sunday
Cheers
_________________
It's all in the ears. - Learn the concepts not the software.
Audio Courses is a way into the music business for you
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Fri Mar 19, 2004 12:34 am |
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iNSTiNCT2765
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 60
Location: Denmark |
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Recording Techniques – Week 2
Part A
Orchestral Music
An orchestra can play a vast variety of music ranging from film scores to the most typical, which is classical music. The majority of motion pictures use orchestras as their main ingredient in their film scores. It sets the moods and brings forth emotions. They have dedicated film music recording engineers who have mastered the art of capturing an orchestral performance in a slightly different way than the classical music recording engineer. They always have to keep in mind that the orchestral music recorded is for film and is therefore going to be mixed with dialogue and sound effects. This is why the stereo image may be a bit wider than a normal classical music recording. Another type of music played by an orchestra is popular music. Orchestras can add just the right feeling and emotion to a track, especially the string section due to the celestial sound produced. Listen to ‘Breaking the Habit’ from Linkin Park’s second major studio album release, Meteora. This track has a string section playing throughout the entire song that gives the song a very cinematic and, excuse my corniness but for lack of a better word, beautiful soundscape. It also makes the song flow smoothly all the way through, which I think is a nice effect for a track that’s up in the 175-180 bpm range. Speaking of Linkin Park, there’s also a tribute album where a select number of their best songs are recreated exclusively by a String Quartet. Weird? I think so. Moving along, I come to the most typical type of music played by an orchestra; the classical. This is where many would agree that an orchestra is at its full potential. A concert of the sort would normally include either a symphony or a concerto (or both). The difference between the two being that the first is usually made up of four sections called ‘movements’ while the latter consists of three ‘movements’ and is a piece of music written for the orchestra but includes an instrument solo (e.g. piano or violin).
Classical Music
Instruments
Most of the instruments used in classical music fit into the four categories, which are strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. Those instruments are as follows:
Strings:
· Violin – First and Second Violins make up the two groups of violins. The first group plays the tune while the second group plays harmony. It is the highest pitched stringed instrument.
· Viola – Can be played pizzicato.
· Cello – Has the range of a human voice.
· Double Bass – The lowest-pitched member of the strings.
Woodwinds:
· Flute and Piccolo (smaller, higher pitched flute)
· Oboe – Has a large range across three octaves.
· Cor anglais (English horn) – Sounds like a lower pitched oboe
· Clarinet & Bass clarinet
· Bassoon & Contrabass
Brass:
· Trumpet
· Trombone
· Tuba
· French Horn
Percussion (untuned)
· Timpani
· Cymbals
· Side Drum
· Bass Drum
· Woodblock
· Triangle
Percussion (tuned)
· Xylophone
· Marimba
· Vibraphone
· Glockenspiel
Other instruments that are heard in classical music include the harp, piano, classical guitar and the saxophone. The saxophone has similarities to the clarinet, which therefore means that it is classed as a woodwind instrument.
All of these instruments can be combined differently to form groups. Some examples of these groups include:
Flute Ensemble (Flute, Piccolo, Alto Flute and Bass Flute)
· This group showcases all the members of the flute family.
String Quartet (First and Second Violins, Viola and Cello)
· One of the most important forms in chamber music. Chamber music is a piece of music written for a small group of instruments where no two of them play the same music.
· Can be used in popular music or to play renditions of it, as the String Quartet tribute album to Linkin Park would demonstrate.
· The piano quintet is a string quartet with piano.
Woodwind Quintet (Oboe, Flute, French horn, Bassoon, Clarinet)
· A chamber group.
· A variation of this quintet is the quartet, which does not include the French horn.
Voices in Classical Music
Classical music is not only written for the instruments listed above but also for the human voice. Combining the voice with classical music brings the whole listening experience to another level. As the most dynamic and complex instrument, the voice gives a piece of classical music a more personal feel. The ability to create atmosphere and mood with the vocal chords can only intensify the performance. In classical music, parts are written for both the male and female voice in the high, mid and low range. There are names for these ranges:
Female:
· Soprano – the highest pitched female voice
· Mezzo-soprano/Alto – the mid range female voice
· Contralto – the lowest female voice
Male:
· Tenor – the highest pitched male voice
· Baritone – mid range male voice
· Bass – lowest male voice
We can call the tenor the highest pitched ‘normal’ male voice because there is one voice that lies above it which is called the counter-tenor. Some men train their voices to sound like that of the boy soprano, which is the singing voice of a boy before puberty. Why would this voice not be normal? Well, to reach this high pitch, the singer is most likely using a falsetto voice, which in definition is a voice with artificial high tones in the upper register.
Recording Classical Music
Recording classical music is done either from a live performance or in a studio session. The obvious place to record the live performance is the concert hall at which it is being performed. Recording a classical music session is done under studio conditions but not in a studio but on location. For example, if a track needs an orchestra for a huge intro (e.g. Redman - Smash Something) it would not be possible to record the orchestra and choir in the recording studio because of the lack of space and acoustics. Where studios often work with dead sound and add artificial ‘space’ during mixing, classical music needs the natural acoustics. A concert or symphony hall would be appropriate but not always available. Chapels and churches could be places to conduct a classical music recording session. Any place with the proper acoustics and enough space to hold a 60-piece orchestra, if that’s the case, should be suitable for recording classical music. Such a recording session should have at least one producer, one recording engineer and of course, the conductor and orchestra present.
The Producer
The producer in a classical music recording session should, like all other producers of different genres, be able to communicate well with all the players in the session. They should get on well with everyone from the orchestra/singers to the conductor and the engineer and his crew and be able to talk efficiently with all of them regarding the recording. Since it is their job to make sure the recording has the quality that is required both sonically and performance wise, they should have a fair understanding of classical music and have some sort of a music qualification. They should be able to critically listen to the music and hear when wrong notes are being played and offer input. During a session the producer would communicate with the conductor and performers through the PA system since he/she would be in the control room with the engineer monitoring the performance being recorded. Any inconsistencies or mistakes heard should be made aware to them and a playback should be requested from the engineer so they can be pointed out. Some administrative functions the producer performs before the session include actually finding and booking the location and hiring the recording engineer. To prepare for the session, the producer gets familiar with the pieces being recorded to get a general idea of what a possible result will sound like and before the recording begins, the producer also consults the conductor and engineer to agree on the order in which the pieces of music should be played. The producer is responsible for making sure that everything that should be recorded is recorded. If an assistant producer is present, he/she would log all the takes with start and finish times and notes on the quality of each take for later editing. When everything is recorded, it is the producer’s job to listen to the takes and select the best ones. So basically, the producer is the link between the performers and the engineer who overlooks everything and makes sure everybody performs their tasks optimally by assisting them and getting the best out of them plus is responsible for the quality of the final product.
The producer’s job during a live recording is somewhat limited. Firstly, they can’t communicate with the orchestra or conductor since there is no PA system present because it is a live performance. Plus, there is only one take and no reason for the producer to communicate with the performers and it would seem a bit odd to the audience if they heard a voice come out of the speakers requesting the orchestra to do a retake because someone got a note wrong.
The Recording Engineer
The engineer hired for the job should have some experience and background knowledge of recording classical music. I don’t see how having an interest in classical music could benefit except during the breaks, chatting it up with the orchestra and the conductor but the engineer should, however, know the capabilities and ranges of the instruments and which microphones are best suited for what. He/she is there to handle all the technical stuff required for getting the best recordings of the performances down on hard disk or tape. During the recording he makes sure that no unwanted sounds are recorded with the performance. Such sounds include the pedals when recording an orchestral harp. This is why the harp is difficult to record because the pedal sound has to be taken into account. To prepare for a session, the engineer would have a conversation with the producer to get details on how the orchestra will be positioned so he/she can decide how to approach microphone placement. The engineer also has to make sure every piece of equipment is functional and up and running to insure a smooth recording session and if anything should go wrong technically during the session, it’s up to him and his staff to fix it. During a live recording session, the engineer’s work is somewhat limited due to the fact that there is an audience present who came to see the orchestra and not the microphones hovering over them. Placement of the microphones out of sight might cause the recording to suffer a little bit. Plus, everything has to be recorded in one take so the mix has to be as close to perfect the first time…no pressure!
The Orchestra
If the orchestra hired has ten or more members, there must be an orchestra manager (fixer) present during all recording sessions. Their job is to make sure that all musical activity follows the rules of the agreement. The fixer can be a member of the orchestra but cannot be the conductor. To get ready for the recording session, the orchestra prepares by rehearsing the music, getting it all down to a science. Everybody has to do his or her own homework. To be professional, you always have to come to a session prepared and ready to go. But when there is music presented to the orchestra, which is unfamiliar to them, a process called rehearse/record can be used. This would mean that the piece is played and recorded in sections starting from the beginning. A section is rehearsed and then recorded, and then the next section is rehearsed and then recorded until the piece is finished. Classical musicians work under very professional conditions. They are part of a union and are under contracts and have specific rules as to the maximum time of a session, breaks and overtime work.
Working Conditions and Conduct in Live/Studio Session
During a recording session, even though there are schedules and time limits, the working condition, though professional, is of a more relaxed setting compared to the working conditions of a live recording session. Firstly, there is room for mistakes, which equals less pressure. There is more time to perfect the performance and details can more easily be taken into account. For the orchestra and conductor, the recording session is about getting the best performance out of them sonically, minus the visual so the players need not worry about, or take into account that there is an audience watching…because there isn’t one. During a live recording session though, they would have to conduct themselves the way classical music suggest…classical, or classy (u get my drift). Performing in front of a full house in a stained white t-shirt and sagging faded light green jeans won’t do. Here, the visual element must be taken into account since people have paid to come look at you. Adding this to the fact that it is a one take, ‘no retake option available’ type of session, the working conditions could be thought to be tenser. More rewarding maybe, but more tense. Similar conditions apply to the engineer since he/she also has only one shot to get a great take down on tape. More pressure during the live performance in contrast to a more interactive relaxed working condition during a studio recording session.
Recording Equipment and Editing
To record classical music you would need the proper microphones for the different groups of instruments to record them properly. You would also need microphones to capture the room ambience and stereo image. A method of recording the orchestra is called the Decca Tree technique. This involves placing three microphones a bit behind the conductor’s head, 12 to 15 feet up in the air and angled down about 30 degrees. The center mic aimed to the center of the orchestra and the other two aimed left and right about 45 degrees from the center. To capture the room ambience and give a good stereo image, two microphones are place further back in the room in the far left and right edges of the orchestra. Then for each group or ensemble or individual instruments, spot mics are used. This can be done by placing mics in a stereo pair about 6-8 feet from the source which is often enough to capture it. To record an opera, three unidirectional mics are placed on the stage floor in a line. It would be an idea to cover them so they aren’t visible to the audience. For the live opera singers it would also be best if there were no microphones visible so to capture the performance by the singers they would have to wear wireless mics hidden from sight. To sum that up, the microphones in a classical recording session are placed in the hall or room that is being used as the recording ‘booth’. There has to be another separate room used as the control room with separate acoustics in order for there to be proper monitoring of the session. In this room is where the mixer and the recording medium are found. When making a recording for CD release it is normal practice to mix the performance right there and record it into stereo right away (e.g. DAT). It is also possible to multitrack the session for separate mixing or for surround sound purposes. This is usually done on a harddisk recorder and in the high resolution of 24bit/96kHz.
After the producer has made sure that all the takes have been recorded they have to be edited extensively. He/she will listen to them all and sort out the best takes and work together with a skilled editor to piece together the final product. Editing takes place using dedicated audio editing software such as SoundForge or WaveLab. The editor makes sure during the process that the edits are done smoothly and aren’t audible. This means not cutting into the reverb ‘tail’ or the decay. This can become a difficult task so an editor must be patient and disciplined. Something to be taken into account during editing is that it is not possible to edit between takes that are at different tempi or tuned differently. It just wouldn’t sound right.
Effects (compressors/gates/reverbs)
It is not common practice to use compressors and gates in classical music. It’s a genre that has dynamics as one of its main features and natural sound is key. If a compressor is ever used in classical music recording it would have to be very subtle, maybe just to control extreme peaks of a very dynamic instrument. Of course, for vocals such as opera singers the compressor is a little more acceptable and more widely used for the purpose of evening out the voice by controlling the differences in levels from high notes and low notes. Reverbs are used in classical music but not usually in the recording process but left until the editing stage to insure flexibility. A reverb unit could come into play at this stage to enhance the acoustics and ambience of the hall in which the orchestra was recorded. If live classical music is to be broadcast or recorded on video, a digital reverb unit can be used because when a concert hall fills up with people, the acoustics you normally obtain naturally for the recording don’t seem to be present at all or if they are, it’s in a diminished form. Digital reverbs can restore ambiance and give the music the extra reverberation and the enhancement needed and of course it is easy to control the acoustics to best suit the broadcast when using the unit instead of spending time on mic placement.
- Aman |
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Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:18 am |
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hoggs33
Joined: 09 Feb 2004
Posts: 55
Location: Nottingham, England |
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Here are my answers to the classical music questions. I have searched far and wide on the internet for the answers but did find it hard to find positive answers to some of the questions. I feel that some of my answers are a bit vague and there were a few that I could not find answers to. Where I have struggled to find the necessary info I have had a go at creating an answer using the info I have obtained and using a bit of imagination!!! I do however feel as though I have learnt a lot from the research I have undertaken.
1. Express the types of music typically played by an orchestra?
Typically ‘classical’ music such as symphonies, opera etc but also music in theatres for a play, film soundtracks, orchestral sections on pop and rock music.
2. List the instruments that may be used in classical music?
String section (violins, cello, viola etc), brass section (trumpet, trombone etc), drums and percussion (timpani, cymbals, snare and bass drums etc.), woodwind section (clarinet, oboe, flute etc.) and miscellaneous instruments such as harp, piano etc.
3. Group some combinations of instruments that are used in classical music?
Think I pretty much covered this question in 2. above.
4. How are voices combined with instruments in classical music?
A choir is sometimes used as an ‘instrument’ for a particular part rather than singing a ‘lead’ vocal but also as the main part. I think Carmina Burana by Carl Orf is a good example of this. The voices often ‘compliment’ what is being played rather than being a particular ‘lead’ part.
5. Where is classical music generally recorded?
Generally in a large ‘live’ room big enough the accommodate the orchestra with good acoustics to capture the overall sound of the orchestra to try and capture the concert hall feel, places on location such as concert halls, town halls, theatres etc.
6. Who might be involved in classical music recording?
The orchestra (!), conductor, studio engineers, producer, assistant producer, possible technical staff also
7. What abilities and qualifications would you think a classical music recording producer need?
A good understanding of music and performance as well as a good ear for music and acoustic settings.
A good ear for acoustics, especially if choosing the venue, familiarity with classical works.
8. What abilities and qualifications would you think a classical music recording engineer need?
Good knowledge of microphones and placement of them , knowledge of recording equipment, a good ear for sound and acoustics.
9. Discuss the working conditions of a classical music recording session.
There are likely to be a large number of people involved who all need to be co-ordinated and in tune! The musicians are more than likely paid session musicians and may be part of a union so breaks and length of time playing could govern the overall recording session unlike a ‘band’ who may just keep going until they get it right.
10. Discuss the working conditions of a live classical music recording.
Assume on this you mean recording a ‘one-off’ concert rather than a controlled session. In this case you have only got once chance to get it right therefore a lot of preparation must take place prior to the actual recording such as test recording on rehearsals etc. There would be a producer who would be in overall control of the recording assisted by engineers.
11. Discuss the way classical musicians work.
Probably answered this in 9. above – most likely are paid session musicians working for a fixed fee or hourly rate.
12. What is "The fixer" in classical music recording?
The fixer puts together the various sections of the orchestra. e.g there could be a string fixer who assembles the strings section possibly from a known database of musicians, brass fixer, woodwind fixer etc.
13. What types of equipment are used in classical recording?
Microphones, mixing desk, monitors, compressors, reverb, some form of digital recorder
14. Where is the equipment set up for a session or live recording?
The orchestra would be in the ‘auditorium’ with a separate acoustically isolated control room for the mixing desk, recording equipment and monitoring etc.
15. How does the producer communicate with the conductor or performers in a session recording?
Intercom or video link.
16. Does the producer communicate with the conductor or performers in a live recording?
Not sure but would envisage that he would if things did not sound right
17. What does the producer do during a recording session?
Work closely with the conductor and engineer to ensure a good quality recording and performance and to ensure good placement of the musicians and mics so that a good quality recording is obtained. Listen for performance errors. Ensure all the music has been recorded.
18. What does the assistant producer do in a recording session?
Log all takes with take number, which section of the piece has been recorded, where on the tape the take starts and finishes, comment on the quality of the take. Indicate FS (false start), NG (no good) etc.
19. What does the producer do during a live recording?
Listen closely to the overall sound and possibly communicate with the conductor if things do not sound right so that adjustments could be made; ensure he has pressed record!!!!; generally monitor the overall performance.
20. How does the producer prepare for a recording session?
Select a suitable location for the recording. Perhaps have an involvement in the selection of the orchestra or musicians. Have an involvement in the selection of the engineer (although the record company might stipulate which engineer is to be used in order to maintain consistency among products)
Liaise with the conductor and engineer to plan the recording in terms of which parts of the music will be recorded first (it can be edited into the correct order later), and the placement of the musicians within the recording space. Liaise with the conductor on which version of the score (the written music) will be used. Often, scores come in slightly different versions from different publishers (with different errors)
21. How does the recording engineer prepare for a recording session?
Decide in advance with the producer how the orchestra will be set out in the recording area, how many mics and which types will be used. Would pre-plan the mic position so they can be set out well before the session begins and then ‘fine tune’ the mics. Would also specify the recording equipment to be used and arrange hire if appropriate, set the recording levels and mix the signals from the mics.
22. How do orchestral musicians prepare for a recording session?
Rehearse and be familiar with the music they are to play. Be rested and ready to play. Ensure their instrument is in good condition.
23. What limitations are there for the producer in a live recording?
Only have one chance to get it right therefore good preparation is a must. Cannot correct any errors by the musicians.
24. What limitations are there for the recording engineer in live recording?
Cannot alter the mic positions or musician positions once recording has started.
25. Does a live recording of classical music require a PA system?
No
26. Are there any additional problems caused if a live recording is also recorded on video or broadcast on television?
Would need a separate mix for the video or broadcast with some effect such as reverb added to give the ambiance of the room. Mics would also need to be placed to pick up the applause from the audience
27. How are microphones set up for solo instruments?
Spot mic directed at the player.
28. How is a microphone set up for solo voice?
Similar to solo instruments
29. How are microphones set up for chamber ensembles?
Pair of stereo mics behind the conducter pointing to the players.
30. How are microphones set up for orchestral music?
As 29 but possibly with spot mic for quieter instruments using and M & S pair
31. How are microphones set up for music for chorus and orchestra?
As 31 but with separate mic for chorus section.
32. How are microphones set up for opera?
33. How are microphones set up for a live recording of opera?
34. Is classical music recording straight into stereo or onto multitrack?
Traditionally recorded straight to stereo but some non ‘purists’ do record to multitrack but this would generally require capturing the orchestra section by section rather than as an ensemble. For this reason the ‘norm’ would be to record into stereo.
35. If a multitrack recording is made of classical music, what format will be used?
24 bit 96kHz audio to a digital recorder such as DAT.
36. Describe the conduct of a recording session.
Once the equipment has been set up, it is likely that some passages will be played through to get a good overall level concentrating on the loud and quiet sections to ensure good levels. The overall session would be broken down into smaller sessions (probably 2 – one before lunch and one after). A test take may then be taken prior to the ‘final’ recording being undertaken. Once this process has been undertaken the actual recording will take place which is likely to involve many takes of a same piece which is then edited to get the best overall performance.
37. Describe rehearse/record.
This is used if the players are not familiar with the piece they are playing. The music is broken down into sections which are then rehearsed and recorded before moving onto the next section.
38. Describe the conduct of a live recording.
Obviously there is only one chance to get it right so everything needs to be fine tuned prior to the actual recording. This is likely to involve recording the rehearsals to ensure good levels and mic placement. There is of course no room for error so everyone involved needs to be alert to any potential problems and monitoring the overall sound and levels constantly as it is not possible to go back and correct errors at a later time.
39. How much editing is involved in classical music recording?
Extensive editing is common with edits sometime being carried out more frequently than once every 30 seconds in order to ensure the best overall performance is captured.
40. How are decisions taken on the selection of takes and edit points?
The producer will listen to the recording after the recording session and decide which are the best takes to use in the finished recording.
41. Who performs classical music editing?
A specialist in that field, but the producer may advise on which sections of which takes are to me used.
42. What equipment is commonly used for classical music editing?
Editing software, mixing console, hard disk or tape machine, effects.
43. What problems are commonly found in editing classical music?
You cannot edit between takes that are recorded at different tempos or where the tuning is different; Problems can occur with reverb ‘tails’ as cutting through the reverb can cause a bump where it suddenly increases or decreases; it is not possible to cut through the decay portion of piano notes as it wil sound as though the note is played again.
44. Are processors and effects such as compression/reverb/gating etc. ever used in classical music recording?
Effects are sometimes used, primarily reverb in order to make a smaller room sound bigger. It is however likely that the effects would be added during the mixing, editing and mastering process rather than added to the actual recording in order to allow flexibility.
45. Discuss some of the technical difficulties associated with editing classical music such as this?
Think I covered this in question in 43 above
46. Often a digital reverb unit can be utilised for recording classical music for broadcast? Why is that?.
In order to give the broadcast the ‘ambience’ of a large room, otherwise it could sound too dry and lifeless.
47. Indicate some administrative functions that a classical music producer or assistant producer might do in a classical recoding session.
Choose a suitable recording veniu; agree with conductor on which and ehgineer about the order of recording each section; hire staff such as the engineer.
48. Classical music recoding venues often differ from say pop recording venues. Briefly discuss some of the differences.
The venues generally are much larger for classical. Firstly this is to accommodate what could be a large orchestra. Secondly the ;live’ room needs to have good acoustics to get the correct feel for the music being recorded to avoid unnecessary over-usage of effects. There may not be a dedicated control room – these can sometimes be makeshift rooms particularly when recording ‘on location’.
49. Orchestral harps, (besides the sound of the strings) can be tricky to record, why is that?
Due to the noise generated from the pedals on the harp which are used to change the key of the instrument. The noise from these pedals can be as loud as the sound of the strings themselves.
50. Would you think a compressor would be used in classical music recording? Discuss your answer.
If a piece has a wide dynamic range of very loud and very quiet sections it is possible that a compressor may be used to even out the overall sound. However it should be used sparingly so as not to destroy the dynamic range and overall feel of the piece. It is likely to be used more on vocal pieces such as an opera singer.
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Fri Mar 19, 2004 3:26 am |
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griff505
Joined: 23 Feb 2004
Posts: 68
Location: Bristol |
Just posted my Classic Edit. |
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Fri Mar 19, 2004 4:13 am |
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