Gig recording

FiveOne

FiveOne

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Rudi
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Hi
I have been asked to video a local band in a local pub , I will be using my Canon 500D and Canon 600D and wil merge/edit footage, but I'm pretty clueless when it comes to sound, What's the best way to record the sound? wil I need a audio recording device or something?


Thanks
 
FiveOne said:
Hi
I have been asked to video a local band in a local pub , I will be using my Canon 500D and Canon 600D and wil merge/edit footage, but I'm pretty clueless when it comes to sound, What's the best way to record the sound? wil I need a audio recording device or something?


Thanks
Click to expand...

you could try using one of the outputs from the live mixing desk and record that into something like a laptop or other recording device

don't expect the engineer (if there is one) to have all the cables you'll need though and be nice to them, they are often mistreated and because of it the band wonder why they sound so bad live...always makes me laugh how much they underestimate them.

it's probably best to ask what do you have already? is there a mixer? does it have outputs? what are the bands expectations?

at the very least use a digital handheld recorder if you can't use the mixer as it will be better than the inbuilt mic on the camera, the zoom H1 for example..

hope that helps
 
Thanks Ben, I will ask them and maybe take a look at the Zoom H1
 
If you use your own Mic you're best off leaving the sound recording on a separate device which will allow you to set your level and then just concentrate on the shots.

That will give you a constant gain rather than peaks through moving about.
 
yeah, I would record separately too and just mix the video over the top using that as the base
tbh the images don't even always have to be in time if you're not showcasing the actual playing
two mics to give stereo maybe? or a mic in the crowd to allow you to fade in background, depends what you want
I'm making some of this up though to please feel free to ignore :)
 
A feed from the board might not be the best idea, as you may find the PA is being used for vocal reinforcement only. That is: In a small venue an engineer might ignore miking the kit altogether and rely on its acoustic volume. The same can be true for guitar amps as well. You could try calling the guys at fx rentals and hiring in something to catch the audio, but be aware that catching live audio is a really hit and miss affair. Compressing the hell out of things after the event can help.
 
I would be inclined to use a portable recorder such as a Zoom H4N, Tascam DR100 or DR40 and record the performance using the onboard stereo mic's, whilst also recording a feed from the desk on the other channels as backup.

This will be simple to setup, especially for someone new to recording and should get you pretty good results. Just remember to check your levels and leave plenty of room for louder songs or passages by setting the recording levels with enough 'headroom' to spare. Check the levels regularly just to see they aren't going over.

You can hire any of the above if budget is tight, but you can also consider something cheaper like the Zoom H1, but this won't give you the option to record from the mic's and desk at the same time.
 
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just adding to what has been mentioned above about feeds from the live desk and Zoom (etc) recorders go.
As mentioned above, at pub gigs not ever member of the band is guaranteed to go through the desk.
The sound engineer at the gig will (hopefully) work the sound from the band according to the venue, maybe all the band through the desk in a massive pub, maybe
Just the vocals in a small pub.
Likewise with a Zoom or other handheld recorder you'll get a great recording in one venue and a rubbish recording in another.
I've found in the past it helps to ask the advice of the guy mixing the sound for the band. 9 times out of 10 they've worked the venue before.

They'll be able to tell you whether a feed off the desk is a good idea or not. If its not a good idea ask them where they would put
a handheld recorder to get the best recording. If they're any good they will know and will probably be happy to tell you.

At the end of the day they are mixing for the room and all the bodies in the room that will absorb the sound and alter the mix during the gig.

Owen.

P.S. belt and braces, regardless of your main recording, if you can record a second live feed on an iPod/iPad/zoom or any other recorder do it.
If its a live gig there's no second take, cover your bum and make a second separate recording (even if you don't use it)
 
Interesting thread this. Me and a friend were going to do a gig together a while back, both on 7D, never came off thou as i needed shots and couldn't do both and filming aint my thing. One thing we were thinking about is would we need to both use the same settings, otherwise it might look a bit odd once editted together if they dont look the same. Never came off thou so i dont know the answer lol

By the way how much space have you got on your flash cards? make sure you take plenty of battery as well as its runs them down fast
 
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