WOW David!

I was truly blown away by your overall expertise. Whatever "average" equipment you were using, sure didn't sound average to me! The console sounded better than a Mackie. The lead vocal was tops, SM58? Sounds like it was limited and EQed, just right, with the right amount of low-cut. The rhythm guitar sounded almost too clean, almost like a solid-state amplifier was used but never lost in the mix. The lead guitar is what I like to hear in a lead guitar, balanced just right, not overpowering. The drums sounded fat and crisp with an outstanding snare sound. I like a little more kick but that's just personal taste. The bass was clear, I assumed with a DI but did not quite have the growl that I love, which has a lot to do with the instrument and not so much the instrumentalist, I would've kicked it up a couple more DB. Maybe there was no limiting on the bass? The backup singers were good and I couldn't tell if one was a girl or a guy in falsetto? So I think that works.

Now a couple of questions.
Live to 2 track? Or multi-and then remixed? The applause at the end sounded like at least 1000 people! How many were there? Nightclub or theater?

Obviously your are a first-rate professional, both in your live sound and recording technique! Like Beavis and Butthead would say " we're there man.......huh huh huh". Truly wonderful in my book! I really enjoyed it.

Keep it coming!
Ms. Remy Ann David

Wow Remy!

Thanks for the review. I was pretty happy with the result but as I'm close to the band I wanted a second opinion from a pro. I'm not a pro, this is jusy a hobby/part time job for me. As I said while I've been doing live sound for a long time this is my first live recording. The budget was pretty tight so the gear was a combination of my stuff, the band's PA and a small amount of hired gear (desks and multicore)
The recording was multitrack (13 channels) and mixed down at home. I used a phonic desk with firewire out as the interface between the PA desk and the PC. I took the signals from the insert points on the PA desk (Yamaha MG32/14FX) and went into the line inputs on the phonic desk. I recorded at 44100/24bit and was careful to leave plenty of headroom on the tracks.
The mic list is a little embarassing and at the risk of a severe flaming here it is

Kick - SM58
Snare - SM58
Overheads - 2 Behringer el-cheapo dynamics
Bass - DI
Rhythm guitar - AKG D770
Lead guitar - AKG D770
Acc guitar - (not used on this track) DI
Vocals - Sennheiser E845's
Crowd - 2 no-name dynamic mics that are no good for anything else

The guitars (Telecaster and Les Paul Junior) both ran 100W Marshalls and the bass was an Ibanez 5 string. The stage was small and spill was in everything :lol: . Rather than be a problem I think the spill can add to the "live" sound of the track but you have to mix the whole track at once to compensate for it.
Again thanks for the review. I feel better about giving this to the band now.

Well Davidinoz, wonderful! Everything worked and obviously interfaced well without ground loop problems.

Nothing wrong with the microphone selection for sure. Not a pro? You missed you calling. Never too late. Obviously!

Those Yamaha microphone preamplifier's, ain't bad sounding. Probably why they have been so popular with the large touring SR companies and have also found their way into many a remote video semi. I have used SM58s often in bass drums and they sound fine. Not quite the low-end kick that I like getting from a MD 421 (I wish I had more of those).

You know, I like to track a band all at once and keep them within close proximity to one another. I like using "bleed" as I think it can really add to the sound. Provided the surroundings, acoustics and the groove are all in step and not so much just the acoustics. In 1977, I was designing a studio and we were looking for a used 16 track. I ended up at Regent Sound Studios, in NYC where the late Robert Lifton led me into a control room that was tracking a rock band, in the middle of the session. He went up to the old Ampex MM 1000 that was recording and started playing with the switches on the electronics while the band was tracking! I was freaked out by that! I thought that was so unprofessional. The studio was "itie bittie". It was a glorified closet with a window. So small, the singer had his back up against the window and nobody was more than 3 feet from each other. Everything sounded great! I couldn't see the singer's face but thought it sounded like Robert Palmer? IT WAS!! They were tracking through a small Studer desk. So many people are always looking for "separation" (only important for serious overdubbing and lack of talent/technique)??? I usually tell them if they want separation, they should see a lawyer!

Divorced, single
Ms. Remy Ann David