I no that a spaced pair of cardiod mics is not what you want for your mains but it you had to do it that way where would be the best placement for mics for a small string orchestra maybe 40 members. I would normally place my mains about 10-12 feet up, two feet in back of conductor. Mics at 35 degree angle down and out. This is very bad sounding to bright and harsh.

I've did a job last year for a orchestra. I was in school when i did it and borrowed equippment for the school.

One enduring "problem" I wrestle with, (apart from digital audio theory ) is the one of where to position vocal soloists to get separation when recording them with orchestra.

We have tried sessions with them up the back behind the percussion with cardioid spots, nulls back to orch, but they complained that the image of the conductor in their binoculars was too small.

I was told to repost here.

Well, nobody bit in "Live Sound" so I guess I will try a repost here.

Hi All,

We have a bit of a debate going on in our office about the best way to record a full size orchestra.. so I was wondering if anyone here has any experience in this. The project is to record and mix an orchestra for use in a Broadway type show.. the idea being that there will then be no need to tour a full orchestra with the show.

Joe H- I read your essay on 2 mic VS multimic recording and enjoyed it. A good explanation of how when when we have no visual and enviornmental cues to help us, the audio balances must be much more exact to provide a good musical experience.

Hi all,

hi friends!I have just finished the recording, editing and mixing of the fourth CD of a local Camerata orchestra.

It was a budget project, entirely done on a bad acoustical place, but with efforts to make it sound really good. Three days with an 8 hour recording period on each.

I'm using a Pro Tools Mix setup with Focusrite Red Pre's. I have 16 channels to use and some good mics: U87 and a pair o' km184's, 4 sm87's, and some stuff I use for live and "normal" applications such as 57's D112's and 58's...