Recording barbershop quartet

Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 9:09 am

Here is my challenge: A friend wants me to record her barbershop group so they can do remote practicing.

She wants to record the four singers simultaneously, then burn 4 CDs with a different singer eliminated on each. In other words, [singer A] would receive the CD with [singers B, C, & D] singing the song -- then [singer A] could sing to the CD, filling in her own part.

My issue -- how to isolate four woman singing together in the same room, so I can later separate them out discretely in the mix. 4 mics, 4 separate tracks... 4 SE Reflexion Filters? ($1,200 not really in my budget)

Any suggestions? Am I being too overly concerned with isolating them? Would four steps back from each other and four SM 58s work as well?

Thanks for your help.

Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 10:06 am

FlyBass wrote:

Any suggestions? Am I being too overly concerned with isolating them? Would four steps back from each other and four SM 58s work as well?

Thanks for your help.

Since this is a recording to facilitate individual practice, and is not for distribution or broadcast, a little bleed won't kill the project.

Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 11:37 am

FlyBass wrote:

...Any suggestions? Am I being too overly concerned with isolating them? Would four steps back from each other and four SM 58s work as well?...

Since your goal is to eliminate them from the mix isolation is important, but it's probably not that important to completely eliminate each performer. I'd do exactly as you are suggesting. Put them in as big a circle as your room allows. Use SM58s and have them eat the mic. Proximity is your friend in this situation.

Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 12:24 am

For good intonation it will be essential that they can hear each other as clearly as they are used to, so don't separate them to far!
regards
Hermann (barbershopping quite alot himself Wink

Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 7:29 am

Thanks everyone.

I'll try the circle idea and get them up close to the mics. I'm going to record them as far apart as they feel comfortable singing.

I will let you know how it turned out.

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 4:57 am

Is headphone monitoring not possible?

Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 8:24 am

Yes, headphone monitoring is possible. That could be another option if they can work that way.

These are amateur singers who do occasional competitions. I'm not sure of their experience with recording. I wanted to be armed with a few recording techniques just in case they can't deliver their best performance in an artificial environment.

Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 4:11 pm

Yes, you really should just have them all stand at the four corners of an imaginary square that's 4-6 feet on a side, face the person diagonally across from them, stand with their mouths within 3" or so from the grills, and I think you'll be surprised how good the isolation is.

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