How to Record Live in Studio - 3 Techniques to Get You Started

Recording "Live in studio" can be a great way to get great energy in a recording, and work fast. If you'd like to learn more about recording live in studio, check out my course here: www.creativeso...
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[@Electricowlworks]

On an upright piano, try two 12 Gauge Microphones Green12s spaced for stereo. They're small and can fit in there nicely! Especially if you attach drum mic clamps inside the piano. Then throw a few moving blankets over the top of the piano to cut the bleed. Harbor Freight coupons are your friend here, haha. If you have a really loud player going all Little Richard or Jerry Lee Lewis on your piano, try the 12 Gauge Mics Blue12s. They're the same mic as the Green12s but with an integrated -15dB pad. Sooooooooo cool. And affordable! Any SDC will work, really. A pair of Oktava MK-012 mics are sweet, too. The other option is another Sylvia Massy trick. Pull the piano out about 12"-18" from the wall. Then place a single ribbon mic between the piano and wall, centered on the back of the upright. The figure 8 pattern will catch the back of the soundboard and it's very early reflection off the wall. Move the mic around until you get the sound you want. Can also be done with a condenser that can do a figure 8 pattern. Omni tends to get a bit sloppy. Whatever you do, NEVER (I mean NEVER) try the garden hose trick on a piano. You've been warned. Sounds like another video! haha Thanks for everything you are doing for the recording community, Ryan! Best regards from Chaz at Electric Owl Works

[@battman919]

I Love live-tracking; SO MUCH VIBE! Especially since that's how the band is used to hearing/playing their songs, together. I'll be putting all those techniques into practice this Sunday. Polar Patterns FTW!

[@seaweedslitherz]

You’re a great teacher. Thank you for your KZbin videos! I just discovered you today 🤙

[@findJLF]

Great demonstration and I dug all the mixes and examples using the isolated instruments. Nice selection of mic's.

[@donatolepore3520]

Most great recordings from the 60's were live in the room

[@winterjps]

The only way I've done live recording in the studio to date is with the drummer, guitar player/s, bass player, and singer in the same room, but the bass & guitar players go direct and/or have amps in another room, and the singer if baffled off and planning to resing later. This retains the energy and immediacy of being in the same room, but minimizes bleed. That being said, I would like to have the opportunity to do an actual live recording, amps & all, some day. Really sounds both challenging AND fun.

[@Asterix9469]

I like the live recording approach the most because that's how we listen to music. Plus you'll get a better performance from the musicians and give it that 'X' factor or really the human fact. Dope video dude.

[@creativesoundlab]

Thanks Michael! Yeah totally agree. I didn't realize that I was missing the X factor, until I was hired to record a band at a bar. Then I realized how good it sounded because it was musicians actually playing the song together.

[@madcona]

Hey Ryan, love the video as always, I've been recording bands live out of my lounge-room and dining room for years now and yet again you've given me ideas that I would never have thought of. Thanks so much, I would love to buy one of your courses one day.

[@emmanueleze5986]

Mate you are fantastic, thanks you’ve been a huge reference point for my sound engineering project course

[@90four6]

This video got me thinking how to best record a full band when in a rehearsing situation e.g. with only one mic, or a stereo XY mic setup. Where to place the musicians, amps, mic etc. Future video?;-)

[@kennycato9537]

I would LOVE to see him use only the AEA R88 to record a full band in one room. I'm a huge fan of the OneMic series by John. And I think CSL could experiment and show us some really cool things with it.

[@deftones3200]

This video is GOLDEN! And the song is awesome as well, hope guys doing great! Thank you!

[@creativesoundlab]

Thanks so much!

[@GloryObot-qf6lq]

Hi, please I really want to know how all of these amps are connected to your computer... How are they all connected to an audio interface or what ever method was used to connect them all. Kindly reply please 🙏

[@jeffreybrown8422]

This is your most helpful video in a while. I love the channel but this is special. I haven't seen a live off the floor video yet.

[@creativesoundlab]

Thanks man. I really wanted to do that and give something to chew on. Yeah I went a bit deeper into course territory here.

[@blashuvec]

How do you setup your interface outputs for the headphone mixes? Does the band have independent controls or are they listening to your monitor mix?

[@calebknott8021]

I love Asheville, such a great city. Love it, Ryan. Would love to work with you sometime.

[@creativesoundlab]

Thanks Caleb, and yeah I'd love to work with you too sometime. Let's keep in touch.

[@strickland306]

Fantastic as always! Thanks for posting!

[@rickdeaguiar-musicreflecti7692]

Great tutorial on techniques for recording live in the studio. You have a wonderful way of explaining things and you come across very humble and knowledgeable. I really appreciate that :)

[@musiclabfolsom]

Super excellent video! I noticed in a different video you did on the same topic the musicians were not wearing headphones. How do you decide whether or not to use headphones and are they really necessary If all the instruments are playing through amps?

[@NasionalSkateboards]

greetings from Costa Rica, what a helpful video my friend!! great info!!

[@instrumentenfreak]

Great video with lots of information. Thank you!

[@GraffitiBlack]

Hey could you please recommend what types of shelves I could use for storing drums or other amps? I see one in the background but I don’t know what would be suitable

[@reverendcarter]

re piano isolation: have you ever tried cheap contact mics on pianos? its pretty low bleed and they can sound amazing blended in with condensers. also omni lavalier mics or pzm's taped under the lid or kick plate are fun too. i have to mic up a rolling cable nelson upright with 2 wireless packs for stage musicals. very little bleed but potential for more mechanical noise if its placed in a weird spot.

[@acommon]

You should check out grammy-winner Vance Powels techniques on recording live. He lines up everyone facing the same direction left-to-right like he'll mix it. Pretty cool stuff.

[@toneranger]

Great video, though I don’t understand why you cant just D.I the acoustic and just put the player on headphones ?

[@partonkevin]

Just todayI was listening to some old multitrack rehearsals and was amazed at the lack of bleed I had. I'm hoping to be as successful with a recording project this upcoming weekend. I'm worried about the scratch vocal getting into my overheads.

[@creativesoundlab]

Yeah, sometimes that happens. You really only need to sing just enough so people don't get lost. If everyone in the band knows the song, then maybe you don't need vocals at all during the initial recording part.

[@monkeyxx]

I agree with the comments of this being a great video at the right time. I'm trying to set up a mobile recording rig that's easy to set up so I can get back into live tracking, since I can't really do that at my home studio. I guess live ensemble recording is preferred by me unless the group simply doesn't play that well, and needs to be under the microscope of overdubbing one at a time. I guess I listen to a lot of music where bands play together and it's one of my favorite things to hear, or be a part of.

[@dimitribanton2732]

Great video ! Thanks a lot for your tips

[@memoriesoftheshowroom1171]

Do you have an example on how to group the instruments? Thanks

[@RJManeri1]

How are we hearing this raw live sound in this video? I'm learning to record my live sessions n using phone to record.

[@saqeralqassimi2641]

Great stuff man thanks for sharing

[@TimOost]

Great tips!

[@RecordingStudio9]

Thanks for the bonus Ryan.

[@creativesoundlab]

Sure thing!

[@RecordingStudio9]

@@creativesoundlab I purchased your Drum lessons a while back and have couple more videos to watch to finish it, just not enough time in the day! LOL. I would recommend anyone to sign up for your audio lessons. They are very informative. This video is a great example.

[@calumcooke1155]

"There's a lot to unpack here" - my therapist. Also loved the video!

[@mka917]

THE ONLY WAY TO RECORD THANK YOU!!!

[@SoundStudio412]

Very cool.

[@BoxerstudiosPortugal]

The rough mix sounds pretty cool. Gobos between the drums and piano would help, but anyway lots of sound gets trapped in bewteen the wall and the piano. Most important it sounds organic and full

[@creativesoundlab]

Thanks so much!

[@musiclabfolsom]

Is there somewhere we can hear the final mix of this song?

[@andrewbarrett6403]

In a live recording like this, do you just skip using room mics?

[@kapers5772]

The room itself is also a realy important parameter, or should I say a constant. I'd imagine bigger rooms are more suitable for live tracking cause there can be sufficient distance between the sound sources and therefore less bleed.

[@Martin-kn6vc]

This video has come at a great time! I'm going to have to rewatch your 'How to Expertly Record Live in Studio' course, but how do you feel about having the vocal mic as part of the sound of the recording? I've potentially got a live session coming up soon where we're recording in a garage for either a live stream or, my preferred choice, a live video performance that can be mixed after the fact. I suggested that we take guitar DIs but re-amp them afterwards, but keep the live vocal. I felt that it would prevent getting an unusable recording with drums AND guitars bleeding into the vocal mic. I was then thinking about using Sound Radix Auto Align to then have the vocal mic in phase with the drums.

[@creativesoundlab]

Yes exactly. I need to do a video that addresses these things. Could you email me and I’ll walk you though some of it?

[@Martin-kn6vc]

@@creativesoundlab Sent an email, but it might have gone into your junk folder, as I put in a KZbin link. Hopefully you got it.

[@eihthype6578]

That lead guitar crunch tone, is that all amp🤩? Or a drive pedal of some sort?

[@aaronmichael8305]

I’m the guy in the video. It’s an ehx soul food with a tc electronic boost on the fat setting. I don’t think I had anything cooking on the amp but truthfully I don’t remember

[@eihthype6578]

Aaron Michael, thank you! So raspy in the most pleasing way.

[@PaulyStax]

That is a magic fender deluxe with a '65 circuit. It was done at Andrew's Amp lab in Dunwoody, Ga. I got it as a studio amp, and everybody that plugs into it loves it so I couldn't wait to have it up at Ryan's place for y'all to check out. Great performance you guys had and very nice playing and togetherness. I liked liked the drippy gooey tone you got on the deluxe. Nice long notes and reverb tails. Overall, the Fender Deluxe and a Marshall Plexi are my 2 favorite amps of all time. I just wish I played guitar instead of keyboard sometimes so I could enjoy them more. :-)

[@aaronmichael8305]

Pauly Stax dude that’s your amp?? I talked Ryan’s ear off about that thing. It was so hard to go back to my hot rod deluxe after playing that hahaha. Thanks for providing that. I was using that built in vibrato and also had the spring reverb cranked to get kinda eerie. One of the sweetest sounding amps I’ve ever played!

[@fere_gg]

Are the dogs used as acoustic panels?

[@creativesoundlab]

Yeah, pretty much. If only they would give a consistent sound.

[@fere_gg]

@@creativesoundlab 😂😃

[@ZacharyRedFulton]

4:30 Oh yes, you can - all you need are Shy Baffles (preferably their 4-piece Big Boi pack) to surround the drum kit!

[@taurus3973]

Nice vid. The piano track sounded pretty damn muddy. Do you so prefer the sound of that acoustic piano that you would reject using a digital keyboard which of course would be entirely clean going into the board?

[@Manjiss92]

Hi, so I was wondering, how about if I want to record a live performance? Can I use DI Boxes to split the signal, send one to the mixer (that they are going to split again for the mixer and the monitors I guess) and take one to my interface? How should I do it with vocals and drums? Should I instead use splitters? Thanks!

[@creativesoundlab]

You should check out the ART transformer splitters. I think it's 8 channels in each unit that let you split the signal. That's the proper/best way to do it. Or use something like that old Mackie board I have, which is the ONYX 1620 that has firewire out to a computer, but is used as a live mixing board.

[@Manjiss92]

@@creativesoundlab thank you so very much

[@mka917]

Hey man when I click the link I get PAGE NOT FOUND. I really want to check it out, how to? Thx

[@creativesoundlab]

Hey thanks for calling attention to it! I fixed it and it won't let me post the link in the comments, but look at the video description for an updated link.

[@Studio42Brooklyn]

Great video as usual! maybe just mentioning mic choice is another big aspect of a live room recording. For example, almost never a condenser, don't you think?

[@creativesoundlab]

Yes but it’s more about the distance to the source. If you use condensers then does that mean that a source is 6+inches away? A 414 on a guitar can would be fine but a 414 on a vocalist that isn’t close would be a problem. An SDC would have a really consistent cardioid polar pattern that you could point at a drum set whereas an LDC is more of a subcardioid at 100Hz. So mics can matter you are right. But nothing is better than having max source and min bleed from other things.

[@buddhaluv123]

unless the bass player is against it I DI the bass and re amp if i need to. have guitar amps baffled off. I get almost no bleed anywhere. Barely noticeable in drum overheads. But I'm careful with my gain staging, mic placement and polar patterns.

[@davdmasc4507]

good morning forgive my not perfect English, use Google translator 😔 first of all congratulations for the videos, beautiful! I follow it with great interest and pleasure ... I write from Italy and I would like information on the live recording course advertised in this video. how can I do? thanks to the availability good music...!

[@creativesoundlab]

Hi David, you can find the course on live recording here: recordingschool.creativesoundlab.tv/product/how-to-expertly-record-live-in-studio/

[@SheaRecordmetal]

Marshall stack next to a mandolin! 😁

[@TheProJuicers1]

Hey Ryan, just wondering if you've ever tried micing the top of a snare with a dynamic and SDC taped together? I'm dying to try it out but just wanted to know if you've any experience with it. Cheers!

[@creativesoundlab]

Yeah, I havn't yet...and I don't know why.

[@TheProJuicers1]

Creative Sound Lab potential next video? 😉 keep being awesome dude, love your videos

[@nocuh]

Suggestion: slide in a studio baffle as solution to go between the piano and drums

[@GrandNebSmada]

I loved that dark sound on the piano!

[@mayhewqualls]

Try a gobo / baffle between the drums and the piano. Also, I know a killer trick for recording live in the same room but I wont divulge here. DM if you want more info.

[@creativesoundlab]

Yeah, would love to know more.

[@creativesoundlab]

Not sure how to DM you here, but we could talk on Facebook or just email. It's just my name, at creativesoundlab.tv

[@saam6768]

So I'm about to move to a studio space with tiled floors, and I realized... laundry baskets and milk crates?? Last minute semi-solution or a recommended way to go?

[@creativesoundlab]

Haha, well I just like having amps off the floor. I think that the amp will sound different, plus it's easier to use a mic stand when it's a little higher up.

[@blakemcnamara9105]

It seems like in trying to explain why he likes to make live recordings he gives us many reasons why it's not a good technique. I don't know, it worked for The Beatles in the early days but then again, Abbey Road Studio is huge.

[@weaktearecords]

Good video again, but I have to admit that a little part of me dies every time I hear you say "a-cue-stick", however it also makes me want to go play pool. 😛

[@creativesoundlab]

Rack’m up

[@AdamRainStopper]

I wish I could be (and for a while I was) super skeptical about the live "chemistry" thing, since all I can do at this point is multitrack. When one third of a band is dead, you either figure it out or you just quit. It doesn't help that I'm the worst drummer in the world either, and the bassist, who is the drummer's little brother, is just getting fucked up all the time now, so I have to fill both of those rolls if I want to record any of what I write, any time soon. I actually occasionally barter studio time for a session with the drummer, sometimes the bassist of a band will join in as well, and we track to an 8-track, 1/4 inch machine. It's dead simple, bone dry, real, raw. All in the same room. It's like being young again, except without the heroin.

[@creativesoundlab]

Haha, dude you always crack me up...no pun intended...wrong drug I know.

[@AdamRainStopper]

Thanks, I'm here all week.

[@untartelette7545]

How do you know Moses? I once did a recording with him.

[@hugorangel1538]

jurei que era um video do meteoro

[@rattlingsnakesmusic2716]

Nicely explained everything except the purpose of dogs. I think they are working as sound absorbers...hehe...

[@creativesoundlab]

Haha yeah. The pianist has a studio and this band is his client. He brought the dogs so we could work longer.

[@stankywank6707]

The biggest problem was the dog, they contribute too many bow wow frequencies which is why I always record live bands in my bathroom.

[@SoundStudio412]

Logan Gross not one, but two!! Reed and Mackie. :)

[@donatolepore3520]

The upright piano is pure mud

[@yanhutajulu5674]

Awesome video! and thank you for this thoughtful lesson. Have you seen ONSTAGE Korea? I really wanna know how they do that clean sound thing. Please check them out if you have time, i really wanna know how it works.

[@ariepermadi]

Why every person use a headphone?

[@debidi1461]

Get the dogs out of there!!

[@weemps.]

fuck yeah Brothers Gillespie

[@Jude107c]

Dude! Is that a dog in the room?

[@SatanicJamnic]

Dogs in studio... Ooooookkkkaaayy.....

[@mr.popoballballl745]

dog bleed into the camera

[@creativesoundlab]

Haha dog bleed

[@robertsimpson5801]

Nothing adds a little analog dirt to a live recording like a dog in the studio. ;)

[@creativesoundlab]

Haha, yeah the dirt. But for real it adds a vibe.

[@pipamusa]

Why not just use electric piano

[@pipamusa]

And then re-room it later (is that the right term?

[@robertthompson9161]

That would basically defeat the purpose of using all organic instruments in the same room on the recording, now one could argue that an electric guitar and amp isn't an organic instrument but ( we are not those kind of people) lol

[@creativesoundlab]

If we wanted an electric piano sound sure. But if it’s an electric piano that plays a fake piano sound then it’s better to have a real instrument.

[@DIYTFY]

fuck those dreds are blowing my mind considering the folks playing country. does he even bake? weird

[@mingsaces]

You’re all missing the real point, you have to have a dog in the recording space…

[@fuzzy8mike]

Guitars bleeding into everything else. Isolated guitar tracks bleeding into everything else. Conclusion. IT’S OK TO TELL THE GUITARIST/S TO TURN DOWN !!! Hahaha.