How To Make A Choir Sound Incredible

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This week I’m yakking on about recording a choir. Spoiler alert: walk around the church, find a spot that sounds great, put your mics there... then do as little as possible when mixing!

[@larrycom]

In the States, she/he is called the conductor. I've done tons of choir concerts for over 20 years. Loved it every time.

[@RustyInSeattle]

I start off with a Jecklyn disk with two Schoeps omni mics, and a Grace Design mic pre with A/D conversion . The rest is fine tuning the placement depending on the size of the space and group. It usually results in a nice transparent, airy sound while retaining the reverberation properties of the venue.

[@lawrencegreenwood4002]

I run an identical setup on the mic front with a Jecklyn disk, two Schoeps CMC6 w/MK2s. Downstream is a little different, I run a Millennia pres and a UA Apollo x16 on conversion. Sounds great in most spaces. Generally I just vary the cardioid spots if it's a really reverberant space. The right space though and nothing is quite like the AEA R88A. It's a personal favourite. Great to see someone else on the Jecklyn!

[@TechyTimM]

Helpful video. Thanks! (the final piece was used in Sister Act)

[@daniannaci3258]

Thanks for the great sounding choir video. I’m impressed that you managed to mostly avoid the harshness many, if not most, choir recordings exhibit when the ensemble reaches above a mezzo-forte. Was that your use of dynamic EQ in the high frequencies or just a canny choice of microphones?

[@QTORRA]

You should do a video on best budget mics, you seem to use and rate a few

[@perpetuouswhite]

Great video! As kind of a newbie regarding choir audio recording I learned a lot! Interesting both recording technique, choice of mics, mic placement, placement and the mixing.

[@gbwalther3198]

Thank you so much Mark. Very inspirational. In the next few months, I'm hoping to record Russian Orthodox Church choirs while shooting video. In the years past, I've just done the video depending on the stereo shotgun mics on the Sony HDR-FX1. Have been able to upgrade audio recording & am now planning on getting a few mics so I can have stand-alone-audio while getting the video. You have provided me some great ideas with affordable mics. Thanks again.

[@Vasily_dont_be_silly]

Did you do it? What church did you go to?

[@danielperales476]

Thank you from FLA

[@MarkHarmer]

Really nice sound - would have loved a bit of help on the percussion at the end of your vid - so it sounds a bit less distant. Percussion often sounds quite reverby (because it’s loud) and ends up sounding more distant on a recording. But I appreciate the time constraints! I particularly like the sound with the spots incorporated. I can imagine that’s useful where a choir director asks for “more alto” or whatever, after the recording’s done.

[@pablonaranjo3909]

Awesome video, thank you!

[@jaeleesmall]

I love a choir x

[@JuusoHoo]

great report thanks!

[@GilBeloGil]

It's 故郷 (furusato), it means hometown, beautifully sung

[@knormalday708]

Great piece. Really great information.

[@uoyevoli3000]

Wow - so cool! Thank you for sharing - please do more videos - I wanna learn from you!

[@CosmicAudio]

We've moved! We have a new, much better channel at the link below, so you won't see any more videos going up on this one. head over to Present Day Production and subscribe now! kzbin.info

[@sodiariandrew8384]

Nice demo. Thanks

[@MrGeekymusic]

Thanks for sharing your process. Just wondered what are the EQs I see in the spot bus and the rode buses?

[@afemabenedictdeogratius139]

Thank you for the video.

[@Vasily_dont_be_silly]

Thank you so much, this is incredibly helpful. I'm getting ready for my Sound production exam so this is a huge amount of help.

[@JoaoEspancaBacelar]

I sense a little saturation on right NT at 20:04? Not shure as I'm at desktop pc speakers.. Great Job. Very good explanation of the technique. Thank's. Take care.

[@widespreadmediaprodjmore7219]

Hello am from Kenya

[@OverflowMusicStudio]

Hey I have a question? When you say you use two compressors in one, do you mean duplicating the same compressor to do have the work or two different compressors?

[@Tore_Lund]

Noticed something Interesting about that choir: The reason you go for the pair, instead of more spot Mikes on Laudate Dominum, is because They sing it with less confidence. I Don't Think They know the meaning of the words They are singing. In the gospel piece right after, you have clear consonants and much more expression. Nobody is trying to hide and that is why the spots Work so much Better.

[@carl-magnusconsitt7389]

Sounds wonderfull! You used the preamps on the clarett, no "air" function on? No highpassfilter ? Did you record it in 48 or 96khz? Thanks for a wonderfull shannel. //Carl-Magnus

[@kipling1957]

Okay providing the piano is sufficiently distant from the choir, which in small churches architectural constraints doesn't allow for. Such is my scenario and I've had most success with a mid-side array with the 90 degree nullish point directed towards the the piano.

[@NkechiR]

Great video thanks a lot. Quick question: does one need to high pass the audio?

[@simonguthrie]

Commenting as I watch, so apologies if you get to this.... If the end product is a KZbin 'performance', would you drop or change any considerations? I suspect your recording is much better than it needs to be for YT, but would love to hear thoughts.

[@CosmicAudio]

Hi Simon, thanks for your comment. I would always try and capture the best recording of the best performance, no matter what the final destination was. And then you've got it!

[@fabianbischoff2502]

what EQ and Stuff did you put on the Mics from the piano? And which mics do you use for the Piano? or is this only a stage piano?

[@fabianbischoff2502]

???

[@deadmikehun]

How should i record a choir concert? There will be audience in the church so i should go close to the choir right? I happen to have a zoom h8 and 4 shure bg 4.1 laying around, but i am a beginner when it comes to sound. Choir is approx 25people. Thanks!

[@samuelfrench80]

What are the artefacts that occurs on the audio sometimes? E.g. around 18:45-50 and 19:08. Sounds like the vocals “break up” for lack of a better description.

[@samuelfrench80]

It may be my headphones actually. I just noticed it on a different random video. Anyone else hear anything?

[@bgrichting]

@@samuelfrench80 I hear something at 23:35 as well as 18:45, so it's not your headphones.

[@robiaster]

Never thought about doing XY with large diaphragm mics. Was thinking you were going to show M/S which doesn't really make sense with cardioid pickup patterns. Thanks for the insight :D I've got several NT1-A's here, going to try it!

[@sodiariandrew8384]

I'm curious to know how this works in a space with dead acoustic. Any tips please?

[@jazzboifuckicontm5239]

Quick question- I've got a heavy rock track with a big choir section and I'm wondering whether you'd suggest I mix the choir as mono and let the guitars be on hard left and hard right or whether to introduce the different parts of the SATB to the stereo image and blend them into the rock mix? Or perhaps I take ST hard left and AB hard right? Would welcome any suggestions

[@felixmarques]

Definitely stereo, but neither in the middle nor all in the center. If you've recorded people individually you might want to spread them around a little, mixing them, or distribute them around as in, say, bass at say 20L/20R, A at 40L/40R etc. Try different stuff.

[@GaryPozner]

Question - why a desser on the mix bus rather than on each stereo pair? Thanks

[@Ano_ny]

Hi mate! During COVID I was asked if I could help a church record a choir. I have it sound good already but I want it sounding great. Do you have any advice in the case that the people are social distancing? Thanks!

[@mianregan3197]

Can i use two different mic to set up like this？i got one u87 and one earthworks qtc30....

[@kevinlowe2440]

Hail holy queen from sister act

[@SleeperSoundRecords]

23 min: It is a traditional Catholic hymn called Hail Bright Queen.

[@EB-ut1lj]

How do you book a choir and church space?

[@bgrichting]

What was the reason to use large condensers vs small condensers? Most of the recommendations I see regarding recording choirs tend to be towards small ones. I did some choir recordings as well using NT5 Stereo pairs and it turned out quite well. There are also lots of stereo matched pairs aimed toward recording choirs like the new TF-5 from Rode, Audix A127, DPA etc. which are all small condensers.

[@haraldthi]

Perhaps size isnt all that important here, while sound and other features are? I know that I prefer small closeup mikes when I record video, at least, but that's just because they get in the way of the image.

[@rocvox]

Philistine! haha

[@Euphoria589]

I was presented a opportunity to record a choir but all I have is protools and is a AKG C214. I’m not sure if I should embarrass myself.

[@CosmicAudio]

Try it! Never say no, you might just nail it, even with ProTools and a C214. If you don't do it then you definitely won't nail it!

[@KalltuniClassics]

🥰🥰🥰

[@jawsxx8683]

How big was the choir?

[@Gutowski1944]

Thank you for this great presentation. How does one approach phase when using a main stereo pair with spots? I'm assuming - setup main array first, then add one spot at a time while monitoring on headphones as the spot is moved around?

[@samuelfrench80]

Sister Act?

[@danielperales476]

Wooly Goldberg movie. Bunch of nuns singing

[@monolithaxdxo1665]

Hello Mark

[@monolithaxdxo1665]

I have been watching your videos and I would like to have your opinion on recording a choir. The size of the choir is not large ( 7 people). I liked your recommendation on a xy rode NT1A for a stereo spread but in this setting would you also recommend still have individual mics for each singer and a way to reinforce the choir sound in a controlled setting or would you stick with spot mics for each section instead. Thank you from the states.

[@openaudio4432]

i wonder how many peeple were in the choir

[@haraldthi]

I'm in a choir myself and it's not a very large one. Perhaps 20 people?

[@andyf6484]

Hey Guys! can you or anyone else comment on the importance of having a matched pair of microphones for something like this? My semi-educated guess is that since the sound source is so spread out, maintaining a pristine mono image isn't so important, so neither is having a matched pair. I have an NT1A sitting around and was thinking of picking up another just for stuff like this. I'm also looking to get a pair of pencil mics, but I'd like to have the option to do stereo LDCs if needed.

[@vmalto]

You talk too much instead of demonstrating the equipment

[@haraldthi]

While others find the talk interesting. It all depends what you want out of it, and he chose to focus on certain things. It's also a simple, effective way to make a video if you don't want to spend lots of hours on a big production, so I'm thankful for what he does.