How to Record A Live Show with Three Vocalists?
 

Hello All,

I'd like to record to my Canon XH-A1 three guitarists/vocalists in a live venue. My scenario is that I'd like to record video, but have the audio as a constant source from a fixed position. Specifically, I don't want to record using a shotgun mic, and not being able to cutaway to the audience and lose the sound, obviously.

I may not have the option of patching into the mixing board (the performers bring their own amps and mics) and so am wondering if this is a reasonable solution: I've got a Sennheiser e838 hand-held mic that I can place on a mic stand about center of the stage. It connects with an XLR input, and so I can patch in with about a 50 foot cable to my XLR input on the Canon camera.

Now, I've also got five (5) Sony SM11 lav mics and a small mixer that I can use. Perhaps I could run a lav in front of each of the performer's speaker, run each lav to the mixer, and then run from the mixer to the Canon camera? Hmm, seems sketchy, but can it work? I'll be working alone, unfortunately. I'm not expecting high-end quality, but want to get a reasonable sound. I know I won't be able to mix down anything.

Any helpful advice is very appreciated,
Jack

P.S. If I can patch into a mixing board, then, yes, I'd be "good to go."

I've had pretty good success with hanging two mics from the ceiling, about 12 inches down, yet still high enough to keep from being bumped. Also mounted in front of the band, forward, anyway, of their monitors. In my case, I used two condenser cardoids, placed left and right. The setup rather assumes the vocalists are balanced in volume between left and right speaker sets.

Jack... get in touch. I might be able to help you out, we're in the same city.


Wayne

Mic placement is the key, as others have said. YOu have a choice between all amplified sound, with the mic on the loudspeaker, or distant sound, or anywhere in between. The added problem is that it's often the case in smaller venues that only some sound sources go through the PA, so you could end up with all voice and somewhere in the background a weedy instrument. The usual solution is simply to use your ears, and whenever you find the location where it sounds good, put the mics there. This of course is always the very place you can't put one!