I should point out that this was the first time I had ever recorded a big band. All of these tracks were recorded at a live performance in a ballroom environment with folks dancing out in front of the stage. It was something like 14 tracks…if you look on my web site, there’s a page on the site I call “Session bLogs” where I do writeups re…the technical setups used in some productions. Details about this recording are in there…worth mentioning is that, for the main stereo pair of mic’s, I used a setup based on whats called the “SRA” or “Stereo Recording Angle”. This is based on a research paper presented to the AES in 1984 I believe. It provides a method of calculating ideal mic angles and seperations for x/y mic pairs that provides realistic spatial placement when heard through speakers setup in a normal equilateral triangle. Specifics are in my session bLog for this recording (it’s a darn clever, but very straightforward way of determining a mic setup for a band/choir or orchestra recording).
Glyn, I tried to get these to sound very non-hyped. probably 90% of the sound is from the stereo pair out front. This is augmented with a ribb mic on the double bass as well as a DI from the double bass, several close mic’s on the drum kit and some horn “section mic’s”. Lastly, I got split’s from the voc mic’s.
Twilightsong…I’m familiar with the Macarthur HS jazz band…saw a special about them on Public TV awhile back. Blew me away! Absolutely incredible sound! You’re very lucky to have so many great bands there! The Junction City Big Band is something of a hybrid. The players are all either pro, or semi pro players and none of them play in this band regularly. They’re drawn from several other bands in the area and they get together 6 or 7 times a year. They just show up, get some charts from the band leader, and have at it. They’re best recollection is that they last “practiced” at some point in 2009??? The vocalists are husband and wife (the male vocalist is also in the trombone section)…the drummer is the head of the percussion department at Weber State University.