Recording a cappella choir

[MetalSound]

I know this isn´t very common in metal and I never recorded an a capella band myself so I just wanted to know if any of you did this and how was your workflow?

Recording everything live with each singer a single mic or one mic for all and the band singing around this?

Letting them sing all together live then recording voice after voice as overdub?

 

[KeithTidd]

how many people are there? any soloists? is it going to be recorded in a good sounding room?

 

[Skaldir]

You could make an ORTF with two small diaphragm a few meters away aiming between first and second row.
Let the mics where they are and let the people change places if they aren't many.

 

[wishtheend]

I recorded a highschool choir for a backing vocal track I needed with decent results. However, when I first when to record, the teacher had them arranged from lowest octave range on the far left, to the highest on the right. When I miced this up in stereo, it just caused some stuff to sound off balance, with focus either going to or from the prominant vocal. I shifted them around (not to their liking) with the lowest octave guys in the middle, the next range split up on either side and working outword to the highest octave on the far ends.

Again, I have no idea how many people you are micing or what the arrangement is, but just placement of the group and a good stereo pair should be decent. You could even break them off in smaller groups/pairs and close mic them for added support and panning separation.

 

[MetalSound]

Thanks for your answers. I should have said that there will be only 4 singers and I don´t have a very good sounding room-pretty dead. It was mostly designed for close miking...

 

[KeithTidd]

i would close mic them, then if you have enough space in the room i would either do ortf, or a pair of omni's with a baffle in between them/ a spaced pair of omni's.

 

[egan.]

If it's a small group go stereo pair...definitely all together....and have a separate mic if there is a soloist. For that type of stuff it is all about the blend and IME it's impossible to get close micing to sound right.

 

[LydonB]

Even with 4 singers I would still do an ORTF or XY...but probably ORTF. That should give a nice stereo spread too. Just watch your mic placement. I would try to keep the mics at ear level, approx 6 ft or so up. Distance wise I am not really sure how far back but I would think maybe anywhere from 4-7 feet. That is a huge difference but that is where I would start first. Though, I think 4 ft. might be too close.

 

[Nebulous]

With 4 vocalists, I'd personally be gonig for an XY at a closer distance, maybe 1-1.5m, especially if the room doesn't sound great.
Actually, is there a possibility of recording in another room? If the music is completely vocal, I would be really cautious before commiting to a room.

 

[MetalSound]

Thanks for your answers. I think I´ll try xy and maybe a solo mic. Unfortunately I don´t have another room so I have to record them there. I am looking forward to this new challenge.

 

[LydonB]

Any results yet?

 

[MetalSound]

Not yet, the production will take place in August...

 

[LydonB]

Oh cool.