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A chance to get out of the studio, have a change of scenery, record in some exciting and different spaces, and explore a new acoustic – there are many reasons why recording music on location can be rewarding and great fun. Whether it’s a live concert or an album recording in a venue chosen specifically for its marvelous acoustics or unusual character, it’s never more important to be well-prepared. There’s nothing worse than driving for an hour, arriving and unpacking all your equipment at the venue only to discover that you left behind that essential little piece of metal that connects two other essential pieces of metal, and without it, all your equipment is essentially useless!
Location recording is very common in genres such as classical music, where good acoustics are vital. More and more, artists of all genres are wanting to capture their live performances in both audio and video. Here are some things to think about when planning a location recording, particularly if you’re working solo and bringing your own gear (larger-scale productions may have more variables, more equipment, a team of people, and more detailed planning). Here we’ll focus on stand-alone recordings rather than recording an amplified concert (of course many live sound engineers also capture recordings to be mixed later, which requires a different set of equipment).
Recording at a different location than your usual studio or workplace means you’ll need to be flexible and ready to deal with possible unpredictable factors or situations. Find out as much information about the production/concert and the venue as you can beforehand. Make sure you agree on a reasonable schedule that gives you enough time to comfortably set up and account for unplanned delays, such as traffic.
A gear checklist is essential, and we’ll go over this in more detail later on. If there’s a chance to go and scout out the venue beforehand, this could be extremely useful for testing out the acoustics, deciding how the musicians and instruments might be placed in the space, checking for traffic and other noises, and determining the quietest time of day to record, and for other practical matters such as power outlet locations and figuring out an appropriate spot to set up your recording station.
These are some things to think about, research, or ask the artists or venue directly:
Additional useful bits and pieces: multi-tool, string, scissors, measuring tape, spare batteries, pen/pencil/highlighter, coloured tape for marking positions, torch/lamp, XLR and jack turnaround adaptors, headphone adaptors, mic stand thread adaptors.
What makes recording music on location so enjoyable is the variety of projects and music you can work on, the thrill of capturing a live concert, the chance to explore new and interesting spaces, and the challenge of working out how to best capture music in an unfamiliar acoustic. You’ll learn how to problem-solve, you’ll likely never be bored from repetition, and you’ll have memorable recording sessions in beautiful, epic, and quirky spaces.
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The mission of SoundGirls.org is to inspire and empower the next generation of women in audio. Our mission is to create a supportive community for women in audio and music production, providing the tools, knowledge, and support to further their careers. SoundGirls.Org was formed in 2013 by veteran live sound engineers Karrie Keyes and Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato and operates under the Fiscal Sponsorship of The California Women’s Music Festival, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. In 2012, Karrie and Michelle participated in the “Women of Professional Concert Sound” panel at the AES Conference in San Francisco. The panel was hosted by the Women’s Audio Mission (WAM) and moderated by WAM founder Terri Winston. Terri brought together five women working in live and broadcast audio. The groundbreaking panel (which also included Jeri Palumbo, Claudia Engelhart and Deanne Franklin), provided young women and men a glimpse into life on the road, tips and advice, and a Q & A with the panelists. More importantly though, was how incredibly powerful the experience was for the panelists. We had all been in the business for 20 years or more, yet most of us had never met before that day and within minutes we bonded like long-lost sisters. We were struck by how similar our experiences, work ethics, and passions were and wondered why our paths had never crossed and how our careers would have been different had we been there to support each other through the years. Each of us are strong on our own, but together we were even stronger and a powerful force. We were empowered. Each of us had been asked hundreds of times in our careers: Are there other women doing sound? How did you get into sound? How would a young woman go about getting into sound? Through creating SoundGirls.Org, we hope to establish a place for women working in professional audio to come for support and advice, to share our success and failures, our joys and frustrations, and for empowerment and inspiration.
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