Concert/Gig Recording

In terms of high risk yet high reward nothing comes close to a live concert recording. There are no second takes. There is no pausing in the middle to move a mic. There is no safety net. That is what makes it the most difficult type of recording to get just right, but when you do, there is nothing quite like it. What you sometimes miss in most conventional studio recordings is the live interaction, not just between band members but band-to-crowd interaction. When you listen to a live concert recording it makes you feel like you’re there in the front row living through it all again.

I have a portable recording rig and a collection of microphones designed to realistically capture the full energy of a live concert. Shoot me an email to let me know about your concert/gig and we can talk about the best way to capture it.

Here are some live recordings I've done over the past few years.

Get ready for some goosebumps! The opening to Dvořák's epic Symphony No. 9 "From the New World" captured with just a Decca tree and a pair of woodwind mics. No spot mics needed for an orchestra as balanced as this.

This is an excerpt of the wonderful Duncan Gardiner's piece "In Paradisium" performed by the Riverside Guitar Ensemble. This was a 2 channel recording done in a flattering room. The only post processing that was needed was to extended the depth of the ensemble with some subtle reverb.

Another orchestral recording, this time Brahms' famous Tragic Overture. Listen for how those opening two hits expand into a stunning bloom of reverb throughout the large concert hall this was recorded in.

Here is opening head to Dizzy Gillespie's Wee performed by a jazz trio in a small yet very lively room. Some detail, such as clarity in the midrange of the double bass, is sacrificed in a live recording like this, in exchange for the energy that only a live performance can deliver.