A Different Animal

Live performance recording is our specialty. Unlike the traditional multitrack recording environment where overdubs are often used to build up a song over time, live/on-location recording is created on the spot, in real time... often during a single in-studio or on-stage performance, with little or no studio postproduction other than mixing. A live recording might be very simple, possibly being recorded using only a few mics that are mixed directly to two tracks, or a more elaborate performance might call for a multitrack setup. The latter type of setup obviously requires a great deal of preparation and expertise, including a combined knowledge of sound reinforcement and live recording techniques necessary to capture instruments in a manner that can isolate the tracks, so as to yield the highest degree of control over the individual instruments during the mixdown phase. Although the equipment and system setups will be familiar to any studio engineer, live recording differs from its more controlled studio counterpart in that it exists in a world where the motto is ‘‘you only get one chance.’’ When you’re recording an event where the artist is spilling his or her guts to hundreds or even thousands of fans, it’s critical that everything runs smoothly. Live recording usually requires a unique degree of preparedness, system setup, patience... and, above all, experience. https://soma.sbcc.edu