No way …out door LIVE audio record!!

Rory Cooper wrote on 4/21/2016, 5:18 AM

I watched this clip…the jamming is too tight to the audio for a cut. so it looks… LIVE!!. is it possible to get this quality audio outdoor?
The filming is ..well not cool but the audio is amazing IF IT IS LIVE OUTDOOR.

Comments

PeterWright wrote on 4/21/2016, 6:22 AM

The absence of any visible mics and the low background noise suggests they are playing along to their own studio recording, a common enough tactic.

John_Cline wrote on 4/21/2016, 6:24 AM

Yes, it's quite easy to record that kind of audio outdoors, there are no room acoustics to deal with. The percussion and upright bass seem a little forward in the mix so I'm guessing that the mic(s) were placed just below the camera. It could have been as simple as the microphone on the camera or an inexpensive Zoom H1. It's definitely not a studio recording, it was recorded live. The band would have been loud enough that the gain would be set so low that background noise wouldn't be an issue, besides it looks like there were out in the country somewhere away from traffic noises.

PeterWright wrote on 4/21/2016, 6:31 AM

No way John - I think it's premixed. Each instrument and voice is clear in the mix, which you just don't get with an outdoor camera or Zoom type recording.

This plus the absence of atmospheric noise strongly suggests pre-recording to me.

Rory Cooper wrote on 4/21/2016, 6:41 AM

Well I wish I had the talent and technical know how to get that quality out…when I hear that, I get motivated to go learn.

The issue for me is that the players for example the mandolin is too tight to mix a studio session that tight to post video production shoot. I play musical instruments so I know when you play that lose you don’t get it that tight to the video. So it looks live. But the base sounds added.

PeterWright wrote on 4/21/2016, 6:46 AM

Well of course I could be wrong, but as a band player myself - and these are very competent musos - it's not that hard to reproduce a well rehearsed performance.

I did wonder about the possible use of noise gate to cut ambient noise, but that often has other side effects, and the clarity of each instrument and voice in the balance is very hard to maintain with one, or maybe two central mics.

Be interesting to find out ...

Former user wrote on 4/21/2016, 7:29 AM

Sounds live to me. A studio recording would not have the odd flange sound in the voice.

Ecquillii wrote on 4/21/2016, 8:17 AM

You can see their outdoor recording setup at the one minute mark here:

. You can even hear the mosquitoes.

Tim Robertson

Former user wrote on 4/21/2016, 8:26 AM

Here's another live one from them that sounds great...

musicvid10 wrote on 4/21/2016, 9:07 AM

/It's live; a combination of wireless, boom, and probably a shotgun on the lead singer.

PeterWright wrote on 4/21/2016, 9:17 AM

Then I stand, or sit corrected!

Ecquillii wrote on 4/21/2016, 11:19 AM

In the "making of video" I linked to above, all I can see for The Trooper outtakes (from about 0:46 to 1:05 or so) is what appears to be a single mono mike on a chest-high mike stand near the mouth of the semi-circle, and near where the videographer is shooting from.

At 2:31 of the Nothing Else Matters video, you can see two mono mikes (they might be figure-8?), mounted on stands, capsule-to-capsule. And in the "making of video" at 13:28 you can see the audio engineer "pointing" the mike setup, and you can see the cords of those two mikes running to a laptop in the background.

Tim

Rory Cooper wrote on 4/22/2016, 3:12 AM

Yep..Tim I missed the mic's so it is live...very nice recording natural sound. i can see the mosquitoes but the sound i don't hear must be the age thing LOL.

ddm wrote on 4/22/2016, 11:30 AM

Here's a video of a live performance that I thought was outstanding, at least I'm assuming that it's live, crosstown traffic and all. Incredible performance, as well.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=lake+street+dive&view=detail&mid=9F2B48C2539E59644E109F2B48C2539E59644E10&FORM=VIRE

farss wrote on 4/22/2016, 4:43 PM

Watching the "making of" video of the video in question they appear to have used two Rode NT1a microphones. The black cats cradle is unique to them I think.

My only concern using those LDC mics outdoors is they'll pop at the slightest puff of air, I'd have put socks on them. It does appear to have been shot during winter when the air can be very still so that would have saved the day.

It's not that hard to do this. I've only done ambient recordings indoors using a single XY mic but it's just a matter of the musicians themselves handling the mix. Make a recording, let them hear how it sounds and they'll sort it out.

Bob.