The results of my exhaustive study are ready to be revealed: orchestra players and sound engineers are about as different as cats and dogs. There can easily be misunderstandings and even animosity between the two groups in live sound situations because each group often doesn’t understand the other group’s needs, concerns and expertise. This article will show you how to achieve good sound with orchestral instruments, especially when they are part of a modern praise band. We’ll address why good communication makes a huge difference, explaining some common points of contention. We’ll also talk about some general mic’ing principles to get you started. In part two, we’ll dive into specific examples of how to mic various orchestral instruments and dispel some common myths.
If you’ve ever listened to a good symphony orchestra in a well-designed hall, you know what an orchestra is supposed to sound like. The volume level is just right, the mix is blended well, and the reverb is tasteful. It’s a thing of beauty, and there isn’t a bit of electronics involved. That world is all about acoustics and not at all about sound reinforcement. Once we try to marry orchestra instruments with a rock band, or a less-than-wonderfulsounding room, or both, we usually have to compromise. That’s when sound reinforcement becomes necessary. And, while it may not be obvious, the working relationships between orchestra and sound crew are key to achieving good live sound.
Let’s talk about some of the ways we might mic an orchestra, in general. If we are recording (not amplifying) an orchestra playing by themselves in a great-sounding hall, we will typically mic up the entire orchestra from a distance with a pair of microphones to capture an overall stereo image. In an ideal world, this might be all the mic’ing that would ever happen with an orchestra. As soon as you need to amplify the orchestra to effectively blend with, say, a rock-style praise band, everything changes. Why? Whenever you amplify sound using a microphone, you also amplify all of the sounds near it. If the microphone is far away from the source, you will also amplify background noise, stage wash from other instruments, and either cause feedback or increase its likelihood. So, while distant mics are very appropriate for making a natural-sounding recording of an orchestra, they are generally terrible once you get a sound system involved.
So we need to mic everyone up close, right? Here’s one of the problems: many orchestra players aren’t used to being mic’ed up close, because it’s not usually necessary in a symphony hall or recording studio. Consider this: your orchestra players might be afraid of the microphones. They might view the microphone as a spotlight with the ability to single out their mistakes for the world to hear. Imagine having a camera shoved in your face and you’ll understand. Microphones can also get in the way of their playing (such as with the bow of a violin), so we have to consider giving the players room to do their thing. But it also helps to remind the orchestra folks of this that no more or less of the orchestra player (or, heaven forbid, their mistakes) will be heard than if they were playing in a symphony hall with no microphones.
One of the best ways to communicate these concepts to the orchestra, and for us to learn their point of view, is to have a “pre-game huddle”. By taking a few minutes to understand each other, the end result is almost always better sound. For instance, explain why they are being mic’ed in the first place. Let them know there’s a really good reason to have mics so close, and that they are not necessarily going to be “featured soloists” because of it. Set the expectations of sound quality, rehearsal and sound check routines, and microphone handling (i.e., who should move mics around) so they know your goals and intentions. Make sure they understand that you may need to reposition and tweak microphone placement during the rehearsal/ sound check to get the best sound. Take the time to encourage them, too. Remind them of how good they sound, and, since they have no idea how the overall mix sounds to everyone else, tell them how good everything sounds together.
Consider, also, that an orchestra player may have considerable experience mic’ing their instrument up close for live sound, so be open-minded and listen to their ideas. And, if they have concerns about a particular mic placement affecting their ability to play, try to accommodate. Both parties usually have to compromise to get the best overall results.
When determining just how close the mic should be, you have a few things to consider. If the instrument (or group of them) is very loud, such as a brass section, the mic may not need to be very close. It may be appropriate to have a microphone several feet away. The louder sound makes up for the mic distance and allows you to capture several instruments with one mic. A microphone may not even be necessary for louder instruments, so don’t automatically mic up everything “just because”. This is sound reinforcement, after all.
A quieter instrument, such as a violin, may need to be mic’ed very close (possibly within inches). The tradeoff is this: the closer you mic something, the more gain you get before feedback and the more isolation you get from other neighboring sounds. However, you might also get a less natural sound that can change drastically if the musician moves even slightly. If gain-before-feedback is your biggest priority, then get that mic as close as you possibly can. Otherwise, you may be able to back off the mic somewhat for a more pleasant sound overall. Only your ears can tell you what’s right.
You can get extremely close using microphones that attach directly to the instrument. Several manufacturers make mics that can clip onto the bell of a brass instrument, and there are microphone mounts made specifically for strings and flutes, for example. If you have an unused lapel microphone lying around, you might also give it a try by attaching it with a clip or a rubber band. The advantage of attaching a small microphone to the instrument is that the musician is free to move around, the mic doesn’t get in anyone’s way, and there is no mic stand. The primary disadvantage is that many musicians hate the idea of something being attached to their instrument, so make sure to ask for permission and explain the advantages.
Hopefully, everyone involved has the same goal: that the worship experience is as effective and uplifting as possible. We know that good sound is one of the pillars of a great worship experience. One of the best ways to get there is to maintain good rapport with the musicians and to respect each others’ expertise and experience.
Here are a few points to consider:
- Be willing to learn from and respect an orchestra player’s knowledge of and experience with their instrument.
- Make an effort to set up and test microphones in advance to minimize distractions during rehearsal/sound check.
- Explain to the musicians how and why you are mic’ing their instruments.
- Encourage them by reminding them how good they sound.
- Seek the musicians’ points of view on the whole process so you can understand their perspectives and concerns.
- Maintain a servant’s heart. It is too easy to let ego get in the way. Remember that everyone is there for a greater purpose than their role alone.
- Strive for consistency wherever possible.
- Become familiar with the instruments you are trying to mic. Not only will it help you understand how to get a good sound from the instruments, but your interest and display of expertise will help win the confidence of the players.
- You will probably have to get microphones very close to the quieter instruments to get useful signals, especially in loud environments.
- The only way to find the best microphone position is to experiment and listen, so invest some time into the process and use your ears.
