Live Album Necessities

[kgriffin]

Hi everybody,

I am currently playing with an artist and we are about undertake a live album project. Through much deliberation we decided that a live album is the best way to go about recording an album. Studio albums, are more expensive and when it comes to worship music, studio albums tend to be missing something.

I also work at a church. We have a Digi Profile at FOH with the Pro Tools LE card. (renting an HD card for this is a possibility) We also have several Digi 003's and 002's available. We have done a good bit of playing around with the system and gotten some good recordings. I have an Idea of how we are going to go about making the album but the more research we do the better prepared we will be and the better the final product.

What is necessary to create a live album?

Do you have any recommendations?

[petereit]

Having been involved in three "live" recordings, I'll just say one thing: I don't know of any "live" recording that wasn't followed up by several weeks (even months) in a recording studio. I'd bet most people would be shocked at how much of the "live" recordings they've heard was actually recorded after the live event.

[kgriffin]

Yeah, we are planning on having to do a substantial amount of studio recording, prior to and following the actual live recording.

We are thinking about prerecording a good chunk of the sampling, synth, and BGV prior to the live recording and then playing along with a click and those tracks. Did you record with just a click track or did you have other tracks along with the click?

[petereit]

We never used anything pre-recorded during any of the projects I have personally been involved with. We always recorded everything during the live performance to digital multi-track then went into studio to clean up mistakes and "fatten" where necessary. With the exception of our worship leader, none of our singers or instrumentalists were professional musicians.

But I do know of several projects that were COMPLETELY pre-recorded then essentially lip-synced for the live performance in order to record the crowd, the performers' ad-libs and shoot video for DVD. It appears that's how Hillsong does their Hillsong Kids CDs/DVDs.

[SamG269]

I was wondering why every time I watched those DVD's with my daughter they just felt so wierd. I know how much they post edit. But I didnt know they did so much BEFORE the actual event.... No wonder the drummer never sync's up with the sound.

[tdangelo]

Originally Posted by petereit

Having been involved in three "live" recordings, I'll just say one thing: I don't know of any "live" recording that wasn't followed up by several weeks (even months) in a recording studio. I'd bet most people would be shocked at how much of the "live" recordings they've heard was actually recorded after the live event.

I was about to say by the time their done (and tongue-in-cheek) "just the audience."

However I know a couple of guys that make really good money sweetening audience tracks ... so my new answer would be "nothing" or "the click track, if they had one."

[pdc]

I do not get it. If the studio recordings seem to miss something, and you are going to go into the studio and do pre or post production for the show, and then lock the whole band into the groove of your recorded tracks....well, I think you are missing it. Your recording will miss something. Play it live or don't. That would be my advice. If it is assembled, people will be able to notice.

As far as a good capture goes, record in the best room you can, to as many excited people as you can. Use the best musicians with the best instruments. If you have to spend your time fixing their playing, you have the wrong people. You have good gear from the sound of it. You do not need the 002s and what not. You have the best front end for the money. I would take those tracks to a real studio with real monitors and real mixing talent. Following the mix session, get it mastered by people that have a clue, like the folks at Masterdisk NY.

Church PW CDs generally do not sell as well as people think or hope. So, I would think of not pressing discs and just do downloads.