Irish Group

sei046

Lads,
When i get a a few projects out of the way i am jumping into recording a traditional irish group. I have done a lot of these before but i kinda want to go in a different direction.

Im not sure of the instrumentation yet but lets say 2 fiddles, a box, concertina, bodhran, (Possibly uillean pipes.

It will be something along those lines. I have miced things up individually before and it always gets the job done but now im thinking maybe a pair of SDCs in XY or something.

Thats grand and all but i will prob need a spot on something like the concertina and i will prob need to more the pipes back or something.

Any reccomend any better ideas? I think i will go do it in a really nice room somewhere so might use a tascam 24 track or something and bring it back to mine.

What about recording the main group for the energy and putting on the pipes after or something

PaulBrewer

In my experience there are two types of musician who feel a trip to the studio is comparable to a spin to Mars.

They are, Classical Heads and Trad Heads!

In my youthful innocence I remember trying to record a trad band individually against a click track - Oh how we laughed!

Let them sit where and how they want , and make the space their own. I've never tried just a stereo pair as the main source but it does make sense, with spot mics.

The other thing I used do was supply them with cushions to stamp on, otherwise the clatter of boots is the only thing you'll hear!

Best of Luck with getting the pipes in tune!

sei046

Oh dont you worry i learned VERY EARLY to give them something to stamp on. Might pick up some SDCs so

studiorat

I'd try an ORTF with them in a semi circle. And a spot mic for each. Pipes mic'd with a LDC about half way up the chanter on a small stand in front of player, pointing across the drones. (May be a plan to record the drones sperately too.

Have a think about how you want to arrange them too, do you want the fiddles on either side or together?

sei046

Im thinking semi circle with fiddles on one end and concertina on other end. Pipes in the center of the image. To be honest the whole spot mic thing is the route i went before and it just becomes crazy. With one really good ORTF setup and prob 2 spot mics i should be fine.

I will see how it goes.

PaulBrewer

I'd sequence them in Garageband .....

sei046

man i have so many sample libraries that i am prob gonna bash out trust me.
"That came out really well!"
"Ye I know really good musicians, perfect in time and tuning was literally 100%... Professionals"

PaulBrewer

Then stick a Techno beat underneath... or should that be Técneough?

sei046

I mixed an irish/dance album a while back and man it rocked. Rreally great stuff and i wouldnt usually be into that.