Drumcorps represents one of the greatest musical recording challenges.
The combinations of volume, physical movement, crowd noise, pit instruments,
etc. make it extrordinarily difficult to achieve both presence and balance.
Andrew Lee and I (there we are in the photo at the right) have enjoyed an
ongoing interest and collaboration in trying to solve the many puzzles that
drumcorps recording presents, experimenting with various microphone
configurations and settings.
Ever wonder how those Season Pass mid-season recordings are made? Well, Ken Mason does most of them, but Andrew and I do a few each year. For consistency, we all use the same mic configuration - four cardioid mics at the base of the grandstands, as high as our stands will reach.
Here's a great shot of a 4-mic recording during an SCV victory concert in Seattle: