There are many factors to consider when planning a recording session, perhaps the most important being the choice of location. Whilst we are used to recording in a wide variety of settings and are confident of obtaining good results in many different locations, there is no doubt that the choice of venue will have a big impact on the resulting sound of your recording. Every venue, large or small has its own unique acoustic characteristics, and while modern concert halls spend thousands of pounds designing good acoustic environments, we have found many churches, village halls, rehearsal spaces and school halls to be excellent venues for location sound recording. Usually, as a rule, if the venue sounds good to play or sing in, then you would expect it to sound good to record in. It is particularly important with a large group such as a full orchestra or choir, to ensure the venue has sufficient space to allow the sound to blend together in a natural way. Another important consideration in choice of location is the amount of outside noise. Try to avoid anywhere close to a busy road, under a flightpath or near any other noisy environment, as this can be a real problem for recording. The venue should also be a place that is comfortable for the musicians to play in, with adequate seating, heating, lighting and toilet facilities. Please contact us if you have any queries regarding the suitability of a particular venue.
    With the choice of location decided on, you should then consider the material you want to record and a running order for the day. It may be best to start with some pieces everyone is confident they can play well, and leave more difficult songs until later when all the musicians are warmed up. It is important not to try to squeeze too much into the session, allow time for re-takes, especially if the pieces are hard for the musicians to play, and of course allow for some breaks as a full day of recording can be very tiring. With that organized, the next step would be to ensure you manage to get plenty of practices in before the recording, and preferably at least one practice in the chosen recording location, so you can listen to the acoustics of the venue. Making sure the material you wish to record is well rehearsed is crucial to the success of your recording session. Finally, make sure everyone involved knows the date of the session and has been given plenty of notice. And that includes us!