I’ve been doing a fair bit of live recording and it’s given me a lot to think about when it comes to music production, so I thought we could chat about it in this blog post!

You may have seen the recent live session Alfie and the Avalon have released, and if not check it out at the bottom of this post. We filmed it in Brighouse with Jamal Akbar and I was on sound duties. The recording setup was full of compromises, but our priority was to get a great video and capture a great performance. Plus, the band’s musicianship is top drawer, so why would I want to impede their performances by spending ages setting up and adjusting microphones. I want them to start playing as soon as they can.

We had eight channels to accommodate the whole band, three for vocals, three for guitars/bass and two for drums. For the drums, I had the most success with a cardioid condenser placed over the kick and pointing at the snare diagonally, this way I got a decent snare, a bit of toms, and a small amount of rejection on the cymbals. I did try a mono overhead, but the snare didn’t punch through enough and cymbals overpowered everything else. The bass DI helped general spill and I had a couple of SM57s to cover the other instruments. I did have a tube mic ready for the accordion, but it majorly got in the way of the shot so we couldn’t use it. Getting the lead vocal sound was harder than I expected, partly down to distinctive sound of the Shure 55SH and partly down to Alfie having to sing over the mic rather than directly in it for the benefit of the video.

I’ve realised that quickly finding a sound and committing to it has been crucial in keeping sessions running at a decent pace. In the Alfie and the Avalon live session, my two ‘commitments’ were moving the drum mic from mono overhead to the less conventional position and using the Shure 55SH for lead vocal – all to get everyone playing sooner. You don’t want to miss the spark of the performance and the moment where everyone is raring to play, but professional musicians always perform to a certain level, so an extra ten minutes of set-up probably won’t spell disaster. However, every second counts when working with young people or inexperienced performers. I’ve recently been recording with talented young musicians of a local music school, but anyone who works with kids knows that they can only focus for so long!

In any session where time is limited, preparation is essential. I always ask for the line-up beforehand and work out the best selection of microphones. On the day, I try to get there early to assess the room, troubleshoot any problems and of course get the gear ready. Hopefully I’ve done some work by the time the performers arrive (i.e. tuned the drums and positioned amps to reduce bleed) and bar any nasty surprises, I should have a great sound right out the box. In the small, loud rooms I’ve been working in, it’s been practically impossible to analyse the recording in detail during the session. But, because of the preparation, I’ve been able to trust the process and instinctively know when something is right.

All my recent live sessions are entirely driven by the performers, I’ve just been there to capture it and not get in the way. The microphone never lies so I don’t actually have much control over the result. This trend has continued in the recording of some upcoming Alfie and the Avalon tunes. I’m recording them in the usual multi-tracked way but every time we hit record; Alfie, Ewan and Joe’s performances speak for themselves. In that moment, I don’t need to add any bells or whistles or delve deep into studio psychology, because they are professional musicians who know exactly what to do. There’s sometimes a tendency for music producers to believe that they are the key to unlocking your song, but in the end, we are nothing without great performers. We need top quality performers and material to help us fulfil our full potential. Ego aside, and whether the performers are professional or not, maybe a music producer’s only job is to not mess it up!

Anyway, there’s today’s thoughts. Enjoy the live session 🙂