Recording a live show from the soundboard

[zim]

How is this usually done? Does someone hook up some kind of portable multitrack recorder or something?

[baron von blondle]

In my experience it's been the desk sound (raw live 'in motion') mix direct to a CD/DVD or DAT. ie:- if the engineer starts the set and forgets to unmute the kick drum / pushes up the left guitar level etc..that's what you'll get on your CD



back in the early Akercocke days we used to always ask for a desk recording until it became apparent how consistently ropey sounding and unusable the recordings were

[Devy]

That's how I've understood them to work too. I remember getting a soundboard recording of a Fleshrot gig at a London venue called The Purple Turtle. Single worst thing I've ever heard, cost us £10 and we ended up throwing it out the gay man's telescope on the drive back.

[zim]

why did it turn out so bad, were the sound levels for the show bad? or does it just not transfer well to a recording?

[Devy]

I think the stars aligned for the ultimate crap recording. We were first on, didn't get a soundcheck, barely had time to set up at all, played on a stage so hot it can only be measured in how much it could fuck off and it was all recorded by a soundguy who I noticed was constantly fucking about with his phone.



That place is notorious for having a terrible sound regardless too, which meant that when the hard-on bearer asked if we wanted a live recording for £10, we probably should have shot him.

[baron von blondle]

unless you've got your own sound hard-on bearer who knows his shit and your set really well, it's bound to turn out kaka.



Purple Turtle.. in fact Camden..

[Devy]

The Purple Turtle will always have a special place in my heart though. It remains the only place where I played wearing my Adolf Hitler World Tour t-shirt and didn't have to explain why it was funny.

[Haunty]

I would like to see said shirt.

[Devy]

<!-- m -->http://www.8ball.co.uk/OffensiveT-shirt ... 39-45.html<!-- m -->

[FUKKET]

I once tried to record Five Star Prison Cell (knowing the band they were cool with it).

I got the line out of the desk & threw it into my old MD player.

it came out horrible. distorted as fuck.

I'm guessing the level on the line out (it was RCA) was too high (sound dude wouldn't let me touch any levels - even an external output).



Five Star will be back in Sydney next month so I'll ask the guys if i can do it again, but with my Fast Track Pro & laptop.



Slimeys used to do the same, but had some better experiences, going live to DAT.

the sound from here http://www.youtube.com/user/Slimeything ... 867131A555 was done just an a Mac with multi-tracks.

the whole production wasn't intentional, just every now & then we like to record video & audio live stuff for the archives or possible future releases.