 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2023-11-05 19:21
Hi,
I wondered if it would be okay to ask a question, which I think is about sound engineering for clarinets?
I have been watching this video over and over again trying to understand it and I can't quite work out why the clarinetist is in a box all by himself, when everbody else seems to be in a room together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igNe4l_svLU
Also some of them have earphones on and some don't.
Maybe it's to do with how the sound carries, and positioning the microphone right to catch the sound? Maybe the clarinet is too loud for the small room?
When I accompany my son on the marimba with my clarinet, I am too loud, so I thought that might be what it is.
I wondered if you might know?
Thanks!
Adult learner, Grade 3
Equipment: Yamaha Custom CX Bb, Fobes 10K CF mp,
Legere Bb clarinet European Cut #2.5, Vandoren Optimum German Lig.
Post Edited (2023-11-05 19:22)
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2023-11-05 19:59
While I'm sure there are studio reasons for many of the decisions, Pomplamoose experimented quite heavily with studio setups at the beginning of COVID. So, I wouldn't be overly confident that all their reasons were 100% sound-related during that time frame.
Fuzzy
;^)>>>
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2023-11-06 05:25
Ok, the answer is EVERYONE is in a box.
To get the sound they get in the recording, each instrument has to be isolated so that there is no "bleeding" of the sounds from other instruments into their mics. Notice you don't see them standing next to one another. They are all in separate rooms or even the same room at different times. The clarinetist is in what is called a vocal booth. They listen to the other parts and themselves through the headphones (big, closed back headphones that don't allow much extraneous noise in or out). The drummer doesn't immediately appear to be wearing anything like that but if you look closely you'll see he is wearing "in-ear monitors." That is the same sort of thing all the big onstage acts like Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran use.
Why do you need to isolate?
What engineers use to get each track to sound defined and all sections of the performance to "come forward" is COMPRESSION. Most people understand this to mean that you make the track louder. In reality the loudest parts are squeezed down much closer to the softer parts. Then the sound level is boosted so that the difference between the loudest and softest sections is very small AND the whole track becomes........louder.
You can then realize that even things that were originally quiet on the track become very audible. This is why we isolate so much.
..................Paul Aviles
P.S. Just wanted to add a bit on recording 2. You can record a group all at once in one room fine......just not done that much. Notice the lead vocalist is still in another room. That's why everyone else is still on headphones.....to hear her.
Post Edited (2023-11-06 08:56)
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2023-11-06 17:16
I think that musicians are kept in boxes and not allowed out untill the "take" is deemed acceptable. I imagine that it's probably the only profession where you can be legally held hostage, die in there ....and then be held in breach of contract.
All very incentivating to good playing no doubt!
Ha-ha !
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2023-11-06 21:18
HA HA HA
What's funny about that is that there aren't any "takes" anymore. You just have to "punch in." That is, the recording can be started just a few bars before an error and the performer can redo that one mistake (whatever it is). Also there usually are a few run throughs and you can cut and paste the best parts of those together to make "the perfect take."
Don't forget about AutoTune and Melodyne to make ANYTHING pitch perfect.
........Paul Aviles
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2023-11-06 22:48
Hi Paul,
Thank you very much for explaining. I had no idea at all that that was what was going on.
It's really fantastic timing because we're meant to be doing this for a school project just now and I didn't understand the question that the teacher set for us. I do now.
Much furrowing of brows here as I try to work out how to actually do it.
Thanks!
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2023-11-06 23:59
Blimey, now I think of it, that is quite a good idea.
We have a lot of instruments, but they are not all in the same room, and some are too loud to play with others, or near the other players' ears.
If we did this box thing, then we could put the instruments together.
I suppose the thing is to play the existing parts into the ear through an ear piece and then play along and have the sound picked up by a microphone. That sounds quite fun.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2023-11-07 02:14
So one thing to keep in mind about it all coming together is to have a master track played by a main component such as piano (as long as it contains all main elements, beginning, middle, end and any time changes). OR use a click track with a count off.
OR you can all play together and use that scratcg track for each player to play their “good copy.” So many options.
…….. Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2023-11-07 03:41)
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The Clarinet Pages
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