 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: David Eichler
Date: 2026-01-18 05:36
My impression is that most modern high-quality recordings of orchestral performances are done with the primary mics on stage, near the orchestra. Are there any high-quality orchestral recordings that you know of on Youtube where the mics were exclusively at the middle or back of the hall?
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2026-01-20 23:47
All of the orchestral recordings I’ve been part of (probably at least 30?) used both close mics as well as mics in the hall. On one recording (which I arranged myself because I was playing a solo concerto) the hall mics didn’t work properly. A sound engineer tried to make a mix using only the close mics but the results were awful.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2026-01-21 00:31
Today many recordings are done live, to save the expense of hauling the orchestra into a "studio" environment (mics set up in all sorts of crazy places to
"mix in" later some of the reverberation characteristics of those crazy places). If you find some videos of dedicated recording sessions, you'll see stuff like the lid of the piano having been removed and very large mics and stands that would most certainly obstruct viewing if attempted with an audience.
I struggled with the idea that we've gotten to a point where money concerns are preventing the very best of what we can do now with recorded sound. However, I've also heard some really amazing live recordings from all over the world that have convinced me that the gap that used to exist between the results of live over "studio" has become too small to matter.
So yes, what you see at the concert hall is what you get (mostly). And thank God, it ain't bad.
..........Paul Aviles
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