In article i,
Iain Churches wrote:

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article i,
Iain Churches wrote:


Besides there could not be a worse place.

Explained earlier.
Even worse than the edge of the
music stand.

Not so if separation is the main goal.

Good sound is surely the main goal. Strings need
ambience, not separation.

Then you simply won't hear them at all in the situation I'm talking about.
I'm truly surprised you need this pointed out. Perhaps if you'd done any
form of live work with this sort of music you'd not make such a strange
statement.

A bsic rule of thumb, taught to every single
student of recording arts: When recording a brass
section, never sit the trumpets and trombones behind
the saxophones/woodwind. Take a look at any TV
show, you will see that they are invariable sitting in
that order.

As they are on any stage big band.
WW are always at the front.

Take a look at any of the books that deal with studio layout.
Alton Everest, John Woram.Even Tremaine has a chapter
on this. If you think about it, the optimum brass/saxes/woodwind
setup is obvious, I did not think ít up.

But a TV show isn't all about a 'studio layout' anymore than a live event
is.;

Sounds like you always want to 'improve' on nature?


What is natural about the woodwind sitting at the front
in a recording? For a concert, they sit immediately behind
the strings because their acoustic volume is less than the
brass.

A jazz orchestra has strings?

Have you not observed the difference in stage layout between classical
orchestras and dance bands of the '20s onwards?

But as soon as you start to record, or use any SR,
the matter needs to be carefully reconsidered.

In this case we're not talking about a sound only recording. A TV
performance is closer to a live event.

I think it is only natural to want to achieve the very
best result that one can in the circumstances.
Or do you say "Oh to Hell with it. Who Cares?
It's only TV!" ?

You're contradicting yourself. Much of the close micing used on TV etc is
*precisely* to get the best out of less than ideal circumstances. Like
invariably a band with a poor internal balance - especially where strings
are involved. I'm sure you've noticed the difference between the size of
the string section in a TV band compared to a classical orchestra?


Ted Heath (bandleader not politician) used to say that
the saxophones were the children of the orchestra, and
had to sit at the front. They needed his direction. Then
when the red light went on, and they began to play, most
of the players shut their eyes. It wouldn't have mattered
where they sat! Only small changes were necessary to
give the section a lot more bite and tighten the whole
sound of the band, due solely to much reduced leakage.

So Heath ignored your 'advice' regarding the brass behind the ww when on
stage? As did every other similar band leader? Wonder who was correct...

--
*A woman drove me to drink and I didn't have the decency to thank her

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.