Live! From Your Church:
Making the Best Live Music Recordings.

The introduction of cassette tapes in the 1970s made it much easier to record and distribute music. (By today's standards, we'd probably find those portable multi-track units a little cumbersome.) When digital technology arrived, and with it the availability of advanced, affordable and user-friendly recording tools, "home recording" was born.

The adoption of this technology in the consumer market quickly found its way into churches across the country and before long, "tape ministries" gave way to pro quality live recording for:

• Fundraising efforts
• Onsite, post-service CD distribution for congregants and shut-ins
• Outreach campaigns for visitors, seekers and potential members

Whatever your mission, understanding the basic production steps as well as the challenges of live recording, can help you improve the quality of your finished CD.

We'll take a brief, church-focused look at:

• Pre-Production
• Recording
• Mixing and Mastering

Pre-Production
This step is one of the most important in the entire process since it forms a bridge between why you want to make a recording and how you will make a recording. In its simplest form, it's planning, the foundation of any creative project

Main goal of preproduction: Advance planning for smooth sailing.




Here are some guidelines:

• Have a vision for each song. Know what you're going for, whether it's a pounding beat or a soulful vocal. Hearing it in your head (and being able to communicate what you want) will increase your chances of nailing it on the CD.
• Understand copyright guidelines. Make sure you are in compliance.
• To the extent possible, obtain releases from performers. Christian music has a way of finding audiences that extend far beyond a congregation's geographic boundaries. It isn't likely that a major label will distribute your CD unaltered, but it could happen.
• Recording your songs during production rehearsals can be helpful. A simple cassette recording played on a boom box may reveal weak parts.
• Collaborate. A cross-pollenization of ideas can make all the difference.
• Practice, practice, practice. Know the material and make sure everyone else does, too. Warm up.
• Have the right gear on hand. Choosing the right mic, for instance, may save you some of the hassle of fooling around with EQ later.
• Make sure everything works. This means instruments, recording gear, cables, and connections. Have back-ups ready to keep the momentum going in-session.
• Know how to use the gear. If you're doing computer recording, for instance, understand how to use the software. All those bells and whistles are there to make you sound like a pro. Your recording will reflect your knowledge of ProTools or Cubase or whatever you're using.
• Allow enough time. Be realistic about how much time it will take to produce a recording that you'll be happy with. You don't have the pressures of hourly studio rates.

Recording
Here is where it all comes together – the music, the musicians, and the congregation.

Listen to each take in playback and keep in mind that if you don't like it here, you'll like it a lot less when you've burned 500 CDs.

• Technical accuracy is a given, but emotion and feeling in the final recording are probably even more important.
• Assume that it will take at least five takes to get the one you like. If you're considering a five or even ten-song CD, that's a lot of takes. One more reason to pace yourself.
• Use the right microphones and use them correctly. This will save you time and trouble in EQ and will guarantee the best sound.
• Remember that the congregation is part of the performance. Use directional condenser mics aimed at the congregation and not at the stage. You don't want to reinforce the PA system; you want to hear the audience.

In this arrangement, the mics are positioned parallel to the front of the speakers or speaker clusters. See Danny Duncan's article in this issue for more suggestions.

• Roll off many of the lower frequencies (those below 400-500HZ) to eliminate rumble and lower-frequency "mud".
• Don't try to fill all the tracks on the tape. You don't need to force something that won't fit.
• Keep the focus of your music in mind. If it's the vocals, spend your time there.
• Get the sound you want while recording. Don't try to fix everything in the mix. This is the time.
• Record individual tracks clean and add effects later.
• Make sure all performers and congregants have cell phones and pagers turned off.
• Be flexible. It's great to have creative ideas, but realize that they won't all work.
• Tune instruments often. Use the same tuner if possible; since some tuners may differ in their sensitivity.
• Maintain a track listing and time log.

Mixing

Now that everything has been recorded, it's time for the mix-down. This is where you'll blend individual tracks, adjust levels and add effects.

Main Goal of Mixing: Balance track levels.

• Understand there are limits to what you can achieve in this phase. That's why it's so important to get the sound you want in the recording stage.
• To keep the sound consistent from recording to the mixdown, use the same speakers (if you're not recording in a professional studio).
• Listen to your music at moderate levels in your car or on a boom box. This is how most people will hear it, and mixing at loud levels will fatigue your ears and distort the "true" sound.
• Use sound isolating earphones in the mix-down, then playback on a small pair of speakers at low volume levels.
• Give it a rest. What's true in recording is also true in the mixdown. Come back to the project with fresh ears.
• Think about the big picture and the overall sound.
• Don't fight for your instrument to be heard: "I need to hear more guitar/bass/tambourine…" Do what is best for the song.
• Decide which format you want the finished mixes to be on. Use the format that makes the most sense for your needs.
• And don't forget to make a safety copy. It's the best and cheapest insurance you'll ever have.

Mastering
You've reached the final frontier – the last step before the duplication process. This is where you put the finishing touches on the mixes and make sure that everything is right.

Main goal of mastering: Get your recording ready for release.



You'll want to:

• Put some time between the mix and master steps. Live with various mixes before you and your associates make the final decision.
• Clean up the beginnings and endings of the final mixes.
• Place the tunes in order, with the strongest first. First impressions are important.
• Adjust the spacing between songs, and
• Match volumes for consistency from track to track.
• Think about adding a degree of EQ or compression.
• Edit sections of songs or splice different takes together.
• Make sure your master format is compatible with what your duplicator uses.
• Make at least two copies. If you're recording in a home studio, you may not have back-up of the DAT you left in a taxicab.
• Estimate duplication realistically. Unless you have a superstar worship leader, start small and re-order if necessary. The profits you can reap from selling a $15 CD (probably in the area of $10 each) evaporate very quickly if there is unsold inventory in the storeroom. Find a good duplicator and think re-order.

Live worship recording is an art and a science. It begins with a moving celebration of faith and ends with the polished presentation of that experience in a form that can be share with the world.