Recording - January 2011 - 19

This is really scary! While the drag of tape recording was tape length, and two machines were needed to leapfrog and cover reel changes in mid-show, at least whatever got recorded stayed recorded. With DAWs, no tape is needed, but if the power goes out, or the computer crashes, everything is lost! There are a couple ways to protect yourself from catastrophic meltdown. Definitely employ an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) for your computer, so even if the power goes out and the show stops, at least you can save the files. You’ll also want to configure your computer to be as reliable as possible. Test everything in advance! Arm twice as many tracks as needed and let your computer record for six hours straight. Use a new, yet fully tested hard drive for the show. Avoid all audio plug- ins, and turn off all excess system extensions to make the OS as clean as possible. Lastly, while it would be ideal to have a completely separate backup rig recording simultaneously, you should at least run an independent two-track recorder. A simple stand-alone CD burner or portable digital recorder with line inputs, capturing your live monitor mix, might be just the thing to save your butt. It worked for me once—I was mixing a live concert DVD and encountered a dropout in the multitrack master. Editing in a few seconds from a stereo backup completely saved the song! How the pros do it For high-level touring acts with big budgets, a new solution has evolved for concert recording. With the switch by many FOH engineers to digital consoles, the connection to digital audio workstations is easier than ever. Some products, such as the Avid Venue line, integrate the console and DAW seamlessly. Venue users can easily record all mic inputs to Pro Tools, and can even play back the recorded tracks directly through the console faders for faux sound checks at a later date. For those demanding the best in live multitrack recording, a remote recording truck is hired. Containing an acoustically isolated control room built into a semi, remote recording trucks are expensive, but offer savory amenities like high-end recording consoles, simultaneous backup recording to multiple machines, and complete isolation from the loud concert environments. Slightly less glamorous are broadcast-based trucks, such as those that might record and mix live video and audio for sporting events and awards shows. Tear down the wall Live recording presents a unique and exciting set of challenges to the recording engineer. Employing a hybrid of studio and sound reinforcement techniques, concert recording bridges the gap between the two great audio engineering disciplines. No matter where you see yourself on the engineering spectrum, a modicum of politeness and professionalism is needed to appease everyone’s needs, ensure the show goes on, and to make a great recording. Eric Ferguson (ferguson@recordingmag.com) is an audio engineer based in Los Angeles. When he’s not on tour doing sound for Lee Ritenour and other live acts, he divides his time between recording and mixing records and teaching Music Technology courses at MiraCosta College in Oceanside, CA.
RECORDING JANUARY 2011

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Recording - January 2011

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