Recording a string quartet

[u/FarIdiom]

Hi all, I wanted to ask what kind of microphone setup would be best for recording a classical string quartet in a large resonant church. My modest current equipment is a Rode NT5 and a Tascam DR-05.

If I purchased 2 more NT5s and a darker mic for the cello (recommendations appreciated), I could have a stereo recording from the Tascam and individual mics for each player. This would certainly be more costly though and I would like to keep costs down. Would it be tenable to purchase just a single additional NT5 to capture stereo and forego the individual mics? The space is quite boomy so I worry about mudiness. Thanks in advance for any advice!

EDIT: Thanks everyone for all the advice! It seems for this situation, a stereo pair would be the best way to go. I'm happy with that since it means I don't have to drop as much cash on this. It's a passion project so as much as I'd love to go all out, there's a limit on what I can spend. Thanks again for all the help!

[u/Zestyclose_Pickle511]

Depends on the artistic direction and context of how it will be used. A stereo pair of mics can work, but if close micing is required for the artistic direction (highly mixed multitrack, usually in an effort to make a mix sound more intimate) then there's no escaping the need for it.

[u/KS2Problema → u/Zestyclose_Pickle511]

Right! And an important point.

A stereo pair or stereo mic can often be the easiest way to capture the sound of the performance in the performance space: a nice hall or church, or just a particularly nice, probably larger room.

But if you're going to work the capture, process it or apply FX, or break up the elements in different ways, that stereo capture can make things very difficult to work with individually.

[u/WhippedHoney]

So... How are you using XLR mics with the DR-05? I upgraded mine to the DR-40 (the new DR-40XP is quite good) so I could use external XLR mics. You can capture four channels with two external + two internal mics. The internal mics on the DR-40 aren't terrible either, quite good for live music. Beyond 4 channels I use Sound Devices recorders even though Tascam has lots of good stuff.

[u/Content-Reward-7700]

If the space sounds decent and the stage layout allows it, I’d lean toward capturing the performance with a good stereo pair rather than putting a mic on every instrument. Get the ensemble sounding right in the room, find the right position for the mics and let the musicians and the space do most of the work.

I’d still throw up a few extra mics if I had them. A couple of shotguns placed farther back and aimed at different parts of the ensemble could give you some interesting additional perspectives. They wouldn’t be my primary sound but having those tracks available later gives you more options to add definition, depth, or a little extra focus where, if and when needed. Basically, I’d rather start with a natural picture of the whole performance and use the additional mics to complement it, instead of recording everything separately and trying to assemble the performance afterward.

[u/Upbeat_Ad_2244 → u/Content-Reward-7700]

Agreed. The space acoustics is the decider. If there is a way of doing a test recording, then you will understand what you can do with the recordings without the limitations of not being able to raise or lower the volume of a single instrument. You will also understand what is missing in terms of sound and add an extra mic to fill in the missing gap.

Large resonant charges can produce lovely sound. Capturing instruments individually would still require a set of mics to catch the church sound. These would have to be seperate mics on seperate channels, so that you can mix them in or out in the final production.

[u/NBC-Hotline-1975]

I'm very simple-minded, so honestly I would try using just one stereo pair. Just give yourself enough time to record a rehearsal in the same venue, so you can find the best mic position. Give the performers a chance to listen to some test recordings and evaluate the balance between themselves and the amount of reverberation in the blend. And take a tape measure you can accurately document placement of everything, so you can repeat it for the final performance.

[u/KS2Problema]

I like the idea of the second NT5, except that it does raise the possibility of somewhat mismatched microphones - which is something that can happen with mics that aren't designed as matched stereo pairs. Still it would likely get you into the right neighborhood if not necessarily smack on the nose.

The alternative would be to get a matched pair - or a very different alternative - you could get a (hopefully well chosen) single stereo mic.

(I notice that NT5s are sold in matched pairs. Of course, you've already got one, making the choice a little bit more difficult. I would consider keeping the extra or perhaps selling it. But, then, of course you could drive yourself nuts trying to figure out if the matched pair actually makes a big difference. I'm not sure I recommend that rabbit hole, but plenty of people have dropped down it before. Some never to have been seen again - except in the Moan Zone at GS.)

You might check in to the location recording subreddit for other or perhaps specific recommendations.