After figuring out what I will plan to carry out for my FMP, I started to solidify my idea with the help of another tutorial with Alfie. He helped clarify things about my project, such as where I can hold my event and what I can do for my hand in. With the limitation of access to public venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, I discussed with Alfie that I can do my live show in the dark room bar in LCC, which I can email to book out and have a decent turnout since UAL students would be coming into the bar for their own record anyways. The dark room bar is not only for live music, but for just simply playing music through the speakers whilst people do their own thing, whether it be playing pool, playing board games or just socialising. It is also quite a small venue for a full band to perform, so I would have to keep that in mind when planning the set up. Alfie stated that to create a preferred sound in this space, would depend on the choice the PA system and microphone placement. The PA system involves the whole system within the setup of the live show, being the microphones, speakers, mixing desk and the desk’s features. I would have to go into the dark room and ask about the set up and such, since I don’t currently know anything about how it works, therefore I wouldn’t know yet what set up would be the most effective in this space.
Alfie recommended me books in which I could read to help me with organising and setting up my event, such as Mic It! by Ian Corbett, which explains ultimately how sound works. Corbett does this through describing how sound is created through vibrations and travels as sound waves to the human ear, and when waveforms are to be in-phase with one another and how that effects the sound that reaches the human ear. There are also mentions of certain set ups and advised gain structure, explaining the different outcomes of having a higher initial input gain when recording.
I also found helpful examples on the internet such as videos and audios that showcase how, for example, the placement of a microphone can change the way we hear the same sound coming out from a guitar amp.
With this, since there is no right or wrong way to set up microphones, I can carry out my own experiments with microphone placements within the studio to create and hear my own differences of the same sound in accordance with the placement of my chosen microphones.
Another book in which Alfie suggested was The Recording Engineer’s Handbook by Bobbie Owsinski, which going more into detail about microphones. This involves information about the different kinds of microphones, being dynamic, ribbon and condenser mics, and explaining how each of these work, with its advantages and disadvantages. In addition, it describes the different polar patterns of microphones, so how much sound from a certain space is being captures and how certain microphones are usually placed to record specific instruments.
With all this information on microphones and different placements, I would also have to look into how different genres of music are set up in the live setting. I can do this by going to different venues during live show nights to see how each venue sets up their band, where I can also experience listening to the music as an audience member.
I also mentioned to Alfie that I wasn’t sure if I was on track, since this is my first time organising a live show, but at this point, he reassured me that I still have 26 weeks until the hand in and my project seems in good shape since I know what I want for my FMP and what to do. In addition to figuring out how I will carry out this project, I would have to also think about emailing the music production technicians as well as the Darkroom Bar directly and what I should state in those emails. For example, what the event is, when it will take place, how long it would last and such. Before doing so, I would need to do some mic tests for instruments that would be needed in the performance, such as the acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and saxophone.
Mini Bibliography:
https://blog.andertons.co.uk/learn/pa-system
https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/what-is-it-comb-filtering/