# Studio or On Location which is Better?



## Pinna Productions (Apr 26, 2006)

As an engineer I have my opinions about the pros and cons of studio and Location recordings for classical ensembles, but not being a performer in that genre my opinion differs from those who are performers.

I want to know what people think about classical recordings and what you as a performer or even just a listener are looking for in recordings. Are they too expensive to get recorded? Do they achieve what they set out to do? and do you think electronical representations of these pieces of music are valid or should classical music only be played live?

Discuss


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## merula (Aug 15, 2006)

Hi Sonny,

As a performer I have recorded three albums, one in the studio and two on location.

I have to say that I have enjoyed on-location recording much more.

The sense of a live and almost concert like setting really helps a performer get involved in the music and often not having to add any dynamic processing is a great help. The quality of the recording can be pure and really a true representation of the sound of the instruments and the character of the room.

Obviously it has it's drawbacks - extraneous noise from outside etc, finding a good location for quiet background noise, or hopefully none at all is hard.

Often buildngs in the middle of the countryside, no traffic noise.

A place where mic's can be set up all the time, i.e overnight, this is a must.

Finding places with this much flexibility is hard but it can prove to provide the performers and engineer with a real atmosphere and adds much to the recording process.

I know that you will be well aware of the pro's and con's but all these issues can offer performers some difficulty. Often in a beautiful location with a stunning sound it is only really quiet very late at night or early in the morning. Recording at this time can often be a tricky scenario for a performer to get their head around.

Just a few of the ideas that popped into my head...

Check out my website for clips of recordings anf more info etc...

http://www.matthewmcallister.com
Matthew


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