What’s a good choral mic model in the sub-thousand-dollar range?

[Bruce Watson]

For acoustic music in general (that includes singers) the general order of importance of what effects the quality of the recording is often seen as:

1) The space you’re recording in
2) The quality of the artist
3) The quality of the artist’s instrument
4) The quality and experience of the recordist
5) The equipment used

I’m assuming that you aren’t recording in a small highly treated studio, because if you were you probably would have said so. So what I say below assumes you are not in a studio.

Recording singers in a small space is going to result in “small room sound” (due to the early reflections and room modes). You can help the sound some by recording in room that has carpets, full book shelves, thick curtains for windows, upholstered chairs, etc. Basically, you want to break up (diffuse) the sound reflecting off the ceiling, walls, and floor. This only really works for mid to high frequencies; low frequencies generally require bass traps. That said, don’t expect miracles. The only thing that sounds like a performance hall is a performance hall.

As to mics, I recommend the Line Audio CM4 (cardioid) or OM1 (omni) for your purposes. They are very inexpensive as these things go, and sound way better than what they cost. The downside is that they aren’t very sensitive or very quiet. Neither of which will matter much in your situation, and may actually be a benefit.

As to recording mono, I don’t recommend it. If you record stereo, you’ll probably use it, but if you really want mono you can just drop one of the mics out of the mix, or you can sum to mono (depending on the stereo system you used). If you record stereo you get that flexibility. If you record mono and then people want stereo, you’re just out of luck.

[Richard Crowley]

I agree with everything that Bruce Watson said. And to pile-on:

1) Recording in monaural is typically not a very good choice. You can always take a stereo recording and mix it down to mono. But you can never take a mono recording and make stereo out of it.

2) Sensibly priced microphones like the ones from Line Audio are quite sufficient for choir recording. I use similar mics for choral recording. ISK Pro Audio Little Gem: https://www.iskproaudio.com/collections/frontpage/products/little-gem

You described only the general size of the recording space. But not the acoustic properties. Recording a large group in such a small space generally results in a boxy, “closed-in” sound because of very early reflections. You should seriously consider spending part of your budget for acoustic treatment. A few hundred dollars spent on acoustic mitigation will have a MUCH more audible effect on the quality of your recording than the difference between a $200 mic vs. an $800 mic.

Having the group in a circle is a benefit to the performers because they can see and hear each other much better than in an arrangement more suitable for a live performance. I often record smaller vocal groups in a circle.

A popular choice for recording a group in a circle would be a pair of figure-8 microphones at right angles to each other. This is known as a “Blumlein pair”

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blumlein_pair

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.

[Richard Crowley]

When recording larger choral groups, especially where they are standing in multiple rows, we typically rig the microphones higher, usually over the head-height of the first row. This gets a better coverage of the entire group vs. the proximity effect from the front row.

However, for a group all at the same height, on the floor, whether in a row or in a circle, then head-height is typically sufficient.

But note that the acoustics of the space are also a very large factor in deciding where to place the microphone(s). Larger choirs, like orchestras and pipe organs, are more dependent on the acoustic space around them. So mic placement is always a “season to taste” trade off experimental decision. We try to leave enough time to move microphones around during rehearsal to see which location sounds the best. There is no hard and fast rule.

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Recording audio without metering and monitoring is exactly like framing and focusing without looking at the viewfinder.

[Ty Ford]

Hello Mark and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.

Bruce and Richard have given you chapter and verse on how to get the best audio.

I will only add that I would get them up there singing during rehearsal and while listening on good headphones like the Sony MDR7506 or Audio-Technica ATH-M50 (or later), move the mics until you hear something you like. If they are three deep, even if they’re all flat on the floor, I’d go higher with the mics and aim them down a bit.

If they are being conducted, try behind and above the head of the conductor, because he/she will be directing them to sing until they hit his/her happy spot. I did have a problem in a church once because the conductor was on a squeaky floor board. Every time he moved a certain way, you could hear the floor squeak. The mics above and behind his head picked the squeaks up very nicely. ☺

Be aware of tempo. Slower tunes will allow you to pull the mics a bit farther away and allow the (hopefully) good room ring richen things. Faster tunes may sound sloppy with that position and will require you to move mis closer to hear less room. I usually sweeten in post with reverb, so I’m good with not hearing quite so much room during recording. I use two reverbs, one set for early reflections and one for late. I blend the returns to get whatever my brain thinks is right.

Regards,

Ty Ford
Cow Audio Forum Leader

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