Live recording was generally the way to start as a cooperative recording engineer with Archi. Since it was a live performance, the microphones always had be set as soon as possible to allow the musicians to focus on their rehearsal.

Before this project, I already had some experience recording ensembles in the National Recital Hall. I believed the best way to record this kind of concert was by using“Strauss pocket,” a micing style introduced by my professor. It used only one stand with the stereo bar for holding two pairs of microphones by taping, an omni and a cardio microphone together. And, they could be used in either AB style or in ORTF style.

However, I found that this style of micing could still be improved to adapt better to the acoustics of the National Recital Hall. I found that by using omni microphones in AB style, the quality of stereophony was better. But, while using AB style, the hint of a solo instrument’s position could easily be confused when musicians changed directions while performing. (This was especially true when recording the high-pitched instruments.)

So, to capture a clearer sense of direction. I recognized that I could set up a pair of cardio and omni in both different styles at once because I had the stereo bar set up to accommodate four mics. Therefore, with a few small adjustments placing the cardio pair with ORTF style and the omni pair with AB style, I was more satisfied with the results.