Recording in a dome-shaped room

[Theremax]

Hello folks

Just wondering if anyone had any experience of tracking a live band in a dome-shaped room (and how feasible it is to get good results).

The reason I ask is we are planning on filming a live performance and have been looking at a couple of interesting venues as a backdrop. One of these is a dome and, while it's a brilliant setting aesthetically, I'm concerned about the acoustics.

I believe that domes are generally not desirable for tracking in but with close miking of guitars and drums, staying away from the centre of the room (it's not a huge space and we'd probably position the full band - 8 of us - around the periphery) and some careful positioning/screening, could we work round any issues? Or is it a case of suck it and see?

I've chatted it through with our engineer - he's not recorded in a dome specifically before and said it could be ok but no guarantees - hence why I'm asking here before we go any further down that route.

It is a live performance we're creating rather than a studio performance and I'm conscious we're making something visual as much as something to listen to but I don't want to compromise the audio too much (or worse, end up with something unusable after the expense of engineer/kit/film crew hire etc). We'll be tracking the parts to individual tracks for mixing in the studio later. The key thing for the day is tracking and performance.

I'm taking a trip there next weekend to have a look (listen?) at it first hand but would be interested to know if anyone has any experience in this area.

Anyway, any thoughts much appreciated.

Many thanks!

[zenguitar]

You know those bus shelters, the ones with a heavy perspex arch?

All the noise is reflected back into the centre, I find them very disconcerting. To the point where I would rather stand in the rain than in a crowded one with a lot of people talking.

A dome would potentially be a lot worse, so I would imagine that you need a LOT of acoustic treatment to keep reflected sound under control.

Andy

[Jack Ruston]

Yeah. I know some of the classical guys have to deal with that sort of thing at times, but it's hugely problematic. You get crazy reflections.

J

[adrian_k]

Hi,

Have recorded in a hall with a barrel-shaped roof, and although at the time we worried about the strange acoustic it turned out OK. That's a stereo pair about 12 feet from the performers.

I've also recorded in the Pitville Pump room in Cheltenham which has a large dome in the middle of the hall, but luckily the stage is a reasonable distance away so not a big problem. I think it would be a different story recording directly under the dome.

I know someone who recorded a live performance in a smaller domed room and he said it didn't turn out well at all, horrible acoustic. If you are close miking though you might be able to get away with it. Any chance of some rehearsal time in the room before you make a decision?

cheers
A

[Hugh Robjohns]

Recording under a dome can be very weird indeed. You get remarkably strong reflections of sound sources on one side focussed to the other sidee in hard to predict ways. If there is a choice of venues, I'd choose the other one!

hugh

[ACEG]

Unless it's somewhere like this (with these sort of players!):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13386627

http://www.tommy-smith.co.uk/ts/discography/into-silence/

Tony

[Jonesd90]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whispering_gallery

Probably the most extreme version of what you might get with a dome. It's a very weird feeling in there!

[Theremax]

Thanks for the replies guys. We've got a few location options so will probably go with one of the ones not shaped like a dome! I think it might throw one too many spanners in the works

[Tartaruga]

Hi
On the other hand,maybe you should give it a try…and end up with something special.Probably you won’t need half the volume you’re used to,and there could be a 'sweet spot’ right at the centre of the dome shaped place...
Have you tried just with your own voice,walking around the place?Or clapping in your hands?

[Hugh Robjohns]

On the other hand,maybe you should give it a try…

By all means try it for a rehearsal venue, but I really wouldn't advise going in there blind (deaf?) to record something important. Domes can create some interesting and attractive acoustics -- as has been pointed out -- but they can also prove to be total nightmares as my own experience has confirmed on more than one occasion.

You will need a lot of time and experimentation in the domed venue to find positions for the musicians and mics that work as intended without capturing weird things in weird places. First time I had to record in a domed room I spent twenty minutes being utterly convinced that I had a major cross-talk or console routing problem between channels, only to discover when I went in to change the mic and cabling as a last resort that the 1st violin really could be heard as loud by the double-bass mic as it was by the 1st violin's own mic!

Hugh

[Marcin_Siejka]

Just wondering if anyone had any experience of tracking a live band in a dome-shaped room...

Hi...

It maybe bit late now hence you've mention going to check the room over the weekend...
Just from my experience over this week when I was recording on location.
It was the first time ever I've recorded anything in the dome-like shaped hall with high wooden selling and at first I wasn't sure what to make of the sound of it, but after something like 40-50 minutes of walking around talking and clapping, pulling heavy drapes around the corners of the room, moving bit's of furniture and instruments around… I've placed the upright Yamaha piano slightly of the centre of the room and placed se1's in approx. 50cm spaced pair on the top pointing way down into the box and a stereo pair of se z3300a at the rear of the piano.

I got the exact sound we were looking for keeping the artist well chuffed and I regret I didn't bring more mic's/pre’s with me to capture the room...
If I was going to do guitar amps I would definitely stay away from that room but acoustic and maybe more live type of drums would be just fine.

I'll look for the picture of that room in the morning...
(I don't have my laptop with me right now)

However as it was mention above for different applications this kind of room maybe a very difficult to work with and not what you're after so as few people suggested just check and see/hear if you like it...

All the best!
Marcin