Preparing for a Location Recording

Your role is to capture the best possible performance with the highest technical quality.

Sometimes multi-tracked recordings are needed, as they allow much greater editing potential and allow for overdubs and corrections. This is better for musicians who may want to correct mistakes.
Recording straight to stereo is a more honest representation of the performance. If the musicians are up to the job it can produce some exciting and natural-sounding results. It can also avoid the endless procrastination that a mixdown session can descend into.

Pre-Production

Attend rehearsals and take detailed notes (starts and ends of songs, line-up, solos etc.)
Prepare a rigging list. This involves looking at your sources and allocating mics, mic stands, XLRs, multicore cabling and desk channels. Plot it all out on paper. This way you can make sure you have enough equipment, it helps you to plan to use your resources to best effects, and by copying the rigging list several people can have a copy and help you to set up. Try laying it out like this…

Instrument/ Source	Mic Stand	Mic/ DI Box	Multicore Channel	Desk Input	Comments
Guitar	Boom	SM57	6	6	clean; o/d solos

Finally, draw out a block diagram of the equipment and how it will be connected, including all cabling and any extra equipment used. This will ensure that you don't forget anything!

Preparing for the Recording

Position the musicians to maintain good sight-lines and to minimise spill between the mics
Use soft furnishings and curtains to minimise reflections
Keep amp volumes as low as practical to avoid spill
Try to position directional microphones so that they reject as much unwanted sound (other instruments and room reflections) as possible
Don't forget the importance of talkback; an amp in the middle of the live room can be used instead of headphones
If you are monitoring in an unfamiliar control room, play some familiar music through the monitors to check the tonal balance
Check the cables and wiring; 'scratch' each mic in turn (never tap the diaphragm!) and make sure that each source is where it should be and that all the cabling is working
Is foldback needed? Vocalists can't go through a PA when recording, so they will need foldback through headphones. Check if the rest of the band want to hear the vocalist (and therefore wear cans) or whether they can do without. The same 'no amplification' rule goes for all acoustic instruments

Even when recording straight to stereo it is very rare to end up with one perfect take. It is much more common to have to edit multiple takes together to get the desired result.
The problem with this is when the relative volumes of the instruments change between takes, as this produces noticeable level changes when edited together.

The trick is to make sure that the rhythm section (drums and bass in particular) stay at the same level. Slight changes in front line instruments and vocals are easier to deal with.
It's easier to 'ride the faders' during solos and lead lines when you can see the musicians; if you can't, make sure you know the music well enough to know when the level changes will be needed.

This SOS article has some good info about live recording.
Recording a jazz band on location

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