Recording a Japanese drum troupe.... any advice?

[zebra50]

Hi!

I have been asked to record a Japanese drumming troupe and wondered if anyone had done anything comparable?

I won't get chance to see them play before the day, and don't know how many drummers, but I assume it's in the 10 to 20  area.

In theory I could drag a 16 channel rig down there but would rather go with my small mobile rig, which would be between 2 and 6 mic channels.

Blumlein? Spaced pair? MS?

Any tips or advice gratefully received.

Cheers
Stewart

 

[Tubetec]

Lots of factors come into play ,room acoustics ,ambient noise (air conditioning/heating), crowd noise ,if all of the above are in your favour Id take the simple approach. Crossed figure of 8's at the front of the stage would be nice ,maybe a spaced pair of cardioids a little further out . See if theres a video of said troop up online just so you know what to expect . At the end of the day you may have to compromise on sound quality ,so as not to end up causing too much fuss and keep the vibe stress free. You need to make contact with an english speaking member of the troop ,not a huge proportion of Japanese people speak english either. Find out what the time frames are ,will you have a chance to do a soundcheck ,will there be sound re-inforcement  or a pa system involved, maybe keep a couple of spot mics handy just in case one particular instrument isnt cutting through the mix . Looks like those guys jump and move around quite a lot ,keep any cabling neat and tidy to avoid mishaps. They beat the hell out of  those taiko drums with big lumps of wood so be prepared for loudness ,allow plenty of headroom on your record levels , a slightly low recording is easy to fix up later ,a recording thats clipped is a much bigger problem .Also bear in mind that what ever levels you reach in a soundcheck ,the actual performance will probably be louder .Sus out the venue well ahead of time so you know exactly what your dealing with, adjust your approach depending on circumstances ,if theres a P.A. system involved get in contact with the engineer ,maybe you can take direct outs from the FOH console or patch your own mics via the multicore.A good set of closed headphones and something decent to drive them is important.

 

[Script]

Is it a Taiko drum group?

If so, expect considerable loudness and sharp peaks. Taiko can change from moderate volume to full blast in a split second. And yes, actual performance can be even louder. In small to mid-sized theatres, they might not even use PA amplification at all, as they are usually loud enough from the start. Seated audience can usually feel benches start vibrating under their behinds.

It all depends on set-ups but closed headphones might not provide enough shielding, if you are in the theatre hall itself. I've seen engineers use In-Ear for that.

Absolutely speak with the leaders or anyone else from the group who speaks English. They can tell you whether and when players will form groups: left/right and front/back, and when it gets really loud.

Here's some useful vocabulary:
kon-nichi-wa -- like 'Hello' / 'Good day'
daisuki -- I like it very much
subarashi -- extraordinary
sugoi -- superb
migi -- right
hidari -- left
wakarimashita -- I understand
doko -- where?
OK -- OK
otsukaresama deshita -- When performance is over (lit. You must be tired)
kanpai -- skol (when drinking beer afterwards)

 

[zebra50]

Hi guys

Thanks for the tips. All very useful stuff.

We have a small concert hall for the afternoon and no audience. The troupe are recording a video, and the director asked me to help with the sound.

Will let you know how it goes.

Stewart

 

[pvision]

I took a girlfriend to see the Kodo Drummers at Sadlers Wells years ago. We had seats in the Gods. As they took the stage she leaned over to me and asked if we were going to be able to hear them up here?

I laughed. When they started playing the BIG drum you could feel the place shaking

I envy you the job - it should sound wonderful. Your only problem will be trying to capture the hugeness of the sound

Nick Froome