Recording A Jazz Band Session at Birmingham Conservatoire

Recording a Jazz Band (Work Experience)

On Tuesday 21st June 2016 I went to the Birmingham Conservatoire to sit in on a recording session which was booked with a Jazz Band. The band had commercially booked out the studio for 4 hours to record a new albums featuring Paul's new composition. The genre of his songs was very experimental within the jazz genre, but typical jazz instruments were used; tuba, trombone, saxophone, trumpets, double bass and a drum kit. 

I was lucky to be able to sit in the control room and watch Simon Hall, head of music technology at Birmingham Conservatoire, lead the recording session. It was very interesting as they were using a mixing board which was connected to protools on the mac computer. This meant that the mixing desk could be controlled from the mac and the faders could move automatically. 

It was extremely important for the studio team to watch out for any clipping on the tracks and run sound checks before and throughout the session. To avoid clipping we set sound levels before recording and monitored the levels during the recordings.  

Health and safety was a factor which we had to consider whilst setting up for the session. The team had to ensure that all wires were away from walkways and that the was no consumption of food and drink in the studio of control room. 

Overall, 17 microphones were used to record a 10 piece band. This meant that 17 track had to be set up for levels. This was extremely difficult as the 10 instruments were playing at the same time. It was necessary to consider what microphones should be used in this recording. 

Unit 49, Brief 1: Setting up live performance and recording equipment.

This task involved setting up a PA system for a live event.

1. Firstly we had to take the boxes apart. To ensure that the lids of the boxes did not act as tripping hazards we ensured that we put them safely on the floor away from where anyone would be walking. 
2. Then we plugged the mixing desk into the mains power and moved it to the position we wanted it in. Once it was in the correct position we locked the wheels to ensure safety and that it does not move. 
3. Next we lifted the base bins to position. To decrease the risk of injury or damage of the speakers it is important to use 3 people to carry the speakers so they are not dropped, and that when the speakers are lifted the person should bend their knees whilst lifting and keep their back straight. 
4. Now the base bins were in place we could add the poles into the speaker and connect the main speakers on top of the base bin. As we were lifting the speakers above our heads, it was extremely important to use at least 2 people to lift the speakers to ensure that we don't drop them and cause damage. 
5. Then we connected the speak on cables to the speakers, we connected the base bins to the bottom amp and the main speakers to the amps on top. This allowed us to separate the frequencies of sound and to control what sounds are released. This is how we connected power to the speakers to work. 
6. The next step is to securely tape the speak on cables to the floor. This minimises the risk of people tripping over the wires. If the wire is extremely long then excess wire can be put in the corner of a performance area where no one will go. 
7. After that you can connect the amps to the mixing desk using jack leads, and plug the amps and mixing desk to mains. When plugging equipment to mains it is extremely important to ensure that all levels are down to a minimum so the sound does not go over the sound levels and we avoid feedback. Usually when speakers/amps are given power a popping sound is made. When a desk is turned down it is called 'flat lining' a desk to avoid bad, unwanted noises. 
8. Once this is all seat up you can set up your sound source. In our case it was a microphone which we wanted to set up, so we connected a Shure SM58 into the channel 1 of a mixing desk using an xlr cable. 
9. Now, we can turn on the desk and check the levels once the speakers are turned on. When checking levels someone should stand in the middle of the performance area to ensure that the sound is ok, this is because the speakers are in stereo. 
10. The final step is to perfect the sound which would involve adding effects to the sound. The effects which we used on the mixing desk were reverb effects. This worked by putting sound through the mixing desk and then the sound would be outputted with an effect applied to it. There are many different options of reverb effects depending on the sound desired by the performer for the event. 

If you would like to see video evidence of my group setting up the PA system then please ask me personally. Due to the video not being in the right format it cannot be supported/uploaded.

Risk Assessment

Above in the method of this set up I have outlined some of the risks that may occur during this process and how we can minimalist the risk and prevent them. I will also include a table which clearly shows the risks possible in this process and how we can avoid them. 

Risk	How it can be minimalized/avoided.
Lids from boxes	These can be kept away from where people would walk. This can be achieved by leaving the lids flat and tidy.
The boxes moving	This can be prevented by locking the wheels on the boxes.
Tripping over wires	Ensure that all wires are taped down or kept out of the way where no one will fall.
Unwanted/bad noises	Flat line the desk before adding power to the desk and amps.
Exposure to live wire	Ensure that all cables used are safe and are not broken.
Plug sockets	When not using power from plug sockets, turn off the power.
Water near electric	Keep food and drink away from the performance area. But if water is required ensure that it is in a secure water bottle to avoid spillages.
Health risk	Ensure that when lifting equipment you bend your knees and keep your back straight; this avoids damage to the back.
Noise levels	It is important not to go over 120dB due to social laws. This can be prevented by using sound sensibly and checking the noise level which is being outputted by the speakers throughout the performance.
Feedback	Feedback can be annoying and also can hurt some peoples ears, as when the sound travels back and forth the noise levels get louder and louder. This can be prevented by not pointing the microphone towards any speakers and keeping microphones behind the speakers.