7. Before you start recording - some advice
I would finally like to give you some advice on recording which may be considered a summary of what I have said so far, but also as "insider" knowledge:
| - | Make sure you get a good idea of your client before you start recording (size, sections, pieces performed, etc.). |
| - | Look at and listen to the recording space prior to beginning work (reverberation time, volume, etc.) and conduct a test on the day of recording with closed eyes, as this stops unconscious visual expectations to interfere with the test and lead to wrong assessments of the choir's sound. Your assessment of the choir's actual sound then comes in the first two minutes. |
| - | Keep your equipment well-maintained and perform a check before recording: your cable connections are symmetrical, your recording platform has sufficient capacity, and you have a selection of high-quality mics to choose from. |
| - | Keep low-level eye contact with the choirmaster and the group during performance and recording. Try to keep calm and relaxed, the members of the choir will be plenty nervous anyway. Don't hesitate to recommend a break when you think one is necessary. |
| - | Laypeople tend to overestimate their abilities sometimes. Your technical skills are required at the time when you believe to have completed the best possible recording after comparing several of them. |
