Ten Tips For A Successful Live Recording

Leave nothing to chance with these solid strategies for capturing a live show

Significant parts of my professional audio career have been focused on recording live music, and by now I’ve picked up a lot of knowledge through hard use. I’m going to share some of that expertise with you in this series of tips.

I’ve recorded hundreds of live performances, starting from when I was still a teenager recording my friends’ rehearsals and gigs with a 2-track reel-to-reel recorder. In my professional career, recording live performances for broadcast with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, I’ve used a variety of recording rigs, from simple stereo formats to compact DAW setups, right on up to fully-equipped recording mobiles.

You can get great recordings with a wide variety of recording equipment, ranging from the simplest to the most complex. Wherever you are on the gear or experience continuum, I think you’ll find some relevant information here to help you capture a great recording of a live performance. Let’s dive in!