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Orchestral Recording

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I have the opportunity to record each performance of the Champaign Urbana Symphony and Sinfonia da Camera, a chamber symphony orchestra led by Music Director/Conductor and world-reknown pianist Ian Hobson. Both orchestras call the extremely desirable acoustics of the Foellinger Great Hall at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts home.

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Foellinger Great Hall

Sinfonia da Camera, here under the direction of Fred Stoltzfus

Foellinger Great Hall Recording Control Room

Midas console

Recording a Sinfonia da Camera concert

Charlotte Mattax, Harpsichord – Suites of Pierre Fevrier

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Harpsichord Session, Follinger Great Hall, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

John Phillips Harpsichord in Follinger Great Hall, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

On 01.04.10 and 01.04.10, I had the wonderful opportunity to assist engineer Jon Schoenoff in recording harpsichordist Charlotte Mattax performing several suites of baroque comoser Pierre Fevrier for an upcoming release on Centaur Records.  The session took place in the Foellinger Great Hall of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, my favorite space (for sentimental reasons in addition to sonic ones).  Keyboardist/Choral Conductor Kerry Heimann was present as producer.  Added to all that, Mattax performed on a beautiful new instrument by John Phillips of Berkeley, CA, which belongs to the University of Illinois School of Music.  Phillips was present to assist with production and with keeping the instrument in tune – a challenge given the extremely cold and dry weather (the instrument had to be moved in on the first day of recording).

Mics used:

  • 3 Schoeps CMC6
  • 1 Neumann U87

Techniques:

Two CMC6s were placed L and R, on high (~12′) Atlas iron-based stands.  A single CMC6 (wide cardioid) and the U87 were placed next to each other (giving two options for “main” mics) about 4′ high and about 5′ or 6′ in front of the instrument.