📋 Online Ensemble Guide

To All Performers

Hello, orchestra members!

In order for our performances — recorded in different locations — to come together as a beautiful and moving symphony, high-quality raw recordings are essential. Don't worry: you don't need any professional equipment, just your phone and a little patience. Please read and follow this guide carefully. It will save the mixing engineer a great deal of time and directly determine the quality of our final production.

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Foreword: Some Advice Regarding the Mixing Engineer

1. Intonation and rhythm are the most fundamental skills for every musician, and the most basic yet most important requirements in an orchestra. In online ensemble recording, any off-beat or out-of-tune note will be greatly magnified. Therefore, while recording, please listen carefully to the metronome and ensure every beat of your performance lands precisely on the click. For passages with accelerando or ritardando, the arranger and performers should discuss in advance, use a DAW to map out the tempo automation, export a complete metronome audio track, and have performers practice and record against this customized click track. At the same time, try to minimize passages where multiple instruments play rapid runs together; assign main melodies and fast, note-dense passages to performers with solid fundamental skills; and agree in advance on the exact timing of pick-ups, fermatas, note endings, and runs to ensure that upbeats and cutoffs align properly.

2. Avoid recording in sections whenever possible. It is best to record the entire piece from start to finish in one take. If splitting into sections is unavoidable, please clearly indicate the specific segment: for example, by renaming files (noting measure numbers, e.g., mm. X–Y), or by speaking the measure range at the beginning or end of the recording, to facilitate post-production alignment.

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Part 1: Pre-Recording Preparation

1. Choose a Quiet Room

• Turn off all appliances that may produce noise (air conditioners, fans, refrigerators, phone ringers).
• Make sure doors and windows are tightly closed to reduce environmental noise such as traffic and wind.
• Notify family members or roommates in advance to ensure you won't be disturbed during recording.

2. Keep the Dry Signal "Dry"

• Avoid recording in empty, echo-prone rooms (e.g., unfurnished living rooms, bathrooms). Reverb is the "number one enemy" of recording and is very difficult to remove in post.
• Best locations: Bedrooms, studies, or living rooms with more furniture, curtains, and carpets. These soft objects effectively absorb echoes, giving you a cleaner sound. Recording facing a wardrobe or a rack of clothes is also a great trick!
• Fallback plan: If you absolutely must record in a large, empty room with lots of natural reverb, try piling all non-resonant clutter into one corner, then perform with your back against the pile. At the same time, place the microphone as close to the sound source as possible, aimed top-down at the instrument body, to capture the cleanest direct sound.

3. Secure Your Phone

• Do not hold your phone while recording; small hand movements will affect the audio.
• Use a phone tripod, desktop stand, or lean your phone against a few books to keep it stable and still.

4. Use a Unified Reference Pitch

• The project lead will specify the reference pitch (frequency of A). Make sure your instrument is correctly tuned. You may also play this reference pitch before and after the piece to facilitate pitch calibration during post-production.

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Part 2: Recording Settings

1. Ensure the Microphone is Clean

• Before recording, check that your phone's microphone is clean and free of dust or debris. If necessary, gently clean it with a soft toothbrush or fine cotton swab.

2. Know Your Phone's Microphone Locations (iPhone Example)

• Bottom of phone: Near the charging port and speaker, there are usually one or two microphones. The built-in Voice Memos app, standard recording apps, and speakerphone calls use this microphone.
• Back of phone: Between the rear camera and the LED flash, there is usually a small hole — this is the rear microphone. It is typically used when recording video with the rear camera.
• Top of screen: Near the earpiece on iPhones, there is usually a hidden microphone. It is used when recording video with the front camera or during video calls.

3. Adjust Phone Settings

• If possible, it is recommended to enable Airplane Mode. This prevents an unexpected call or notification sound from ruining your best take.

4. Use a High-Quality Recording App

• Avoid using the phone's built-in voice memos or random "recorder" apps, which often sacrifice audio quality for small file sizes.
• Recommended Apps:
  • Shure MOTIV Audio (iOS/Android)
  • GarageBand (iOS)
  • These can record in lossless formats.

5. Set Audio Format, Sample Rate, and Bit Depth

Where settings are available, please unify them as follows:

• Format: WAV
• Sample Rate: 48000 Hz (minimum 44100 Hz)
• Bit Depth: 24-bit (minimum 16-bit)
• Channels: Mono / Stereo

6. Headphones and Metronome

• Use a separate device, or a metronome that can connect to headphones, paired with closed-back headphones. Wear the headphones and play along with the metronome at the specified tempo.

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Part 3: Microphone Placement

1. Relative Position of Instrument and Microphone

• While recording, aim the microphone you are using directly or at an angle toward the sound source. At the same time, place the microphone as close to the sound source as possible to capture the best direct sound and reduce the proportion of room reverberation and other noise.

2. Microphone Placement Guide by Instrument

🎤 Vocals

• Lead vocals: Mouth approximately 15–25 cm (about one fist's distance) from the microphone. Too close will cause "proximity effect" (excessive low frequencies, muddy sound) and plosive pops; too far will pick up more environmental noise and room reverb.
• Backing vocals: Follow the lead vocal guidelines if you lack additional equipment; if you have the means, refer to stereo recording guides.

🔌 Electric Instruments

In principle, only direct input (DI) recording is accepted. Avoid using a microphone on an amplifier unless you are an experienced musician with a clear artistic vision, using professional microphones, amp heads/cabinets, and a decent acoustic environment.

• Electric Guitar / Electric Bass:

  • By default, guitarists should record using an audio interface, effects processors, and a DAW.
  • Multi-track dry signal requirements:
    • If possible: Record one track of cabinet sound with amp overdrive, one track of completely dry DI signal with no effects whatsoever, and one track with your own creative effects (record these three tracks simultaneously from the same performance! Not three separate takes!)
    • If not possible: Only one completely dry DI track, or one with only overdrive and cabinet simulation, is required.
  • Important: In all cases, ensure at least one track contains absolutely no reverb, delay, flanger, or any other spatial or modulation effects!!!

• Digital Piano:

  • Direct input: Use a phone headphone adapter to connect the keyboard's headphone output to the phone's microphone input. If possible, use a pair of 1/4" TS or TRS cables to connect to an audio interface and DAW for stereo recording.
  • Microphone recording: If direct input is not possible, secure the phone on a stand close to the keyboard's speakers to record.

• Electronic Drums (Important!):

  • If possible, recording the MIDI track for export is highly recommended, allowing the arranger or mixing engineer to select sounds. This provides individual tracks for each drum, enabling the best possible blend between drums and other instruments.

🎻 Acoustic Instruments

• Strings (Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass): Position the phone diagonally above the instrument, with the microphone aimed at the f-hole or the joint between the fingerboard and body, at a distance of about 1–1.5 meters. Avoid pointing directly at the bow-string contact point to prevent excessive bowing noise.
• Woodwinds (Flute, Clarinet, Oboe, etc.): Position the phone at head height, aimed at the middle of the instrument, about 1 meter away. Ensure a good balance between key clicks and breath sounds.
• Brass (Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn, etc.; Saxophone also applies): Place the phone to the side and front of the bell (at about a 45° angle) aimed at the bell, at a distance of 1.5–2 meters, to prevent overload distortion.
• Percussion: For timpani and similar instruments, place the phone a suitable distance in front of the drum. For smaller percussion, refer to the distance principles above.
• Keyboards (Piano, Marimba, Vibraphone, etc.): Place the phone a suitable distance directly in front of the sound source. If possible, refer to stereo recording technique guides.
• Acoustic Guitar:
  • If you have a pickup, connecting to an audio interface and DAW is recommended.
  • Without a pickup: Position the phone slightly above the guitar, angled down toward the joint where the neck meets the body (around the 12th–14th fret area), about 30–50 cm away. This is the position with the best tonal balance.
  • Note: Do not point the phone directly at the sound hole! The sound hole is where the guitar's low-frequency resonance is strongest, and direct placement there will result in a muddy and boomy sound.

3. Final Pre-Recording Check: Testing for Distortion / Clipping

What is Clipping? Clipping (technically called "clipping distortion") occurs when the sound source's volume exceeds the maximum level the recording device can handle, causing the audio waveform to be "clipped" flat, producing a harsh, crackling, "popping" or "tearing" distortion noise.

How to Prevent Clipping with a Phone:

1. After roughly determining the microphone and sound source positions, start a test recording.
2. Play your instrument at maximum volume; try to produce the loudest possible sound.
3. Stop recording and check the audio for distortion.
4. If there is distortion, move the microphone about 25 cm to half a meter further away.
5. Repeat the steps above until there is no more distortion.
6. Also ensure the microphone and sound source maintain an angle of about 45 degrees.

How to Prevent Clipping with Pro Equipment (Using GarageBand or Audio Interface):

1. After roughly determining the microphone and sound source positions, play at maximum volume.
2. Adjust the microphone gain until the peak level hovers around -6 dBFS.
3. This way, no matter the dynamics of your performance, the level should never exceed 0 dBFS, avoiding clipping distortion.

4. Unified Start and End Signals (The "Slate")

• Start signal: After starting the recording, give a clear, fast, sharp audio-visual signal to the camera, such as a hand clap, finger snap, or loudly saying "Three, two, one, recording!" to facilitate audio-video synchronization during post-production.
• End stillness: After finishing your performance, hold your position still for about 5 seconds before stopping the recording. This provides valuable environmental noise samples for later noise reduction.

5. After Recording

• Put on headphones and listen to the entire recording from start to finish.
• Check for any rhythmic errors, intonation issues, or wrong sections. If any exist, ensure you have practiced sufficiently and re-record.
• Check for any audio quality issues like plosives or clipping. If any exist, adjust the microphone distance and re-record.

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Part 4: Submission Requirements

1. File Naming Format

[Section][Name or Bilibili ID][Piece Title].wav Example: Violin1_JohnDoe_FurinaBirthday.wav

2. Submission Method

• Upload the original files via the cloud storage link provided by the project lead (e.g., Baidu Netdisk, Quark Netdisk).
• Alternatively, send directly via WeChat, QQ, or other platforms.
• Important: Do not apply any compression or transcoding.

3. Submission Deadline

Please adhere to it strictly, as delays will affect the entire project's timeline.

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Final Words

After reading this guide, you're practically half a recording engineer now! Thank you for the time and care you've invested! Everyone's effort is an indispensable part of this piece of music.

I sincerely wish you all a smooth performance and a successful recording!

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📝 Author: RocheLimit1901 🔗 Personal Page: https://space.bilibili.com/396181849