Inside an Immersive Recording Session With Schmaltz & Pepper | Humber College

Exploring Sonic Landscapes: An Immersive Recording Experience at Humber College

In the acoustically pristine Humber College Recital Hall, an extraordinary recording session unfolded, showcasing the intricate art of immersive audio capture. The project featured Schmaltz & Pepper, a five-piece ensemble comprising piano, violin, vocals, double bass, bandoneon, and clarinet – each instrument strategically positioned to create a breathtaking spatial soundstage.

The recording approach was nothing short of meticulous. A sophisticated microphone array consisting of eleven carefully placed microphones – seven cardioid Schoeps MK4s on the lower level and four omnidirectional DPA 4006s on the upper level – was engineered to capture the most authentic listening experience possible. Each microphone was precisely equidistant from a central point, mimicking the natural perception of human hearing.

Drawing inspiration from legendary recording engineers like Morton Lindberg and recording pioneers at Skywalker Sound, the team employed multiple capture techniques. A secondary five-channel array featuring Neumann microphones – including rare M50 tube mics – added depth and room ambiance to the recording. Additional microphone pairs captured room reflections and height channels, creating a truly immersive sonic environment.

The spatial arrangement was intentional: bass and piano anchored the front stage, vocals and lead violin centered, with bandoneon and secondary violin flanking the piano. This strategic positioning ensures listeners feel intimately connected to the performance, as if seated among the musicians.

Beyond the primary array, spot and close microphones were strategically deployed to maintain instrumental intimacy and manage dynamic range. This hybrid approach balances the expansive room sound with the nuanced details of each instrument, creating a recording that’s both technically impressive and emotionally resonant.

For the students in the immersive production class, this wasn’t just a recording session – it was a hands-on learning experience. They gained insights into microphone techniques, spatial audio principles, and the art of capturing live musical performances in three-dimensional sound.

The result is more than just a recording; it’s a sonic journey that transports listeners directly into the heart of the performance, blurring the lines between technological precision and artistic expression.