The honest answer: it depends – not just on your budget, but above all on what the recording is meant to do, and how much time you actually have on site to set up. Most orchestras who ask us this question have neither the budget nor the schedule of a broadcast production – and don't need one.
Main Pair vs. Multichannel: What's the Difference
A stereo main pair – an AB or ORTF pair, typically positioned above or just in front of the conductor – captures the sound the way a listener in the hall actually hears it: the orchestra as a whole, in natural balance, with the room's own acoustics baked in. Positioned well, that's often a surprisingly strong solution on its own for a standard-sized orchestra.
A multichannel recording adds spot mics to that main pair – for soloists, exposed brass or woodwind lines, or a choir section. Those extra channels give us room in the mix to bring individual voices forward without losing the overall picture.
When a Stereo Main Pair Is Enough
- The orchestra is playing in a hall with good, balanced acoustics.
- There are no soloists or passages that need to be pushed forward in the mix.
- The recording is for documentation, an archive, or straightforward use on your website or social media.
- Setup time and budget are both tight.
When a Multichannel Recording Pays Off
- There are vocal or instrumental soloists who need to sit clearly and present in the mix.
- The hall has acoustic weaknesses – too much reverb, uneven coverage – that a main pair alone can't compensate for.
- The material is going into a high-end concert film release, or a CD or streaming release.
- You want the option to make balance decisions later, rather than committing to a single "take" up front.
Our Approach: High Quality, Flexible Scope
We build every recording on the same principle: not as many microphones as possible, but as many as necessary – matched to your time and budget, but with the same standard of quality at any scale. A smaller setup isn't "lower quality" to us, it's a smaller, more deliberately chosen slice of the same approach.
In Practice
This shows up most clearly when time on site is tight. It's not unusual to have only around three hours to set up before rehearsals start – positioning microphones, running cable, checking signal, everything ready before the first musicians warm up. In a window like that, it isn't about cramming in as many channels as possible. It's about deciding quickly, with an experienced eye, which two, three or four positions will make the biggest difference – and building those cleanly and reliably, instead of improvising a setup that might still need adjusting mid-rehearsal.
One Exception: Orchestras vs. Musicals and Theatre
A classical orchestra almost always plays unamplified – there's usually no PA feed we could simply tap into. The mic setup is built entirely from scratch, independent of whatever seating or house technology is already in the venue.
Musicals and theatre productions are a different story: vocal and, in some cases, stage mics there are often already running through a mixing desk, so a line feed is available as an extra source. If you're booking us for an orchestral concert, you can assume a standalone mic setup by default – that's the norm, not an extra line item.
In Short
- A well-placed stereo main pair often already delivers a convincing result on its own
- Multichannel recording pays off mainly for soloists, difficult room acoustics, or a high-end release
- We don't use as many microphones as possible – we use as many as necessary, at the same standard of quality at any scale
- Even with just three hours of setup time, a high-quality result is possible if the key positions are chosen deliberately
- Orchestras almost always play unamplified; musicals and theatre productions, by contrast, usually already have a line feed available
Common Questions
Whether it's a small ensemble or a full orchestra, send us the details – hall, lineup, setup time – and we'll tell you honestly which setup is worth it. Everything on process and pricing is on our page for mixing concert recordings. If you're looking specifically at choir or orchestra recordings, from mic setup through to a CD master, also check out our article Recording a Choir Concert: What You Need for a Usable Mix.