St Joan of Arc Choir Recording Session
Date:
April 1st
Where:
St Joan of Arch
Las Vegas, Nevada
This project involved a collaborative recording and filming session with young singer Violet and collaborator Andrea Leal. The goal was to capture a high-quality audio recording of Violet’s vocal performance in the acoustically rich environment of St. Joan of Arc Church, followed by a visually stunning music video.
The project was split into two phases: audio recording on one day and video filming a week later, allowing for focused attention on each aspect. Despite challenges like urban noise and a tight filming schedule, the result was a polished, authentic performance that everyone involved was proud of.
Project Details
Objective:
The goal of this project was to authentically capture the sound of Andrea Leal’s new Latin choir for her YouTube channel, emphasizing a natural, unprocessed audio and visual aesthetic to reflect the raw beauty of the choir's performance.
equipment used
AUDIO:
The audio was recorded using a meticulous setup to capture Violet’s vocal performance with clarity and depth. A Sony C-100 microphone was positioned 2 feet in front of Violet, 1 foot above her head, angled downward to capture her voice directly. Additionally, two Sony ECM-100U microphones were set up in an ORTF configuration, placed 14 feet in front of the singer and 8 feet high to capture the church’s natural acoustics. The signals were routed through Fredenstein 900kHz HD preamps, summed via a 500kHz passive summing mixer, and then amplified again through another set of Fredenstein 900kHz HD preamps. The final recording was captured on an MR2000s recorder at DSD 5.6, ensuring pristine audio quality.
VIDEO:
Filming took place a week after the audio session, utilizing the natural beauty of St. Joan of Arc Church. The sunny day provided ample natural light streaming through the church windows, reducing the need for extensive artificial lighting. Practical background lights were used to create separation between Violet and the background, enhancing the visual depth. A Sony F55 camera with an AXS-R7 16-bit raw recorder was used, paired primarily with a Sony Cinealta 20mm lens shot wide open for most scenes, and a 50mm lens for portrait shots. To add atmosphere, a Chauvet Hurricane Haze 4D was used to fill the room with haze, left running between takes. Violet was coached to exaggerate her singing by 20% for a more authentic on-camera performance, having practiced lip-syncing to the pre-recorded track.
Technical Approach:
The project was approached with a clear division of focus: audio and video were recorded on separate days to prioritize quality in each domain. For audio, the combination of close and ambient miking techniques (Sony C-100 and ORTF ECM-100U pair) captured both the intimacy of Violet’s voice and the church’s natural reverb. The high-end Fredenstein preamps and DSD 5.6 recording ensured maximum fidelity. For video, the strategy was to leverage natural light and the church’s architecture, with minimal artificial lighting to maintain a natural aesthetic. The Sony F55’s 16-bit raw capabilities allowed for flexibility in post-production, while the choice of wide (20mm) and portrait (50mm) lenses provided dynamic visual storytelling. Haze added a dreamy quality to the footage, and multiple angles were shot to maximize creative options.
Challenges and Solutions:
One major challenge during the audio recording was the church’s location in downtown Las Vegas, where ambient urban noise was a constant issue. To address this, the team carefully monitored for moments of relative silence, recording multiple takes until a clean, usable performance was captured. This required patience and persistence but ensured the final audio was free of unwanted noise. During filming, the challenge was the limited window of natural light, as shooting began at 2 PM and needed to wrap by sunset around 6 PM. The team worked efficiently, capturing as many angles as possible while racing against the fading light. The natural light’s changing quality, especially as the sun set, added a dramatic effect, bending light around nearby skyscrapers, which was embraced as a creative opportunity.
Outcome:
The final product was a beautifully crafted audio recording and music video that showcased Violet’s talent and the team’s technical expertise. The audio captured the purity of her voice within the church’s acoustics, while the video presented a visually striking narrative, enhanced by natural light, haze, and dynamic camera work. The collaborative spirit of Violet, Andrea Leal, and the production team created a positive and productive environment, resulting in a project that everyone was thrilled with. The success of this project has left the team eager to collaborate again, with pride in delivering a professional, authentic, and emotionally resonant piece.
MEDIA
PHOTOS:
VIDEO:
AUDIO:
DSD Releases coming soon.