ABSTRACT

Most recordings of commercial music originate not in traditional performance venues but in

project, home, or professional recording studios. Most professional studios used for pop and

rock recording are large enough to accommodate no more than 12 to 20 musicians comfortably,

with project and home studios usually smaller, and only in large metropolitan centers will we

find large sound stage environments that can accommodate a 50-to 75-piece orchestra. For the

most part, microphone placement in these studios is much closer to the instruments than is usual

in classical recording, and there is much more usage of accent microphones. In virtually all

cases there will be extensive use of multitrack recording, which allows for greater flexibility in

postproduction.