In short: Record every input to its own track, not just a stereo mix. Send the stage box into a digital desk, out over Dante to a computer running a multitrack recorder, and keep headroom on every channel. Run all cameras at the same frame rate and give them a shared sync point. Plan the input list before the day.
A good live session is planned on paper before anyone plugs in. Decide what you want at the end: a multitrack recording that can be mixed afterwards, a multicam film of the performance, or both. Then work backwards from there to the input list, the desk, the computer and the cameras. This guide covers each step for a band, duo or solo artist.
What are you making?
- A multitrack recording. Every instrument and voice goes to its own track, and you mix afterwards. This is the option with the most flexibility.
- A multicam film. Two or three cameras record the whole performance and an editor cuts between them. The audio can be the live desk mix or the afterwards mix, and the second is better.
- A live stream or broadcast. A vision mixer cuts the cameras as the band plays. This is a different job, and live events and streaming is the place to start.
Most bands want the first two together: a clean multitrack recording to mix, and film that cuts to it.
From stage to computer
The signal path is short and worth understanding.
- Microphones and direct boxes on stage connect to a 16-channel stage box.
- The stage box feeds a digital mixing desk. We use a Behringer X32.
- The desk sends every channel over Dante to a computer. A Dante card for the X32 carries 32 channels at 24-bit, over a standard network connection.
- The computer runs Reaper, a digital audio workstation with full multitrack recording, and records each channel to its own track.
The reason to record this way is simple. Whatever the sound in the room, every input is captured separately, and you can rebalance the drums against the vocal afterwards without anyone re-playing.
Write the input list first
An input list is a table of what goes on which channel. Write it before the day and send it ahead. A 16-channel stage box suits a five-piece band if you plan it. Here is an example.
| Channel | Source |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kick drum |
| 2 | Snare |
| 3 | Hi-hat |
| 4 | Rack tom |
| 5 | Floor tom |
| 6 | Overhead left |
| 7 | Overhead right |
| 8 | Bass guitar (direct box) |
| 9 | Guitar 1 |
| 10 | Guitar 2 |
| 11 | Keys left |
| 12 | Keys right |
| 13 | Lead vocal |
| 14 | Backing vocal 1 |
| 15 | Backing vocal 2 |
| 16 | Room microphone |
If your band needs more than 16, say so when you book, so the setup can be agreed in advance. Label every cable on stage to match the list.
Levels: leave headroom
Digital recording has no friendly overload, so do not chase loud. Set the gain on each channel so that the loudest moment still leaves room. At 24-bit the quiet end is clean enough that a low level costs you very little, and a clipped drum hit cannot be repaired. If the audio is going to picture, record at 48 kHz, the usual video standard. Record the soundcheck as well. It is a free rehearsal take and a safety copy.
Cameras and sync
Multicam goes wrong when the cameras do not agree. Before the first take:
- set every camera to the same frame rate and the same shutter setting
- record continuously through each song, never stop between verses
- have every camera record its own scratch audio, which lets software line them up
- make a clear sync point at the start, such as a clap or a slate on every camera at once
Better still, use timecode so the cameras agree without a clap. Our guide to timecode and sync explains how. If stage lighting uses LED, check the shutter against the lamps. The frame rates and shutter note covers flicker under UK mains.
Plan the angles on a sheet. A good starter plan is a wide locked off on a tripod, a mid shot from the side and a close shot on the vocalist or on a guitarist's hands. Play every song twice if time allows, so you can swap angles between takes without a visible jump.
The room
The stage needs power, space and quiet. A studio with no windows keeps the light the same from soundcheck to the last take, so the picture matches from the first song to the last. In our White Space the house lighting runs from an 8-bar grid with 42 channels of dimming, so a look can be set once and left. The room is 5.3m by 7.1m. Tell us the line-up and we will say whether it fits.
A day plan
- Load in and stage set. Place instruments, run cables, label channels.
- Line check. Confirm every channel shows on the desk and in Reaper, before anyone plays.
- Soundcheck, recorded. Set gains and monitor mixes.
- Camera check. Set exposure, frame rate and angle on every camera.
- Takes. Record each song at least once straight through, twice if time allows.
- Pick-ups. Fix any section that went wrong, then play back a rough mix before the band leaves.
- Data. Copy the audio and video to two drives before anyone packs up.
Rights and releases
If you will release the film, think about the music rights early. Our page on sync, PRS and PPL for musicians covers what to check before you publish.
Sources
- Sweetwater, Behringer X-DANTE 32-channel Dante expansion card for X32, read 5 November 2026
- REAPER, About REAPER (multitrack recording), read 5 November 2026
The picture at the top of this page is an illustration, not a photograph of a client or a real job.
Questions we get asked
What do you need to record a live band session?
A written input list, a stage box and digital desk, a computer recording each input to its own track, and a quiet, controlled room. For video, add cameras set to the same frame rate and a shared sync point, such as a clap or timecode.
What is Dante and why does it matter for recording?
Dante carries many channels of digital audio over an ordinary network cable. Fitted to a mixing desk, it lets a computer record every channel at once without a bank of separate audio interfaces. A 32-channel Dante card on the Behringer X32 is the usual route.
How many cameras do you need for a live music session?
Two or three is enough for most sessions: a wide locked off, a mid shot and a close shot on the singer or the hands. Play each song twice if you can, so the angles can be swapped in the edit.
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