How to: Recording, Mixing, and Mastering Classical Music

The difference between classical and contemporary music productions is most significant during the recording stage. Contemporary music is typically recorded in a dry studio environment (or any location with dry acoustic conditions) where audio can be effectively isolated, providing greater control over the recording during the mixing phase.

In contrast, classical music requires a recording space that is a thoroughly selected venue with superb acoustics and good-enough isolation from distracting external noises, such as traffic, a busy street, or inclement weather conditions, like storms or heavy rain. For example, a room within another room with no exterior walls or a space with soundproof windows and doors may work perfectly (as long as the acoustics are great, of course).

A classical recording that showcases too much external noise can be extremely hard to enhance later, even with an applied noise reduction tool. It’s also important to know that the concept of overdubbing (also called layering), a technique in audio recording, where a newly recorded sound or melody is added to an already taped musical track, isn’t typically used when recording classical music. Instead, a seemingly single performance is created by combining numerous takes of the same material.

Such a method traditionally requires accurate timing and good pitch to make the recording usable. Remember that detailed correction of a classical recording is not possible during the mixing stage (as opposed to contemporary music), since the use of auto-tune is a no-go.

In addition to the right venue, good preparation, and effective performance techniques, the use of equipment—such as microphones, mic preamps, converters, etc.—and the strategies behind them can significantly affect the quality of a classical music recording. Specifically, choosing the correct mics and their placement in the venue is critically important during the recording session.

A well-placed microphone is able to perfectly capture the subtle nuances of classical music instruments, the vocal range of a soloist, or the diverse voices of ensembles, all while reflecting the venue's character. A basic method involves positioning a pair of stereo mics to capture the classical musician or the ensemble within its acoustics.

To that, one can add so-called ‘spot mics,’ which are placed closer to individual instruments to reflect additional details. If possible, you can also add another pair of microphones that will help capture more of the entire acoustic space.

While modern music production is often heavily revised and amended during the mixing stage, this is not true for classical music. A classical music recording, first and foremost, strives to sound and feel authentic, real, and transparent to the audience. As mentioned earlier, auto-tune or any other digital processing or manipulation during the process of mixing goes strongly against the expected organic nature of classical music.

The only time that a level of automation or digital processing can be used is when it concerns a large ensemble recording. A touch of automation or digital reverb can accentuate the track’s strongest parts, interesting details, and the texture.

What is applied to any classical music recording at this stage is editing. The process of editing aims most importantly to select the best performances from the numerous takes of the same material and tie them together while ensuring smooth and organic transitions from one part of the piece to another. This requires a great deal of accuracy as well as sensitivity to the nuances of a classical performance.

A significant part of the editing process is noise reduction. While stitching individual parts together, one must be vigilant for any sounds that could hinder the overall experience of the performance. Such distracting noises may arise from foot tapping, loud page turns, accidentally striking the music stand, or hitting the string with one’s bow. If you’re lucky, noise reduction may help minimize some minor external sounds, too.

Something that may also be applied to the classical track is an appropriate level of compression. Of course, as assumed, aggressive compression should be avoided at all costs. However, gentle and slow compression may help tighten and round the sound of the piece, driving cohesion and wholeness of the performance.

The mastering stage of the production process should not traditionally bring about any dramatic changes to the track. As said before, the goal is to maintain the transparency of the classical piece; therefore, any changes made should enhance the listener’s experience of the music rather than modify it.

One important aspect to consider is the level of loudness. Classical music performances are often quite loud (especially when the orchestra is playing), so the usual goal during mastering is to reduce the overall loudness. Generally, the reasonable range you should aim for when mastering classical music is between -20 LUFS and -16 LUFS.

However, the job doesn’t stop there. While the loudness of classical music recordings needs to be reduced for the audience to enjoy the piece, it’s important to maintain the expressive quality and clarity of the performance. Therefore, it requires extensive mastering skills, experience, and the right choice of limiter (if one is used) to find the balance between loudness and how the music comes across.

When choosing a limiter, it’s definitely advisable to select one that sounds as natural as possible. This may be, for instance, one that has transient shaping capabilities (can control the attack as well as the sustain of the signal), or one that has a longer buffer (enables slower attack and release times).

Some advanced limiters, like FabFilter Pro-L 2, allow for altering between transient and sustained channel linking, which can be useful for controlling the stereo image. Transient linking aims to manage how linked the limiter is during sharp attacks, such as drums and plucks, while sustain linking controls it during sustained signals, like pads and strings. By tweaking these, you can preserve stereo width in certain parts and tighten dynamics where needed—this is particularly beneficial in classical music where subtlety and natural space matter.

Lastly, while it’s not very common, you may consider using a technique called multiband expansion during the mastering stage. This method is particularly useful if excessive compression was applied during mixing, leading to an overly processed sound in the recording. Multiband expansion can help repair this issue, allowing you to control the dynamics and rehabilitate the timbre with appropriate attack and release settings.

As we have just outlined, orchestral performances can be quite loud when recorded. Generally, mixing and mastering orchestral music can be very specific and may require additional measures to ensure it sounds good for domestic listening.

It’s not just the level of loudness that matters, but also the dynamic range that is essential to consider when polishing orchestral music. The total dynamic range can be quite large, encompassing both very lively and, on the opposite side, very quiet moments. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that the final version of the recording isn’t too dynamic for comfortable listening at home.

One helpful approach is to utilize a fader during the mixing phase—a device that helps gradually decrease or increase the level of an audio signal—before loud or quiet sections. You can anticipate such segments by reading the score. Alternatively, you can use parallel compression or gentle compression with a very low threshold (this one would be used during the stage of mastering).

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