Recording and Performance Technology Services

Concert Recording

Many of the ensemble concerts (not including masterclasses or class recitals) occurring in NEC’s 8 concert halls are audio/video recorded and either livestreamed or potentially broadcast at a later date. Services are determined well ahead of time and approved by the Provost. Petitions for additional services or add-on concerts will be determined after consultation with the Provost and the production team.  In all cases, requests must be made at least a month in advance of the concert date or by May 15 for summer events.  For information regarding student recitals, please see “Required Recitals” below.

All recordings of these events are archived in the Blumenthal Family Library.  For information regarding obtaining digital copies of concerts, please see “Obtaining Concert Files” below.

Requests for services must be made in person or via email.  No requests will be taken over the phone.  E-mail requests should not be considered valid until a confirmation has been sent by RPTS. We recommend making requests as early as possible, as all requests are subject to the above vetting process and staff availability.

Best practices for video recording and streaming:

• Use standard concert lighting. Intentionally dim stages only work for the in-person audience.  Those viewing a stream or video recording will not be able to see the performers well.
• If you will be speaking from the stage, please use the speaking mic provided.  This mic will be lightly amplified in the hall and will allow the person speaking to be heard on the video recording and stream, if applicable.

Composition Readings

RPTS will waive the hourly recording fee for the following Jordan Hall composition readings booked M-F from 9am-12pm:

Fall semester: 

• two days of orchestral readings

Spring semester:

• two days of orchestral readings
• one day of choral readings
• one day of wind ensemble readings
• two days of Jazz Orchestra readings (these will occur in EJ on Tu or Th from 4-6)

Each composer's segment from each date will be audio recorded and sent to their NEC email address as an unedited stereo audio (WAV, AAC) file; turnaround time will be roughly one week.  If desired, the composer may contact RPTS to schedule editing time in the studio at standard rates.  

While individual pieces can be recorded on multiple dates, microphone placement, engineer, volume levels, etc. will not be consistent from day to day so editing between dates would not be recommended.

If additional dates are desired, the self run recording systems found in all halls except Jordan can certainly be used for readings.  Please contact the RPTS office to schedule a training session.

Required Recitals

Please contact RPTS to request pricing.

Audio/Video Recording Package

(available in Brown, Keller, Williams, Eben Jordan, Burnes, Plimpton Shattuck and Pierce only)          

A student engineer will capture a single-camera video recording of your recital. An MP4 video file will be delivered via Dropbox link. A wireless microphone will be available for announcements.  This mic will provide light amplification and allow your announcements to be audible in the video and stream.

Please note: The above service is automatic for all required recitals.  

Staffed PA service

(available in Brown, Williams, Eben Jordan, Burnes, Plimpton Shattuck and Pierce only)          

Includes a PA system with up to 12 inputs, two monitors, and a staff engineer.  A 30 minute sound check will begin one hour prior to the start of the event; this will be your only time to work with the PA system and engineer.  A one-hour set up will occur just prior to sound check.  Please schedule rehearsal time accordingly.  (Rehearsals cannot occur during setup.)  If available, additional equipment may be used at the engineer's discretion. 

Portable PA – no engineer

This system includes a complete 4 microphone, portable PA system. (4 mics, cables, stands, mixer, 2 speakers, and speaker stands – additional gear may not be added).  This equipment will be delivered to your concert hall and set up at least one hour before the start of your recital and picked up afterwards. The PPA may also be requested for your dress rehearsal (one time only). Operation of this equipment will be your responsibility.  Please book this equipment early as we only have a limited number of systems and they can each only be used for one recital per night.

Booking Policy

Requests for recital services must be made within two weeks of receipt of your recital confirmation from the Scheduling office, given that you are booking a semester in advance of your event.  If booking in the same semester, we will follow short notice policies and do our best to accommodate you. Every attempt will be made to satisfy late or short notice requests, but these cannot be guaranteed. If a PA is requested, complete stage diagrams must be provided no less than two business days prior to your recital.  An invoice will be emailed via Square shortly after booking.  Payment is expected within 2 days.  The PA fee is refundable if the reservation is canceled or postponed at least five business days prior to the recital date. 

After Your Event

Your files will be available for download via Dropbox within three weeks of your recital. 

These recordings become the property of the performer(s) and are not stored at NEC. 

Please download your recital files in a timely fashion.  RPTS reserves the right to discard any materials after 90 days.  If you intend to post your recital on any social media platforms, please be sure to acquire any necessary licensing prior to doing so.

Postponements or Cancellations

If you decide to postpone your recital for any reason, the scheduling office must be notified; simply making this decision in your lesson time with your teacher is not enough.  If we are not made aware of your decision to postpone and our engineers come to work and set up for your recital, we will consider our service to you completed and not provide services for the rescheduled event. Please take the time to inform us directly of any amplification cancellations or postponements as soon as possible.   Amplification fees are forfeited if cancellations or postponements are made less than five business days prior to the recital date.  Exceptions for cancellations due to illness are at the discretion of the Director of RPTS.  

Recording Studio Services

Please contact RPTS to request pricing

Audio-Video Recording:

Studio sessions occur in the Eben Jordan Ensemble Room.  We provide multitrack audio, a staff engineer, and, if selected, single camera video capture.  Files may not be available until five business days after the session.  Please plan accordingly if you have a deadline. 

Separate sessions may be booked for all mixing and/or audio editing. With prior arrangement and subject to the availability of studio time, mixing or audio editing sessions may be booked directly following your recording session. This is the most cost- and time-effective option. If you need more time to listen and think about your best takes, we can offer you an AAC file for review. Once you have made your editing decisions, please contact us to book editing time. 

Setup Time

One hour of setup time is included in the cost of the session.  One hour of additional setup time will be charged at full rate for four or more musicians, or more than eight channels.

Piano Use Fee

The Eben Jordan recording studio has a Steinway Model B.  To ensure that our piano is tuned and well maintained, there will be a fee assessed to all sessions using it.

Amplifiers and instruments other than the piano DO NOT live in the studio.  Their usage must be scheduled with the NEC Instrument Librarian.  

Email instrumentlibrary@necmusic.edu or call (617) 585-1265 to request this equipment.  The instrument library is closed on weekends, so access to necessary equipment must be arranged well in advance.

Booking 

Recording sessions are a minimum of 2 hours in length. Mixing and editing sessions are a minimum of 1 hour in length.  Time is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.  Recording sessions may not be booked less than one month in advance. 

***STUDIO AVAILABILITY CAN BE FOUND USING THIS CALENDAR***

***SESSION BOOKINGS CAN BE REQUESTED USING THIS FORM***

Deposit

A deposit of 50% of the total fee is required at the time of booking.  A Square invoice will be sent via email to collect this payment.  

Mixing or editing sessions may occur anytime between 9 AM and 6 PM M-F depending on staff and equipment availability.    

Deliverables

After your session, stereo or multitrack audio files will be delivered to you via Dropbox.  Please note, depending on the requested formats (stems, etc.) and engineering time required to create them, additional engineering time may need to be booked.  Audio stems typically take approximately 30 minutes of time to create, and other deliverables may take longer.  The engineer(s) should be consulted before final deliverables are agreed upon.

These recordings become the property of the performer(s) and are not stored at NEC longer than than 90 days, so please download your session files in a timely fashion. If you intend to post your recording on any social media platforms, please be sure to acquire any necessary licensing, prior to doing so.

Postponements or Cancellations

Session deposits are refundable if the reservation is canceled or postponed at least five business days prior to the session date. Sessions canceled or postponed within 5 business days will result in the loss of your deposit. If you are running late for your session time, please call the office at (617)585-1275 to let us know.  We will not adjust your time but also will not consider you a no show.  Without a call, the engineer will consider the session canceled after 30 minutes and your deposit will be forfeited

Ethics in Recording

Most auditions and competitions require performers to submit unedited recordings – please bring any guidelines with you to the session. We strongly recommend producing a recording that truly reflects your performing abilities and not our editing capabilities. Keep in mind that all competitions will eventually require a live performance.

Concert PA's for NEC events

The RPTS department can provide amplification services in Jordan, Brown, Williams, Pierce, Black Box, Burnes and Eben Jordan.  If your event is in another location, please contact us to reserve a portable 4-channel PA system (PPA).  

Requests for amplification services must come from the department chair or administrator in person or via email as early as possible, but no less than one month in advance of the event date.  No requests will be taken over the phone.  E-mail requests should not be considered valid until a confirmation has been sent by RPTS.  We recommend making requests as early as possible, as all requests are subject to staff availability and are not guaranteed.  PA requests for summer events must be made by May 15th.

Complete stage diagrams must be provided to RPTS and the Production Office no less than five business days in advance of the event.

Sound check will occur on the day of the event. RPTS will set the stage from 2 – 4 pm.  Sound check is from 4 – 6 pm for 8:00 pm concerts (4-5:30 pm for concerts that start at 7:30 pm).  Given the need for staff dinner breaks, requests for variations to this schedule must be made at the time of booking and cannot be guaranteed.

Since appropriate staffing will be determined prior to the event, and large concerts or elaborate stage changes may require more than one assistant, last minute changes (which may require additional staffing) may not be accepted. If applicable, rental fees for equipment that is required for your event but not owned by NEC will be passed on to the requesting department.

The RPTS staff is regularly available to discuss your event and help put together a system which best meets your needs.

Obtaining Concert Files

Upon request, video recordings of concerts featuring students only will be available for download by the performers/composers.  There is no charge to current college faculty or students for these downloads.  Expanded Education (formerly Prep/SCE) faculty and students, as well as alumni, will be charged $10/concert.  These recordings may not be duplicated, uploaded to internet sites, or broadcast in whole or in part.  

All NEC Visiting Artist Concerts, Faculty Concerts and ensemble concerts which feature faculty or visiting guest artists (including guest conductors) are recorded for archival purposes and may be listened to in Blumenthal Library or via Avalon.  Copies of these performance recordings may be distributed to Trustees, the President, and senior administration for personal use only. Other duplication and distribution will not be possible without the express written consent of all involved faculty and visiting artists.  

Once appropriate releases have been obtained (if required), MP4 files will be made available to appropriate recipients following the same guidelines outlined above.

Please note that only our final product will be released.  We do not release multitrack audio or individual camera files.

Note for student conductors: upon request and when possible, we will create a version of your Jordan Hall performance video exclusively using the conductor camera with flipped audio for audition or portfolio purposes.

RPTS will only release files of material originally recorded by our engineers.  Turnaround time is usually one week (up to 3 weeks during busy times in the year). Class materials take priority over personal orders.  Copyrighted recordings will not be copied under any circumstances, including for class purposes.

Concerts recorded prior to 1994 were originally recorded onto analog reels.  These concerts, if not already transferred, will only be available by special permission of the Director.  Concerts originally recorded on DAT format which have not been transferred already, may not be available for purchase. Concerts which have already been transferred may have different sets of files, depending on when the transfer was done.

We do not offer duplication of videotape, cassette tape, DVD, CD, or LP.

Audio/Visual Equipment for Loan

To reserve a portable PA for dress rehearsals or concerts/recitals, contact RPTS as early as possible to schedule this. Please refer to the “ Required Recitals” section of this page for details.

NEC is currently rolling out a circulating equipment library. Information will be sent out soon, but please contact IT at tech.central@necmusic.edu if you need immediate assistance.

Concert Recordings

Many of the ensemble concerts (not including masterclasses or class recitals) occurring in NEC’s 8 concert halls are audio/video recorded and either livestreamed or potentially broadcast at a later date. Services are determined well ahead of time and approved by the Provost. Petitions for additional services or add-on concerts will be determined after consultation with the Provost and the production team.  In all cases, requests must be made at least a month in advance of the concert date or by May 15 for summer events.  For information regarding student recitals, please see “Recitals” below.

All recordings of these events are archived in the Blumenthal Family Library.  For information regarding obtaining digital copies of concerts, please see “Obtaining Concert Files” below.

Requests for services must be made in person or via email.  No requests will be taken over the phone.  Email requests should not be considered valid until a confirmation has been sent by RPTS. We recommend making requests as early as possible, as all requests are subject to the above vetting process and staff availability.   

Best practices for video recording and streaming:

• Use standard concert lighting. Intentionally dim stages only work for the in-person audience.  Those viewing a stream or video recording will not be able to see the performers well.
• If you will be speaking from the stage, please use the speaking mic provided.  This mic will be lightly amplified in the hall and will allow the person speaking to be heard on the video recording and stream,  if applicable.

Recitals

Please contact RPTS to request pricing

Audio/Video Recording Package

(available in Brown, Keller, Williams, Eben Jordan, Burnes, Plimpton Shattuck and Pierce only)          

A student engineer will capture a single-camera video recording of your recital. An MP4 video file will be delivered via Dropbox link. A wireless microphone will be available for announcements.  This mic will provide light amplification and allow your announcements to be audible in the video and stream.

Staffed PA Package (standalone service or as add-on to recording service)

(available in Brown, Williams, Eben Jordan, Burnes, Plimpton Shattuck and Pierce only)          

Includes a PA system with up to 12 inputs, two monitors, and a staff engineer.  A 30 minute sound check will begin one hour prior to the start of the event.  A one-hour set up will occur just prior to sound check; this will be your only time to work with the PA system and engineer.  Please schedule rehearsal time accordingly.  (Rehearsals cannot occur during setup.)  If available, additional equipment may be used at the engineer's discretion. 

Booking Policy

Requests for recital services must be made no less than one month in advance of your recital date. All services are subject to staff availability and are not guaranteed.  If a PA is requested, complete stage diagrams must be provided no less than five business days prior to your recital.  An invoice will be emailed via Square shortly after booking. Payment is expected within two days. The fee is refundable if the reservation is canceled or postponed at least five business days prior to the recital date. Recitals canceled or postponed within 5 business days of the recital will be refunded 50% of the total fee. 

After Your Event

Your files will be available for download via Dropbox within three weeks of your recital. 

These recordings become the property of the performer(s) and are not stored at NEC. 

Please download your recital files in a timely fashion.  RPTS reserves the right to discard any materials after 90 days.  If you intend to post your recital on any social media platforms, please be sure to acquire any necessary licensing before doing so.

Postponements or Cancellations

Recitals canceled or postponed within 5 business days of the recital will be refunded 50% of the total fee. Exceptions for cancellations due to illness are at the discretion of the Director of RPTS.  

Recording Studio Services

Please contact RPTS to request pricing.

Studio sessions occur in the Eben Jordan Ensemble Room.  We provide multitrack audio and if selected, a single camera video capture, and a staff engineer.  Files may be available five business days after the session, so please plan accordingly if you have a deadline. 

Separate sessions may be booked for all mixing and/or editing. With prior arrangement and subject to the availability of studio time, mixing or editing sessions may be booked directly following your recording session. This is the most cost- and time-effective option. If you need more time to listen and think about your best takes, we can offer you an AAC file for review. Once you have made your editing decisions, please contact us to book editing time. 

Setup Time

One hour of setup time will be scheduled for every session and charged at the full rate. If the session includes 4 or more musicians, 8 or more channels, or the use of our headphone system, an additional hour of setup time will be scheduled, at the full rate.

Piano Use Fee

The Eben Jordan recording studio has a Steinway Model B.  To ensure that our piano is tuned and well maintained, there will be a fee assessed to all sessions using it.

Amplifiers and instruments other than the piano DO NOT live in the studio.  Their usage must be scheduled with the NEC Instrument Librarian.  

Email instrumentlibrary@necmusic.edu or call (617) 585-1265 to reserve this equipment.  The Instrument Library is closed on weekends, so access to necessary gear must be arranged well in advance.

Session Files:

If you would like to have a copy of the session files, please bring a Mac formatted hard drive to the session.  This transfer must occur during your booked time. Engineer credits must be given on any resulting product.

Please note: File transfers occurring outside of your session time will incur a fee of $25.

Booking 

Recording sessions are a minimum of 2 hours in length. Mixing and editing sessions are a minimum of 1 hour in length. During the academic year, sessions may not be booked no more than a month in advance. Time is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. 

Deposit

A deposit of 1 hour of engineering time plus the piano fee, if applicable, is required at the time of booking via the Transact App. 

***STUDIO AVAILABILITY MAY VARY DUE TO THE EVENT SCHEDULE***

Recording sessions may not be booked less than five business days in advance.  Times offered will depend on space and engineer availability.

Editing sessions may occur anytime between 9 AM and 6 PM M-F depending on staff and equipment availability.    

Deliverables

After your editing session, WAV or MP4 files will be delivered to you via Dropbox at no charge. 

These recordings become the property of the performer(s) and are not stored at NEC.  Please download and save your files in a timely fashion.  RPTS reserves the right to delete files after 90 days.  

Postponements or Cancellations

Session deposits are refundable if the reservation is canceled or postponed at least five business days prior to the session date. Sessions canceled or postponed within 5 business days will result in the loss of your deposit. If you are running late for your session time, please call the office to let us know.  We will not adjust your time but also will not consider you a no show.  Without a call, the engineer will consider the session canceled after 30 minutes and your deposit will be forfeited.

Ethics in Recording

Most auditions and competitions require performers to submit unedited recordings – please bring any guidelines with you to the session. We strongly recommend producing a recording that truly reflects your performing abilities and not our editing capabilities. Keep in mind that all competitions will eventually require a live performance.

Concert PA's for NEC events

The RPTS department can provide amplification services in Jordan, Brown, Williams, Pierce, Black Box, Burnes and Eben Jordan.  If your event is in another location, please contact us to reserve a portable 4-channel PA system (PPA).  

Requests for amplification services must come from the department chair or administrator in person or via email as early as possible, but no less than one month in advance of the event date.  No requests will be taken over the phone.  E-mail requests should not be considered valid until a confirmation has been sent by RPTS.  We recommend making requests as early as possible, as all requests are subject to staff availability and are not guaranteed.  PA requests for summer events must be made by May 15th.

Complete stage diagrams must be provided to RPTS and the Production Office no less than five business days in advance of the event.

Sound check will occur on the day of the event. RPTS will set the stage from 2 – 4 pm.  Sound check is from 4 – 6 pm for 8:00 pm concerts (4-5:30 pm for concerts that start at 7:30 pm).  Given the need for staff dinner breaks, requests for variations to this schedule must be made at the time of booking and cannot be guaranteed. 

Since appropriate staffing will be determined prior to the event, and large concerts or elaborate stage changes may require more than one assistant, last minute changes (which may require additional staffing) may not be accepted. If applicable, rental fees for equipment that is required for your event but not owned by NEC will be passed on to the requesting department.

The RPTS staff is regularly available to discuss your event and help put together a system which best meets your needs.

Obtaining Concert Files

Upon request, video recordings of concerts featuring students only will be available for download by the performers/composers.  There is no charge to current college faculty or students for these downloads.  Expanded Education (formerly Prep/SCE) faculty and students, as well as alumni, will be charged $10/concert.  These recordings may not be duplicated, uploaded to internet sites, or broadcast in whole or in part.  

All NEC Visiting Artist Concerts, Faculty Concerts and ensemble concerts which feature faculty or visiting guest artists (including guest conductors) are recorded for archival purposes and may be listened to in Blumenthal Library or via Avalon.  Copies of these performance recordings may be distributed to Trustees, the President, and senior administration for personal use only. Other duplication and distribution will not be possible without the express written consent of all involved faculty and visiting artists.  

Once appropriate releases have been obtained (if required), MP4 files will be made available to appropriate recipients following the same guidelines outlined above.

Please note that only our final product will be released.  We do not release multitrack audio or individual camera files.

Note for student conductors: upon request and when possible, we will create a version of your Jordan Hall performance video exclusively using the conductor camera with flipped audio for audition or portfolio purposes.

RPTS will only release files of material originally recorded by our engineers.  Turnaround time is usually one week (up to 3 weeks during busy times in the year). Class materials take priority over personal orders.  Copyrighted recordings will not be copied under any circumstances, including for class purposes.

Concerts recorded prior to 1994 were originally recorded onto analog reels.  These concerts, if not already transferred, will only be available by special permission of the Director.  Concerts originally recorded on DAT format which have not been transferred already, may not be available for purchase. Concerts which have already been transferred may have different sets of files, depending on when the transfer was done.

We do not offer duplication of videotape, cassette tape, DVD, CD, or LP.

Self-Recording/Streaming in Concert Halls

Self-use recording and streaming systems are available for use by students and faculty in all concert halls except Jordan Hall and the Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre.  Hall bookings for use of these systems must be completed through the scheduling office (https://necmusic.edu/scheduling-office) and count toward the student’s allotted hall time per semester.  These systems provide stereo audio and single-camera video using the same mics and cameras that RPTS uses for recital and concert recordings.  We encourage you to bring your own headphones to check your levels. Both ¼” and ⅛” are acceptable.

Hall-specific instruction guides as well as tutorial videos are available at the links below.  RPTS also provides in-person training by request - please contact us as 617-585-1275 or rpts@necmusic.edu to arrange for training at least 5 business days in advance of your recording session.  These trainings are subject to both staff and hall availability.

Brown Hall

Williams Hall

Keller Room

Pierce Hall

Burnes Hall

Eben Jordan Ensemble Room

Note: please do not rely on audio levels and camera settings from the previous user.  Be sure to check your levels and camera angles carefully.  If you should run into an issue with your recorded material, contact us immediately to see if we can assist you.

Presentation Systems in Concert Halls

With the exception of Jordan Hall and Williams Hall, concert halls on campus have built-in presentation systems. 

Jordan Hall Building: Brown Hall*, Keller Room

SLPC/St. Botolph: Burnes Hall, Eben Jordan, Plimpton-Shattuck*, Pierce Hall*

* Use of the lectern in Pierce, Brown, and Plimpton-Shattuck must be arranged with the Concert Halls office.

These rooms are equipped with an in-room computer.  Anyone planning to use these systems for the first time should review the information about the hall self-run systems (above) or contact RPTS no less than 10 business days before your event to schedule training.  Training must occur during our normal business hours (M-F 10-6).  Connections in these spaces are HDMI and 3.5mm audio.  Bluetooth audio is currently available in Brown Hall only.  Presenters are encouraged to provide their own cables and adapters for use with their devices.  If that is not possible, please contact IT at techcentral@necmusic.edu to arrange for a loan.

Please note: the Brown Hall stage orientation and Burnes Hall recital positions do not allow for use of the presentation system during events.  The landscape orientation in Brown may be used for classes, performances, and masterclasses.

Brown Hall

Williams Hall

Keller Room

Pierce Hall

Burnes Hall

Eben Jordan Ensemble Room

Self-Run PA Equipment

The following spaces are equipped with self-run PA systems:

Jordan Hall Building: 340, 354, 356, 358

33 Gainsborough: 613, 710, 711

SLPC/St. Botolph: G01, Eben Jordan*, Bower Stage (Dining Commons)*

*Eben Jordan and Bower Stage have unique systems. Click the above links for specific instructions.

These systems include two speakers and a small mixer - students are expected to bring their own mic, cable, and stand, if one is desired.  While we do provide speaker stands, we recommend using the speakers on the floor as stage monitors so that the ensemble can best hear themselves.   

Students are expected to use this equipment properly and carefully. (Please do not position speakers so that they are resting on connectors.) Please contact the RPTS office immediately if any equipment is malfunctioning so we may repair it promptly.

Anyone requiring training on the use of these systems should contact RPTS at (617) 585-1275 or rpts@necmusic.edu to schedule an appointment.