A string quartet is a group of four musicians, usually containing two violins, a viola and a cello and is one of the most important groups in chamber music. Managing to record the beautiful symphony of sound generated by these instruments is a challenge that is not to be taken lightly.

Recording a string quartet requires a large recording studio room, and can be quite expensive. First of all, you need a top quality microphone to capture the sounds perfectly. There are a variety of choices, from a pair of Earthworks QTC-1s which would set you back approximately $2,000, or a Royer SF-12 which retails at about $2,400. If you are on a tight budget, and would like to save money for other equipment, then try purchasing a pair of Studio Projects T3, which cost about $1,200.

You absolutely must have the perfect venue for recording, which means that the room you are using is soundproofed accordingly. If you allow any sounds to filter in, you will have a ruined recording, and for something like a string quartet, this is unacceptable. Purchase some closed cell foam, and place it on the ceiling. Then, after you have completed the process of framing the walls, and checked for dead air space, you can start to soundproof the room in earnest.

You can go about soundproofing in one of two ways, neither of which are easy, or inexpensive. The first method you can use, is to spread a thick layer of concrete all over the walls, floor and ceiling. This is extremely effective for ensuring no sound gets in or out. The second method, is known as the ‘room within a room’ method. Basically, you build an entirely new room within the existing room. The science behind this is simple; the sound energy will try to leave the room by breaking through the wall. When it achieves this, most of its energy has been used, therefore by the time it hits the second wall, there is little in the way of noise emitted.

Having a perfectly soundproof venue is one of the fundamental issues when attempting to successfully record a string quartet. Without it, no amount of expensive equipment will be sufficient to adequately record the beautiful music created in your recording studio. After this has been done, and you have bought the aforementioned microphones, you have to contend with the small matter of purchasing the violins, violas and cellos, or else persuading a top class string quartet to record in your studio.