The issues you will face will have little to do with audio
except for the usual things associated with
concert/performance recording situations (assuming you are
recording in a concert environment.

If the group is choral and orchestral, be prepared to deal
with house sound systems that are optimized for Chinese
opera-type programs, and for the Chinese ear. The house
sound people will have little exposure to Western music and
unless you speak technical Chinese fluently, you are going
to have to deal with it through whatever translator you have
handy. (If you're lucky enough to have a translator.) More
than likely, you're going to be throwing up your hands
(figuratively), and taking what you can get. Don't count on
board feeds. The places I encountered have equipment ranging
from old Peavey, Behringer, names I couldn't pronounce,
names I could even read. Speakers tend to be MI stacks.
Their theatres can be magnificent, and you may encounter
stage lighting consisting of several hundred 5k - 10 BPs at
100 percent. One of the bassists with the orchestra I toured
with refused to play at one place because the light
intensity was such that it was melting the finish on
$250,000 bass.

(My wife says my omelet is ready ... more later.)



TM

Carey Carlan wrote:

One of the groups I record may let me accompany them to China next year. I
have the usual list of travel gotchas (shots, papers, etc.) What audio
concerns do I have aside from power?

I know I'll need sturdier racks and better boxes for mic stands, etc.