How to Rec Grand Piano & Trumpet

T

TZ745

New member
Hello. I'm new to recording. I want to improve the process. To rec Piano & Trumpet, (at the same time,house) I have been using direct tape deck and 2 r-shack small omni. Then audio-transfer to computer software via reverb, then edit and burn. (Learned to rec on computer was a learning stage..) Point.
Need a more trumpet-original sound (clear).

I'm thinking on moving now to digital rec perhaps on multitrack digital (those advertised like flash cards, fostex, boss, x, if removable keeps data for + storage) and try PZM omni (radio shack) or shure 57, then audio-transfer the same way to computer software via reverb, then edit and comp. burn.

I've heard to place mics not on table, but hanging.
Perhaps ev. is wrong. New to technical area. Dont' have the enough knowledge to decide which way to go to improve.

Would like to ask somebody:
Will this improve sound just because of different equipment?

Limited budget. Non-comercial goal.

Need tips, information about:
Is this an acceptable process? Can somebody give me suggestions or modifications?
Can I rec 4 mic track to MD then mix down only 2 to choose the best 2 (sound) from the 4?
Rec to flash cards > or = than to HD? (sound, capacity, x).

Thanks a lot for guide.
TZ745
 
Trumpet's a bitch. The only sound I've ever really liked from a trumpet so far has been miking it at about five feet out in a modestly large room with an old Shure 565SD (I think that's the right number) dynamic. Pretty close to an SM58, so....

Make sure you mic it off axis. Don't play directly towards the mic. Point the bell a couple feet to one side or the other. And make sure your room is big enough that it doesn't sound awful. Try a living room, for example....

Forget hanging. Use a mic stand!

As for piano... to make that sound good, you really need either a stereo mic or a pair of similar mono mics. Ideally, a -good- stereo mic or a pair of -good- mono mics... but....

As for the minidisc question... I have no idea what a minidisc can do. You might ask in the minidisc area. I doubt that using a minidisc recorder/player to do your tracking is going to do much for you. I would expect that you'd get -much- better results if you record directly with the computer than recording on MD and transferring it in, even with an average computer sound card, but I could be underestimating the ADCs in the MD recorders....
 
Thanks for the suggestions on equipment and techniques, and I'll consider using Digital Portable since taking all computer, monitor .. . for a sesion of 3 hrs takes me half the time in hook and set up. Probably the pd-01 Tascam or MR8.
TZ745.
 
I find trumpet one of the easier instruments to record. I generally place the mic about 2 feet away, and, yes, the player doesn't "point" the trumpet at the mic - although - trumpet is a very directional instrument, so the sound changes dramatically depending on where its bell is in relation to the listener. The highest overtones will be apparent in a line with the curvature of the bell.

I generally use a ribbon mic but also have had good results with AT4033, Beyer M88, or Sennheiser 421.
 
Are these unidirec? will a omni be good for Tr?

I guess those are expensive mics though.. And the distance will depend on the volume of the song? (soft, loud song), or a limiter or compressor will fix this?

Thanks
 
AGCurry said:
I find trumpet one of the easier instruments to record. I generally place the mic about 2 feet away, and, yes, the player doesn't "point" the trumpet at the mic - although - trumpet is a very directional instrument, so the sound changes dramatically depending on where its bell is in relation to the listener. The highest overtones will be apparent in a line with the curvature of the bell.
Click to expand...

I find it easy to record from a technical perspective, but I've had a hard time getting a tone that sits right in the mix, for exactly the reason you mention---too direct and it cuts like a knife, too indirect and it sounds distant and hollow.
 
Old Trick

You can also give this a shot--old recording trick.
Take a mic--something like a sm57 or 58 and get a piece of heavy cardboard.

Cut out a 6" circle. In the middle make a hole to slip the mic so the cardboard is right up to the windscreen. Aim that at the trumpet about 2' away.
 
sloop said:
You can also give this a shot--old recording trick.
Take a mic--something like a sm57 or 58 and get a piece of heavy cardboard.

Cut out a 6" circle. In the middle make a hole to slip the mic so the cardboard is right up to the windscreen. Aim that at the trumpet about 2' away.
Click to expand...

Why? Wouldn't this have the effect of producing a [cobbled] omni pattern?
 
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