Newbie needs help with tenor sax recording

J

jbucla2005

New member
I'm using a PreSonus TubePre with Studio Projects B1 and E-mu 1212M. I would like some suggestions on how to best use this equipment for recording my tenor sax. Right now I like to put the gain on around 8 and I'm trying the drive now at 11:00 o'clock or so. I like tubey sounds. I am also using a silver interconnect between the pre-amp and pc, and am considering trying out some different tubes (using amperex BB right now.) The sound is good but before I was looking for more tubiness, however was not utilizing the drive dial. Anyway just looking for general suggestions, thanks. Also I have found I need to stand 1-2 feet away from the mic for the best sound, and the mic is on a stand, sort of, not a real mic stand but a camera tripod that the mic hangs off. The mic ends up being at a 45 degree angle facing up and to the side, and is slightly lower than the bell level of my tenor when I stand and play near it (I think.)
I use ASIO for recording also.
 
Other than trying mic positions? In general that's usually the first and biggest variable.
You're coming up and from the side?
 
Hi,

I have taken a photograph of the microphone setup in my living room and posted it along with a recording of me playing.

Photograph
Me playing solo

For that recording, that is the position of the mic and I am standing 1-2 feet away. The settings on the pre-amp were:

Drive: 7
Gain: 7.5

For now, this seems to be working better than anything I've tried before.
 
Last edited:
i think it sounds alright. maybe you could change your playing to work into the mic, like train to move back a bit when you blow harder, such as a good vocalist does.

it will sit well in a mix i do believe.

nice easy listening tune i must add.

a little room treatment would help, your room is noticable in the recording.

i forget the proper names, but i can hear a slight maybe slap echo? are there high cielings in that room?
 
TragikRemix said:
i think it sounds alright. maybe you could change your playing to work into the mic, like train to move back a bit when you blow harder, such as a good vocalist does.

it will sit well in a mix i do believe.

nice easy listening tune i must add.

a little room treatment would help, your room is noticable in the recording.

i forget the proper names, but i can hear a slight maybe slap echo? are there high cielings in that room?
Click to expand...

Thanks. Yes, I do notice the shape of the room affecting the sound. I am planning on building a door to cover the doorway in the middle, so that the room is square. Other than that I don't want to do too much because it's my living room. Here is one that I think came out a little better and it has music in the background from my stereo. Same settings here I think.

with music

I mainly just posted here because I was trying to get a better sound and almost bought a new pre-amp to get a more full tubey sound. I thought the drive dial just added distortion (grunge) for guitar players and was bad for recording. Anyway, I was wrong and I also learned from experimenting that the mic doesn't like to be too close to the sax. It's better to turn up the volume and move it away slightly. So far everything seems ok for a home recording... I admit I am a bit of tube nut and would love to try an all tube amp though...
 
yeah, i hear ya.

hey, you dont need to play over a stereo! you can put it into your comp as a track and playback into headphones dude.

gives you more control and sounds a milllion times better than recording a stereo!

maybe a gobo would be good for you. something you can move around when you are done using it, and store it away.
 
not much to add here...except I kind of like the sound you're getting now. Sounds very jazz clubish

And I like your improv sound overall...very simple, nothing too flashy and some good ideas there. ;)
 
I mainly just posted here because I was trying to get a better sound and almost bought a new pre-amp to get a more full tubey sound. I thought the drive dial just added distortion (grunge) for guitar players and was bad for recording. Anyway, I was wrong and I also learned from experimenting that the mic doesn't like to be too close to the sax. It's better to turn up the volume and move it away slightly. So far everything seems ok for a home recording... I admit I am a bit of tube nut and would love to try an all tube amp though...
Click to expand...
Before you get too far carried away with playing with the sound of your sax track, remember the old maxim: what sounds best soloed does not necessarily sound best in the mix. Unless you're working on a David Sanborn type of production where the sax is in front of everything else, you might want to integrate your experiments with how they sound in roght mixes with other tracks.

Also, if you're open to spending money on tubifying and that kind stuff, you'd probably be well served by upgrading your microphone first. That is the first link in the chain and will make or break what you'll be able to accomplish further down the signal chain.

You can always rent mics if you don't want to drop the dime to buy 'em. This gives you the advantage also of being able to try out different mics at minimal cost to see what works best for you.

What kind of mic? The textbook answers - for good reasons - are to go either with a good quality ribbon mic (RCA, Royer, AEA, etc.) or with a Sennheiser LDD (a 441 is a great sax mic, and a 421 is also a very popular sax standard.) The ribbons done right will provaide a more detailed classic jazz sound (think Johnny Hodges) whereas the Senns done right will be a bit more rock n' roll of a sound (think Clarence Clemmens).

What you have sounds pretty good. Just giving some tips on what to try next if you're still looking for more.

G.
 
Being a fan of a "smooth yet detailed" sound I think a ribbon mic might be a nice choice for an upgrade later.

btw about recording a stereo vs using headphones, I like to be able to hear myself play and prefer the natural sound of speakers to practice with. But I see where you are coming from...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top