How to position an AKG C3000 to record a Tenor Saxophone.

H

Humbardi

New member
I intend to record myself using an AKG C3000 Microphone connected to an audio interface ( U-phoria UM2) using a MacBook Pro running Logic Pro. I would like to know what is the best position to put the Microphone related to the Saxophone to get the best audio from the instrument. I Will be using playalongs played in another Device that connects to another input on the interface, and I will monitoring the audio using headphones connected to the interface. Also, what is the recommended level of the audio voume. I appreciate your opiniones and recommendations, as I am new in this Recording world.
 
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There's no one right way to do it. You should experiment to find a method that works for your situation. Be aware that much of the sound comes from the keys, not just the bell.

Optimal levels are easier to define. You want it to be reasonably strong but with no chance of clipping. If the signal spends roughly equal time above and below -18 dBFS, it's probably about right.
 
It depends on what is being played. Music rich in the upper register needs a mic position pointed at the left hand area, more than the bell if you want the hissy stuff and key clack. If it’s jazz, then a bit further away so the left hand and bell is within its capture zone, and then maybe a bit of gentle LF boost. If the player is growling a lot and being clever, or doing screaming runs, then favour the right hand and bell area if you don’t want his actual voice to be heard.

so much depends on your room of course, so we cannot tell you what gain setting to pick, turn it up till you find the peaking level and back it off to give you headroom, and back off a bit more if the player is a bit, er, random.

you need to factor in the mechanics. Some saxes are very quiet, action wise. The pads open and close quietly. Others clack and clunk and some have sticky pads that make the strangest squelch when they open. If the sax has strong springs, then the sticky pads don’t open slowly, which happens on lighter actions. The players hate this and get them fixed. Strong spring saxes just incorporate this pad noise into their sound.

in general I start at about a foot away from the F position, then go up/down/in/out as required. You might find the C3000 a bit prone to spitty type noises so you might want to try miking from higher up, but looking down a bit more to get it out of the air draft.
 
The área Where I am Recording is small.. 6 meters long, 4 meters wide, 3 meters height. No Problem with the mechanical sounds on the Sax. It is well adjusted and not noisy.
 
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Many years ago, I recorded a saxophone by facing the player into a corner of the room and placing an RE20 above his head aimed down into the corner. It worked pretty well.
 
There are no rules for sax, apart from one. Never point a mic down the bell. The trouble will be that each sax and player will need tweaking to suit that combination. The room rarely causes problems because of the instrument volume, so it’s only when you need to record from further away the room creeps in.
 
As @rob aylestone said the rule is there are no rules - unless you are doing ambient micing - then you will room problems.

Treat the Saxophone like a Vocal - you've got a cardiod microphone - point it at the Sax - move it around (with headphones on) until you hear
'that sound' - then you will know.
 
I used to use both dynamics {SM58 and others, like a Superlux drum mic} and condensers {EM 700} to record my friend playing alto. I'd put the mic wherever the whim took me that day. Above, below, close, relatively distant.....the great thing was that it always sounded like a sax to me !
 
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