Recording Brass

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gaffer

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Does anyone out there have hands on experience recording Trumpets and what mics work best for brass instruments?

Mic specs and advertisements mostly talk about recording guitars, drums, and other acoustic instruments. WHATS THE DEAL? I'm a trumpet player not a damn Guitar player!

I own two mics. one is a peavey dynamic (About the same as a shure 57) and the other is a Apex condenser, 1 inch Dia.

The Dynamic mic does a pretty good job playing directly into it, maybe 6 feet back, and the condenser is used to catch general overhead sound.

Any recommendations or comments out?

Thanks,
 
Youre basicly doing the right thing.
Use the dynamic's for a close up recording and use the condensor for ambiance.
A lot depends on your room you are recording in as well as the style.

Use a large dia for brass, and if you want you can try to go with a condensor but make sure you don't point the bell straight at the bell.
Move it a bit off the mic upwards or downwards, so the air doesn't "clog" the mic.

I like to use a 414 for brass. Nice and bright

If you are recording a big group there are other techniques that could be used.
 
Thanks, Shailat

What is the 414 you mentioned? I'm still pretty new at this business.
 
Sennheiser 421's are great for horns. They are a dynamic mic that really take a beating. One of the more expensive dynamic mics though.

The Neumann KM84 and 451 can record great horns if used right, but they are pretty expensive.

I agree that 414's could do a good job, but they are a bit bright for me. They are made by AKG (condenser mic) and are somewhat expensive also. Great investment.
 
Thanks for the info jgohman, there's not a lot of expertise out there regarding what I am doing.

Thanks again!
 
I've always found a dynamic is best on trumpet, RE20, RE15, or similar. Your peavey should be fine.
cheers
John
 
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