Recording sax?

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TelePaul

TelePaul

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Any tips? I have a coupel of LDCs, SDCs and standard dynamics...but nothing purpose built to clip onto a saxaphones' horn. What's the best way to approach this? I'm thinking that the sheer volume will overload any microphone very easily...was thinking of suspending a dynamic over the horn?
 
TelePaul said:
was thinking of suspending a dynamic over the horn?
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Yeah, that's pretty much the way to do it. A ribbon, a Sennheiser 441 or 421 are ofthen the go-to mics for sax, but anything from a 57 to a big fat LDC will work, depending uopn whther you're looking for rock or smooth jazz.

Start by hanging the mic up over the front of the sax, maybe with the capsile somewhere about mouth height or so and maybe about 6" or so in front of the forward lip of the bell. You can adjust position from there to fine tune the sound you want.

Most importantly, though is the direction of the mic. You may or may not want to point right at the bell. Sounds eminate from the entire sax, and pointing right into the bell is not necessarily always what sounds the best. Angle the pointing of the mic up and down along the length of the sak to get the timbre you want most.

And hope that the sax player know how to work the mic like a good singer, and doesn't just swing all over the place with complete disregard for the microphone. ;)

G.
 
SouthSIDE Glen said:
And hope that the sax player know how to work the mic like a good singer, and doesn't just swing all over the place with complete disregard for the microphone. ;)

G.
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Oh god you've just desacribed exactly what's going to happen! :(
 
TelePaul said:
Oh god you've just desacribed exactly what's going to happen! :(
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That can be a problem with sax players who are not used to recording in a studio, but it's really not a lot different than what a vocalist has to deal with. They just need to be aware of the mic and try to cooperate with it a bit.

If the simply can't play as well without swinging like a chimp, you should explain to him the reality of it and ask him to try practicing to the mic for a while before recording; getting a technique to sound good both live and on tape at the same time.

Those clip-on mics solve that problem, but they ususally don't sound all that good.

G.
 
i've always used an LDC, 2-3 ft. back from the sax itself, maybe a 1/3 or so up the total length of the sax

mic'ing the horn directly will sound shrill/shitty, and won't capture the full sound of the instrument
 
Ironklad Audio said:
i've always used an LDC, 2-3 ft. back from the sax itself, maybe a 1/3 or so up the total length of the sax

mic'ing the horn directly will sound shrill/shitty, and won't capture the full sound of the instrument
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agreed. it can work but a lot of the personality of the instrument / player can be from the keys and reed.

I've used an SM7, 4038, and MKH 40 in the position you describe and they all work well.

Blow daddy-o,

Mike
 
I've posted several times:

(the Search button is your friend and keeps us from retyping the same things over and over!)

I use a Sennheiser MD-421
(This has been a standard tenor mic for a LONG time...)
Also using an M-Audio Solaris LDC. Great sound so far for $250.
I prefer to put a dynamic 1 foot or so out and up from the bell, then put an LDC about 6ft out and head high, then mix the two until sweet.
Don't forget that the sound of a sax comes from the ENTIRE instrument, not just the bell...
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My standard mic arrangement for sax (I play tenor and alto):
A dynamic mic about a foot up and out from the bell.
(I use an MD421 or RE20, but lots of really old albums were made with 57/58s)
A large-diameter condensor about 5-6ft out and head height.
Mix the two mics until sweet.
Much of the sound of the sax comes from the entire body of the instrument, not just the bell. If key clacks from the right side of the horn are a problem, shift the mics a bit left until minimized. You'll still have to do some experimentation until you hit the sweet spots with each player.
Good luck!
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Here's just a FEW of the sax threads:

http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/search.php?searchid=1434915
 
Point a dynamic at the body of the instrument right in between both hands (for anything tenor and above). Then move it forward and back until you get a balance of room and direct sound that you like. Pointing a mic in the bell is like pointing a mic at the sound hole of an acoustic. It looks logical, but sounds terrible.
 
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