R
Rocket Boy
New member
how would i go about record trumpet or other brass with an sm57 to get the best sound?
S
Scinx
Mechanical Monkey
Do you have any other mics in the arsenal? 421 perhaps?
sweetnubs
New member
don't do it.
R
Rocket Boy
New member
no 421.. i was also going to try a Peavey PVM 520i, i just remembered reading somewhere on here where someone said they got a great trumpet sound with a 57
R
Recording Engineer
Moderator
Ah hell... Don't listen to these guys... Set the 57 on a mic stand and have the trumpet player stand in front of it. Have the trumpet player move the trumpet around (pointing directly at the 57, over the 57, below the 57, at a 45 degree pointing down at the 57, etc.) and have the trumpet player move himself around (a foot back, a foot forward, a foor to the left, a foot to the right, in relation to the position of the 57, etc.), until you find the "sound" that is right for the song. And record it.
H
Han
New member
My first choice for trumpet is the MD441, the best dynamic ever.
The MD421 may be a little too hot on trumpet, it will do better on bigger horns.
Forget about the 57, it's a mediocre horn mic.
The MD421 may be a little too hot on trumpet, it will do better on bigger horns.
Forget about the 57, it's a mediocre horn mic.
R
Recording Engineer
Moderator
Damn guys... A 57 is what the man said he has.
Gidge
Lapdance Test Dummy
id give that 520i a try.......thats a really decent mic........
I
indydisc
New member
Is it just me or is there a trend on this board to say "buy something more expensive" every time a person has a studio issue they want to resolve? Professional studio's rarely work that way. I'm sure there are a few mic's that will record a horn better than a 57.. maybe lots of them.. but this man needs to record a horn with a 57.
http://faq.ath.cx/?query=-52
How do I get a warm trumpet tone?
The trumpet is a very harsh sounding instrument, and a very very loud one as well. As such, it is difficult to get a warm sounding recording.. hell.. the thing doesn't sound warm to begin with.
The trumpet play tends to think it sounds warm, so perhaps you should try placing a microphone closer to where his ears are.
Place a mic on a stand behind the bell of the trumptet, facing away from the player (towards the brass bell). You will be dealing with lower SPL's and a warmer tone. If the player is playing close to a wall it is important that he is not facing it directly and that it is sound insulated. Reflected sound will be harsh and cold like what comes out of the bell.
You may also place a mic in front of the bell facing towards the player. Bear in mind that these signals are out of phase, so you will need to mix them on a board that allows you to phase reverse one of them.
http://faq.ath.cx/?query=-52
How do I get a warm trumpet tone?
The trumpet is a very harsh sounding instrument, and a very very loud one as well. As such, it is difficult to get a warm sounding recording.. hell.. the thing doesn't sound warm to begin with.
The trumpet play tends to think it sounds warm, so perhaps you should try placing a microphone closer to where his ears are.
Place a mic on a stand behind the bell of the trumptet, facing away from the player (towards the brass bell). You will be dealing with lower SPL's and a warmer tone. If the player is playing close to a wall it is important that he is not facing it directly and that it is sound insulated. Reflected sound will be harsh and cold like what comes out of the bell.
You may also place a mic in front of the bell facing towards the player. Bear in mind that these signals are out of phase, so you will need to mix them on a board that allows you to phase reverse one of them.
H
Han
New member
Yep RE is right, at least the 57 will not sound bad, but if you want a killer sound you have to invest.
D
Dot
New member
I'd recommend you use some air and have the player stand back about 6' from the mic - with the bell pointed right at the mic. A 57 will work fine.
Might help to have some dampening material behind the mic - such as a curtain or even a bookshelf to act as a diffusor.
Dan Richards
Digital Pro Sound
The Listening Sessions
Might help to have some dampening material behind the mic - such as a curtain or even a bookshelf to act as a diffusor.
Dan Richards
Digital Pro Sound
The Listening Sessions
Jblount
New member
The 57 should work ok, ( i play trumpet, and have used one before) but you want to get the right mixture of sound from the instrument and ambience. Play around with how close he/she stands from the mic. And it helps to record something like a trumpet in a huge room, like an auditorium or a performing arts center. If you have any in the community, try asking them to use the place on a night when nothing is going on. Thats how I recorded the vocals on my last cd, didnt have to use verb on any vocal track. They all sounded real nice.
S
Scinx
Mechanical Monkey
No, there isnt some diabolical plot that more expensive junk solves all woes. It just happens that if I have a bike, and I want to know how to get across the country quickly - I may need to look at using a plane.
sweetnubs
New member
most trumpet players dislike bright and spitty tones which the '57 accents perfectly. You will find classically trained musicians (as most trumpet players are) are accutely aware of their tone and are very particular about it. They don't spend 4-6 hours per day in deadened practice rooms with Arban's complete conservatory method for the trumpet to have someone just throw up any ol' mic. Also the '57 can really tweeze the tone with improperly matching the preamp (impendence). If you are gonna do it distance mic off axis from the bell and find the best sounding room you can. Mics of choice for trumpet, stc 4038 (coles), m49, re20 (on the cheap) Serious brothers and sisters get a 4038 if you plan on recording horns or strings. (makes a nice mono drum room mic) They're a little over a thousand used.
G
grahamware
That FAQ Guy
It can definitely sound OK, even without further investment.
Just like these guys are saying: play around, try all different angles and distances. You probably aren't going to want to play directly towards the mic, but rather point the bell away from the head itself (call this off-axis). But try Dot's plan too, and see what works.
Another thing: if you're playing in a boxy room rather than a recital hall - record the trumpet track separately if possible, and use some reverb in post. It can make a huge difference tone-wise, becuase trumpet in a closet sounds like, well, a trumpet in a closet.
Just like these guys are saying: play around, try all different angles and distances. You probably aren't going to want to play directly towards the mic, but rather point the bell away from the head itself (call this off-axis). But try Dot's plan too, and see what works.
Another thing: if you're playing in a boxy room rather than a recital hall - record the trumpet track separately if possible, and use some reverb in post. It can make a huge difference tone-wise, becuase trumpet in a closet sounds like, well, a trumpet in a closet.
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Rocket Boy
New member
alright. yeah... thakns for the tips about mic placement. i'm not recording a clasically trained musician, I'm recording a young ska band... So I think by using your tips I should be just fine. Thanks.
Light
New member
A 57 is a fine mic for trumpet. Sure, an RE-20 is better, but a 57 is fine. The one thing I would suggest, though, is to get a wind screen for the 57. it will help in two ways. First, it will help to dampen the wind noise, and second, it will keep the spit off your mic.
Light
"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
Light
"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
sweetnubs
New member
naaah, sucks for trumpet. I guesss for a ska sound it would be ok. Lots of ska guys like tweezed bright horn sounds because of its oh so hip lo-fi'ness. Ska sucks anways.
I
indydisc
New member
Rocket Boy said:
A bright harsh sound might be good for a young ska band. Don't go writing any 4 digit checks for new mic's yet. Give it a try first. If it really doesn't work, rent something for a few days.
H
Harvey Gerst
New member
Another cool, but unmentioned trick is aim the 57 straight up or straight down, so that the player is playing across the face of the mic instead of into it. The off axis response will tame the high end peaks of the 57 and you'll get a warmer sound. Try anywhere from 12" to 4' away.