Which mic for recording Sax?

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pure.fusion

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Hi all.

Simple qiestion really. I have a SM57 and a RODE NT1A.

I'll be recording a Tennor Sax soon.

Since some of you have lot's of experience out there, is there an obvious choice and method here?

Or will it be one of those "Personal taste" answers?

Cheers,
FM
 
Neither are my 1st choice, but I have used both on sax with very good results.

If using the NT1A position it in front of the sax but not in the horn, kind of in front of the player about level with halfway down the sax. It will get a very natural tone this way like you would hear standing in front of a sax player. You do sometimes pick up a little finger noise but I quite like that. If it's not quite what you want move it closer to the horn or a little further away.

If you use the SM57 face this into the horn, but not stuffed in outside a little, this will get a more attacking sharper sound. For Live PA sound I always have this set up.

If you can why not set up both, check for any phase issues, then record both and use one or the other or a mix of both.

Cheers
Alan.
 
I'll echo what Alan said... apart from in a live situation, don't mic the bell... aim at the body kind of pointing across the top of the bell and take it from there.

If you only have those two mics I'd say try the NT1a first, but don't write off experimenting with the SM57 as well before you settle on what you want to use.
 
I wouldn't choose either myself (I would choose an MD421 or an MKH 40).

But either should give an acceptable result.

Just remember that the sax radiates sound from the body at low frequencies and it only comes out of the bell at high frequencies - so you need to point the mic. to pick up both.

Try both and the mic. of choice would be the one that gives you the sound you want.
 
Blow that funky horn !

While I'm no expert at all, at all, at all, I'm definitely of the school (probably a dying one) that says use whatever you have to hand. Of course there are better mics than the two you have but that's not the issue. I recently recorded my friend on alto sax and I used a cheap condenser mic. You got a different sound depending on where the mike was put and I thought it sounded quite good. But I'm sure there are 100 better mics. But who cares ? It's one of the few that I have. So I use it.
 
grimtraveller said:
I'm definitely of the school (probably a dying one) that says use whatever you have to hand.
Click to expand...
If you can't bleat with the mic you love, then love the mic you're with :). I agree.

I have two NT-1s, and though I never tried them on a sax (I do have a 421 for that), I'd be a bit dubious as to those results; my knee-jerk reaction would be to try the 57 first.

My guess would be that the NT-1 would be just a bit too brittle/harsh in the high mids. However, if that's what you're going for in a new age/fresh jazz sort of way of sound, or if you're fitting the sax into a mix that is already pretty heavy in the low-mids to mids, it might fit the bill to have the brighter sound from the NT-1.

If, OTOH, you're looking for more of a rock n' roll sax and it's not going to be fighting for it's spot in the arrangement, then the 57 would be my guess.

However, I'd try them both just to make sure you know what your choices really are.

G.
 
I've put a lot of different microphones up for a sax including all of the usual suspects, to a bunch of experimental microphones or group of microphones.

I want to say that close to 50% of all the sax players that have come through request and demand just a Shure SM57. For that is what they are use to. But they all refer to the fact that they know how to work the 57, to get the tone,over drive meat,mellow sounds etc.,etc. by just moving around the microphone and upon doing so they know what to expect from the microphone response when they do so.

For most sax players that gig out and need to go through a PA or have tons of hours in a studio, the Microphone is a part of their instrument.



:cool:
 
Interesting point moresound. I may get a better sound from a condenser, but player may be a bigger influence on the sound if he is use to working a SM57.

Great feedback guys. I thank you all.

Cheers,
FM
 
Sorry to link you to a myspace site, but this is a band I was in (still in as we are officially in recess) a couple of years ago called "Heads We're Dancing".

On the track "southern Sky" there is a sax solo at the 2:20 mark, this was recorded with an NT1. The band was World / electronic and this track was very influenced by Portishead. This Track was one of the older tracks (our second CD) and was recorded on Analog (Tascam SR16S) when I also had a smaller mic selection, hence the NT1.

Cheers
Alan.
 
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