Recorded a big band today

[Weirwood]

Recorded a big band today.

That was a challenge! 16 ins into the pro-tools rig felt really restrictive. Ended up mic'ing the kit with three mics. - 451 overhead and kick and snare mics. Used stereo coincident pairs on most sections apart from the trumpets which got a U89 in omni.

When the players started swapping instruments that killed me. Where'd the god damn flute come from?!

Mic'd up a baritone sax with an old D12. That worked well.

Used a coincident pair of 421's for trombone's and 414's on figure of 8 as room mics with their sides to the kit which was in the centre of a semi circle of brass.

Used an RE20 for the alto sax solo too - wasn't the best choice of mic but I didn't have a huge amount of options at that point.

Took a good three hours to get set up with just myself doing it - end result is pretty good though. Sounds a little muddy - removing freq's from the sax's and making the trumpets trombone's/ trumpets more sparkly will help though!

Mike

[Rednose]

Its been years since I've recorded a big band, hope you had fun!
The first thing I remember was the band leader listening to play back and saying "whats the boom, boom sound?".
I said you mean the kick?
Yeah, no need for the Steven Slate collection on jazz drummers.

[Zeppelin]

Originally Posted by Rednose

Its been years since I've recorded a big band, hope you had fun!
The first thing I remember was the band leader listening to play back and saying "whats the boom, boom sound?".
I said you mean the kick?
Yeah, no need for the Steven Slate collection on jazz drummers.

Haha..
Similar thing happened to me.

He also went: "What's that clicking sound?" when the drummer played crosstick on the snare. Makes you wonder if these conductors really are the musical geniuses they sometimes appear to be.

[husky band]

Originally Posted by Zeppelin

Haha..
Similar thing happened to me.

He also went: "What's that clicking sound?" when the drummer played crosstick on the snare. Makes you wonder if these conductors really are the musical geniuses they sometimes appear to be.

I'd say the conductor probably never hears the cross stick on the snare from his perspective.

[Jimbo]

"boom boom"...Awesome!

Beginning jazz drummers think the kick shoud be played on every beat. They are (I was) coming from a pounding rock perspective, and it takes seasoning to realize that on swing the bass drum is for accents -- like the snare.

There's another, current, high-schoold b-band thread here, and I hope the recordist doesn't mic the bass drum. Just a single, maybe stereo overhead/fok will suffice.

When I say "overhead/fok" I mean a single cardiod sitting jut above/beyond the bass drum that captures the whole set including the bass drum.

- Jim

[ajfarber]

It's easy when you know how.

[springer]

Careful Jimbo - I attended a Mel Lewis Clinic where he emphasized bass drum techniques and he was adamant about bass drum providing a bottom end 'lift' to the band by gentle taps on every beat. He demonstrated this superbly - of course it requires the slightest subtle touch - so you see those beginners aren't too far off - just needs refinement...
OP - 421's do well on alto and re20 real nice on bari.

[nnajar]

Originally Posted by springer

Careful Jimbo - I attended a Mel Lewis Clinic where he emphasized bass drum techniques and he was adamant about bass drum providing a bottom end 'lift' to the band by gentle taps on every beat. He demonstrated this superbly - of course it requires the slightest subtle touch - so you see those beginners aren't too far off - just needs refinement...
OP - 421's do well on alto and re20 real nice on bari.

It's called "feathering"

Most young drummers don't know anything about it. Its super important. Too loud and it's awful. It should be felt and not heard.

N

[Steb]

Originally Posted by nnajar

It's called "feathering"

Most young drummers don't know anything about it. Its super important. Too loud and it's awful. It should be felt and not heard.

N

yep - and thats exactly the technique im learning at the minute...its very hard rocking the hats with the left foot as hard as possible while feathering the kick with the right...argh!

[ajfarber]

Originally Posted by nnajar

It's called "feathering"

Most young drummers don't know anything about it. Its super important. Too loud and it's awful. It should be felt and not heard.

N

Yes, "feathering" the bass drum is standard for jazz drummers in a big band, or at least it was. Mel Lewis used calfskin heads and a lambswool beater.

[rdc333]

Been listening to Sonny Payne on Sinatra/Basie/Riddle sessions. An education on many levels.

"My Kind of Girl" caused me to think of the same thing--bass drum mostly (or only) for accents, but swings like crazy.

[ajfarber]

Originally Posted by rdc333

Been listening to Sonny Payne on Sinatra/Basie/Riddle sessions. An education on many levels.

"My Kind of Girl" caused me to think of the same thing--bass drum mostly (or only) for accents, but swings like crazy.

Those a great recordings. Although it is Neal Hefti's arrangements, not Riddles, on those dates. I believe that those Reprise dates were recorded at United or Western in LA which is now Ocean Way.

I love the sound of the drums on the classic stereo-era big band dates. You need to have the drums in the room leaking into all the other mics to get that sound. I do all of my big band dates like that. I'll use one close mic to pick up the entire drumset, add a 2nd mic for the sn/hh area and a bassdrum mic. I don't really need a bassdrum mic because of the leakage but it's safer to have one just-in-case.

[nnajar]

Originally Posted by ajfarber

Those a great recordings. Although it is Neal Hefti's arrangements, not Riddles, on those dates. I believe that those Reprise dates were recorded at United or Western in LA which is now Ocean Way.

I love the sound of the drums on the classic stereo-era big band dates. You need to have the drums in the room leaking into all the other mics to get that sound. I do all of my big band dates like that. I'll use one close mic to pick up the entire drumset, add a 2nd mic for the sn/hh area and a bassdrum mic. I don't really need a bassdrum mic because of the leakage but it's safer to have one just-in-case.

yeah the drums sound like one instrument. as they should!

N

[ajfarber]

Originally Posted by nnajar

yeah the drums sound like one instrument. as they should!

N

Right! A drum set is an instrument not 7 or 8 separate instruments.