recording horns

[bambalam]

I am recording a horn section tomorrow-trumpet, sax and trombone and was hoping someone might have some advice on miking etc.
I will be recording them in a pretty small, not great sounding room and the mics I have available are:

Neuman TLM103
2 sure sm81's
sure sm57
sure beta 58
akg c4000
2 octava mc012s
studio projects tube condenser

Thanks for any advice.

[edyer]

Just try them until you find the one (ones) that fit the sound into the song best!!!

[bambalam]

I guess what I meant more than mic choice was if anyone had opinions on close miking all 3 horns as opposed to having them group around one mic or both, how far do people like to keep the mics from the horns etc. I realize 'do whatever sounds best' but I have very little time with them, and was looking for some advice on where to start. Thanks again.

[edyer]

Well you have a small room so I would think to start with 1 mic and put a heavy blanket behind it to kill the reflection from the wall. If they are all playing at once then 1 mic placed correctly with a little dynamics control from the players should get the job done. Otherwise have all three play at the same time then record each part individually to get a bigger more adjustable sound. Time is the crocodile!!!

[paterno]

Originally Posted by bambalam

I guess what I meant more than mic choice was if anyone had opinions on close miking all 3 horns as opposed to having them group around one mic or both, how far do people like to keep the mics from the horns etc. I realize 'do whatever sounds best' but I have very little time with them, and was looking for some advice on where to start. Thanks again.

What you don't want to do with the trumpet is bury the mic in the bell. Put it at least 4 feet away from the player. The bone can be mic'd closer, and the sax closer still, but there is no need to stuff mics in the bells. Definitely have them play together. Be prepared to get bleed, but don't be afraid of it either. Maybe put up a stereo pair at the back of the room if you have the time. Good players will blend themselves out in the room, but if they're not you'll need a bit of control later. And use little compression if any at all -- you don't want to lose attack.

hope this helps...

John

[tmcconnell]

Horns need a little warmth, but a lot of transient precision. Many people prefer ribbons or warm/neutral ldc's. The TLM 103 would be my first choice. The sdc's won't be warm enough, and the dynamics all are the vocal type that have a presence bump. I've used all of them except the c4000. .

You want some stereo spread, likely. I might make an xy out of the tlm103 and the studio projects, and put the players pointing in at the pair, in a semi-circle with bells 24 inches away or more depending on the room. Because the mics are unmatched you won't get perfect phase cohesion, but so what - it will have punch and a little airiness. Smooth mids are going to be the key. If you don't need a stereo spread, just go with the players into the 103 over and out. That might sound great. Another alternative, would be to use the 103 as a primary mic, and another mic, like an sdc, over to the side. You can use the second mic like a room mic to create a little soundstage.

The sm81's might be really nice as a pair if you had a tube preamp or some eq to tone them down a bit. Let the players work their owns dynamics.