Thread: Recording Trumpet and Flugelhorn

Hi Erin...

I am not familiar with those tube mics, but I have a Neumann tube mic and a digi 002.

I am confused about your pre-amp question. Usually tube mics have power supplies, but not pre-amps, You need the power supply no matter what, and you would plug that into the oo2. If you do have a separate pre-amp you can use that as well, and go in to either the low or high impedance jack. I generally try to stay low impedance (xlr) when possible.

I was using a pre with my tube mic & digi a few days ago, but it started acting up so I bypassed it and went straight in to the 002 and was pleasantly surprised.

Anyway, the true answer is "whatever sounds better" to you. The 002 has decent mic pres built in, but you can choose to use outboard ones as well. Try it each way and see what sounds cleanest.

I look for a pure trumpet tone. Often trumpets/flugels are pretty brassy instruments with high sound pressure level, so it is sometimes better to go with the mic that is not so bright. You also might even need to use the pad (listen for a harsh distortion sound - clipping, while tracking) that is built in to the mic.

I would probably start with the better mic you have, and see if you can get it to sound good (ie: work with the pads & pres). If not go to the other mic.

I have even gone off of condensors to use dynamics and ribbons with horns sometimes, because they are too bright (once again, that harsh distortion).

Good luck.

Originally Posted by ErinSmith

My Blue Tube Pre has gain and drive knobs as well as phantom power and "pad" buttons.

if your mic has a power supply don't send 48v out of the pre (by hitting the button). This will cause sierous problems


Can I suggest using a Sennheiser MD421 to track that trumpet? The thin sound is most likely coming from that mic.

Plugging a 421 into the 002's pre's should work nicely.....

I've never had much luck recording trumpets (or trombones for that matter) with condenser mics.
The best kind of mic to use is a ribbon. But if that's not an option, then a quality dynamic like the Sennheiser MD421 will do the job.

But I will also stress that the room acoustics play a huge part when recording horns. If your room sounds like shit, then it doesn't matter what mic you set up. The other important factor is the quality of the player.

Oh, and the 002 preamps are heaps better than those nasty noisy little presonus units.

"On stage I use a "Blue Ball" phantom powered dynamic mic. "

I think they are condensors, dynamic mics don't use phantom power. I would like to try to Blue Ball mics, I hear a lot about them. I wonder if they got the name from reading Olde English *** novels?