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musicsound 1 March 2006

need HELP !

during next weekend I have to record a sax and a trumpet (swing music) the first time in my life.
Unfortunately I don't have a seperate recording room and it will be quite difficult to get real control over the tone during tracking. Also intensive testing and trials might be difficult. Therefore I need to do it the first time right.

Which preamp do you choose ?
- Voxbox
- Portico 5032
- BG2
- Earthworks

Which microphone do you take:
- Brauner VMA (the cleaner VM1 or the more Vintage A mode ?)
- Neumann U 87

What is the usual place and distance for a brass mike ?

Please advise !

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Comments

FifthCircle Wed, 03/01/2006 - 08:37

Great set of preamps... The U87 can be a pretty good sax microphone. I'm not thrilled with either for tumpet. For swing style, you'll get great mileage out of ribbon mics or a really fat tube mic like the UM57 or U47. The Beyer 130 is a fantastic sax mic as well, but I'm somewhat less thrilled as a trumpet mic.

--Ben

RemyRAD Wed, 03/01/2006 - 13:15

I absolutely agree with Cucco on the Beyer M160/130 HyperCardioid and figure of 8 ribbon microphones for Sax and trumpet. I think you'll find that the condenser microphones on those instruments will make them sound far too strident? An RCA 77 DX, would even be better but there you are dealing with something much more expensive and inavailability of used units.

For the preamplifier's I would go with anything that Arthur Rupert Neve builds/designs, his stuff is wonderful!

Have a great gig!
Ms. Remy Ann David

musicsound Wed, 03/01/2006 - 15:33

RemyRAD wrote:
I think you'll find that the condenser microphones on those instruments will make them sound far too strident?

Unfortunately I don´t have a chance to buy a ribbon mic on such short notice. But if I read the comments the tendency is in direction of recording coloured instead of vercy clean.

I forgot to say, that I have a SM58 as well. But I thing the condensers are preferred ove the SM59 - right ?

RemyRAD Wed, 03/01/2006 - 17:14

I wouldn't necessarily assumed the condensers would be better on saxophone and trumpet. I actually think your SM 59 would be better on sax and trumpet and help prevent things from getting too squacky or Blaty because the slightly bandwidth limited dynamic microphone will provide a smoothness hereto for unavailable in a condenser microphone. The dynamic microphone is also more impervious to surrounding bleed from other instruments like the drum set. I might also suggest for those instruments a large diaphragm dynamic such as an Electro voice RE 20, AKG D112, etc.. I've gone to this many times before and believe me what I suggest makes a lot of sense.

Dynamically yours
Ms. Remy Ann David

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