MTM04.

Method Brasswind

6/4/03

4:15 PM

Page 1

METHOD RECORDING BRASS AND WOODWIND

Tips from the Pros

Recording
brass and
woodwind

Getting down large blown instruments can be tricky, so here Keith Gemmell
offers some important guidelines on recording each instrument, plus a tutorial
on punch-in/punch-out recording with Cubase SX/SL and Logic.

BIOGRAPHY

Keith
Gemmell
Keith can usually be
found in his studio
recording library music
and producing
commercial MIDI
software. A professional
sax player for many
years, he also
publishes educational
audio products for
woodwind and is the
author of three books
on Cubase and Logic.
Occasionally he gets
out to do a bit of music
tech lecturing.

July 2003 MUSIC TECH magazine

Keep your distance

Contrary to popular belief, the sound of a saxophone
doesnt come just from the bell. Well it does, but only
when the very lowest notes are being played, because
thats the only time all the sound holes are actually
closed. Most of the sound comes from the main body of
the sax itself. So wheres the best spot to place the
microphone? Not directly over the bell, unless you
require a very bright, punchy sound. A more natural
sound is achieved by placing a cardioid mic 11.5
metres in front of the instrument, above the bell and
aimed at the middle of the keys. This technique
captures the entire frequency spectrum.
If you need a more intimate, warm and full-bodied
sound, move the mic closer (ie. nearer the sound holes).
The sound characteristics of a saxophone, particularly
the tenor, are close to those of the human voice. If you
already possess a shaped-response mic designed for
vocals, itll probably do a good job on saxes, too.

Upon reflection
Recording the clarinet is a slightly more tricky business.
Like the saxophone, the sound emanates from both the
sound holes and the bell of the instrument. However,
unlike the sax, the bell points downwards. As a result,
the higher frequencies are projected to the ground and
reflected back, where they join up with the mid and
lower frequencies. So a reflective floor will render a
more brilliant sound. If youre recording in a home
environment or project studio with a carpeted floor,

064

here I am, in this rock n roll band, happily

riffing away in the background, when suddenly
the lead singer turns around and heads my
way. Take it away Mr Sax man, he yells and shoves his
microphone deep into the bell of my sax. I promptly
oblige, but the harsh, nasty-sounding racket echoing
around the hall doesnt even remotely resemble the tone
Ive spent years perfecting. Why? Because the singer
has mistakenly assumed that the sound of a saxophone
comes only from the bell one of many commonly held
misconceptions about this family of instruments.
OK, so that was a live scenario, and different
guidelines apply and different microphones are used in
the studio environment. But a fundamental principle of
recording brass and woodwind instruments has been
demonstrated; positioning your mic is where the skill
comes in its where art meets science.
The next step? Deciding on a suitable microphone.
Thats all very well, I hear you say, but I dont have
an unlimited choice of mics in my project studio.
Dont worry. Generally speaking, recording brass and
woodwinds is a relatively easy business using good
directional mics. Most professional studios tend to
favour expensive condenser models, typically AKG
C414s or Neumann U87s, but if your budget is tight,
good results can be achieved with a quality dynamic
mic, such as the trusty Shure SM57 (that you can buy
for about 100). That said, theres an increasing
number of budget condenser models arriving on the
market, such as the SE2200 (140). A little higher up
the scale is the Audio Technica AT3035 (175). So, there
are plenty to choose from
I happen to play the most commonly used
woodwind instruments that youre likely to encounter
saxophone, clarinet and flute so Ill deal with those first.

MTM04.Method Brasswind

6/4/03

4:15 PM

Page 2

MTM04.Method Brasswind

6/4/03

4:15 PM

Page 3

METHOD RECORDING BRASS AND WOODWIND

Tips from the pros

try standing the clarinettist on a flat piece of wood, large

enough to catch the reflections.
The clarinet has a range of over three octaves, split
into distinctive-sounding registers. Deep, rich and woody
in the lower, or first, register think Peter and the Wolf
liquid and mellow in the second; high and piercing in
the third. Theres also a weak spot called the break. So
its worth finding out from the player before you start
recording which registers they are likely to use most.
Position a cardioid mic 12 metres in front, above
and slightly to the side of the player (to minimise key
noise) and aim it towards the lower keys. Some
experimentation with positioning might be needed.
I sometimes use two mics, one about 0.5 metres above
the keys and another some distance from the bell.
Two other reed instruments that you may encounter
are the oboe and the bassoon. A cardioid mic placed over

Most blowers are trained musicians

and are more than capable of working
out a few simple harmony lines.
THE RULES IN BRIEF

Micing up

Generally speaking,
choosing and placing
mics for recording
brass and woodwind
instruments is quite
straightforward,
provided common
sense prevails.
Condenser mics with a
cardioid pattern yield
good results. Mic
placement depends
very much on where
most of the sound
actually comes from:
brass from the bell,
flute from the
mouthpiece and sound
holes. However,
particularly with the
woodwinds, the sound
emanates from other
parts of the instrument
and its better to keep
the mic at a
reasonable distance
from the player. Brass
instruments emit high
SPLs another reason
to keep your distance!

066

the sound holes and at a reasonable distance from

either will provide a natural and balanced sound.
Placing a mic near either of their bells will result in a
bright, but not necessarily more pleasing, tone.

Breath control
Flutes are different again and some experimentation
may be necessary. The sound is projected from both the
mouthpiece and the sound holes. Where you place the
mic will depend on the type of sound you want
breathy or pure and the skill of the player. For a
natural sound, place a cardioid mic about 2.5 metres
above the ground and about 2 metres in front of the
flautist. Aim it towards their mouth. If you have the
luxury of a second mic, place it about 90 degrees to the
players right.
There is another method; place the mic above and
slightly behind the player to reduce breathiness. Aim it
towards the finger holes. But if its a breathy sound
youre actually after, place the mic closer to the player
and aim it between the mouthpiece and the first group
of sound holes. You may need to use a pop shield.

The heavy mob

Now lets take a look at the heavyweights: the brass
instruments. The two most commonly used members
of this family are the trumpet and the trombone. What
do they both have in common? Volume. High sound
pressure levels (SPL), up to 130dB. Take care; some
mics, such as ribbons, may not be able to cope with
these SPLs. A condenser with a large diaphragm and
flat response is usually best. And use the pre-attenuation
switch to cope with the high SPLs. The AKG D112 Bass
Drum mic also does the job, particularly with the
trombone. If possible, avoid mics designed specifically for
vocals. Theyll work with saxes, but their shaped
response will exaggerate the higher frequencies of brass.
Where the sound comes from is obvious the bell.
However, although the higher frequencies are projected
in front of the bell, the lower ones are spread over a wide
area. So, once again, a mic placed too close will result in
a very bright, but not necessarily pleasing, sound. Place
a cardioid mic about 2 metres in front of the player and
move it further away or nearer according to the
acoustics. Placing it slightly off-axis by about 30 degrees
will produce a mellower sound. On-axis will be brighter.

Keep on tracking
The chances are that a good many of you are guitar
players. Its also likely that some of you would relish the
opportunity of overdubbing a complete horn section on
your songs. Unfortunately, many project studios are
short on space, and it can be an expensive business.
Good brass and sax players dont come cheap after all,
playing these instruments to a high standard requires
years of practice. However, you may be lucky and
manage to persuade a complete horn section to play on
your demos for free (beer and sandwiches thrown in, of
course). This will most likely be on the understanding
that a paid session will be forthcoming if a recording
deal is secured. Its often easier to ask a single player, a
mate perhaps, to do you a favour.
You may not be experienced at arranging for horns,
and if that is the case, one advantage of working this
way is the chance to build a horn section, track by track,
with the help of the players musical knowledge. Most
blowers are trained musicians with a good deal of
musical theory under their belt and are more than
capable of working out a few simple harmony lines.

Tutorial Punch-in/punch-out recording

Using Cubase SX/SL and Logic.
If youre a brass or wind player
whos into recording, you may be
working alone using an audio and
MIDI sequencer to build
compositions from scratch. When
you reach the stage where the audio
tracks need recording, youll be
doubling up as recording engineer
and performer simultaneously. I do
this frequently and, believe me,
playing saxophone and pressing

July
2003
MUSICMUSIC
TECH magazine
Month
2003
TECH magazine

Record buttons on and off is an

unwieldy and potentially hazardous
task, to say the least. Fortunately,
the whole process can be automated
in most sequencing programs by
using their Autodrop facilities. The
tutorial below shows how this is
done using Cubase SX/SL and
Logic. The process is very similar in
both programs, but Cubase uses two
buttons Punch In and Punch Out

and Logic uses one Autodrop.

Lets assume youve sequenced the
perfect track; all it needs is a
blistering tenor sax solo between
bars 17 and 25. We dont want any
noise before or after the solo
(knocked over coffee cups and the
like) so for a clean drop in and out,
follow the steps opposite. This
method of recording is also a very
useful and safe way of replacing

MTM04.Method Brasswind

6/4/03

4:16 PM

Page 4

Mics for the job

AKG C3000B
If you cant afford the C414
(right) the C3000B also has a
large diaphragm and offers
an affordable
alternative. Designed
for the project
studio, its
switchable between
cardioid and
hypercardioid patterns.
Good results will be
obtained on flute, clarinet,
saxes, trumpets and trombones.
Its also fitted with a 10dB
attenuation switch. Use it when
recording brass!

SE Electronics SE2200
My original choice for the budget
mic here was the excellent
all-rounder, Shure SM57 (100).
But a newcomer to consider is the
excellent Chinese-made SE2200
condenser. It utilises a large
1-inch gold-sputtered
diaphragm, features a
cardioid polar pattern
and has a 10dB
pad for high SPLs.
It sounds good,
looks great and is
supplied with a
shockmount in a
nice aluminium
flight case.
Good value.

>

AKG C414 ULS

A large diaphragm mic
thats ideally suited to
recording woodwind and
brass. Its switchable between
four pickup patterns
cardioid, hypercardioid,
omni and figure of eight
it has a flat frequency
response and a clean,
full-bodied character. With
10dB and 20dB
pre-attenuation pads, it
copes admirably with the
highest SPLs from the loudest
brass players. This is the classic
mic for the job.

>

>

Typical price 560 approx (online price)

Contact AKG www.akg-acoustics.com

Typical price 230 approx (online price)

Contact www.akg-acoustics.com

bad sections of an otherwise good

take. For example, you can play
along with the song safe in the
knowledge that only the section
marked out by the locators will
actually be recorded. Of course,
recording this way is not restricted
to just brass and saxophone
players; it can be used for vocals
and anything else on both audio
and MIDI tracks.

particularly if youve already laid down a substantial

amount of audio.

Its just an illusion

All this tracking and doubling of one instrument can
become a little tiresome after a while, both for the
players chops (embouchure) and the listeners ear.
One instrument, brass or reed, played by one player and
layered repeatedly can end up sounding rather bland, to
say the least. One way around the problem in a project
studio is to mix sampled brass and saxes together with
the real thing. Ive actually created a pretty convincing
big band piece this way by tracking two alto and two
tenor saxes myself and using a sampled baritone for the
fifth sax. Nobody, so far, has spotted the interloper. The
brass section was made up entirely of sampled
trumpets and trombones. The trick is to use a variety of
brass samples for the different parts.

Dont tinker
If a decent mic has been selected and correctly placed,
the actual recording process should be fairly painless.

On the Transport panel, set the

left Locator to 17. 1. 1; this is
where the sax solo begins. Now set the
right Locator to 25. 1. 1; this is where the
solo ends.
Activate the Punch In, Punch
Out or Autodrop buttons on the
Transport panel.

01

02

Its still advisable, though, to do a bit of preparation

in the form of a simple chord sheet. If you can, jot
down the main lead lines as well, no matter how
crudely. That, combined with you singing the lines will
help the player get the gist of things and save a lot of
time and frustration.
A few words of advice here keep it simple. The
best and most effective brass writing is usually on the
lean side. Use very high notes sparingly, especially if
theyre intended for the trumpet; save them for a
climactic effect. Although you will probably be tempted
to harmonise those brass lines at every opportunity,
dont forget the power of unison. Doubled lines,
sometimes an octave above or below, are not only
simple and quick to record, but can provide a powerful
sectional sound.
If youre using a multitrack machine, youll need to
reserve a few tracks three will probably be enough. If
youre recording to hard disk using a production
package such as Cubase or Logic, then track availability
will not be a problem. However, your computers
processing power (CPU) will be a determining factor,

Price 140
Contact Sonic Distribution 01582 843900
www.seelectronics.com

Scroll back several bars before

bar 17 (allow yourself enough
time to reach the mic) and press the Play
button. When the song position cursor
reaches bar 17, the red light illuminates
and Cubase or Logic enters record mode.
When bar 25 arrives, off goes the red light
and the program drops out of Record mode.

03

The punch-in/punch-out recording

process for Cubase SX/SL (right)
and Logic (left) are almost identical .

>

July 2003 MUSIC TECH magazine

067

MTM04.Method Brasswind

6/4/03

4:16 PM

Page 5

RECORDING BRASS AND WOODWIND METHOD

Common practice
As with vocal recording, dropping in and out is
common practice when tracking, and relieves pressure
on the performer (see the tutorial). This is important
with trumpet and trombone because both of these
instruments require a good deal of physical stamina.
Frequent short breaks during the session will be needed
(watch your beer stocks rapidly diminish!).
When you reach the mixing stage, its time to
consider the need for EQ and compression. There may

>

Avoid tinkering with EQ; in most cases, brass and

saxophones will record fine without it. Aim at capturing
a pure and natural sound. If you really feel the need for
a twiddle, save it for the mixing stage. That way, youll
be better placed to make the judgement call and be free
to experiment. Remember, if you commit now and
change your mind later, theres little you can do apart
from ask the player to do it all over again. Ouch!
Compression? Again, avoid it if you can at this
stage. Experienced brass and sax players will be in
control of their instruments dynamics and will know
how to project an even sound. Beware when setting
levels, though; ask the player to play as loud as he will
on the actual take. They dont always do this when
warming up; theyre saving themselves for that high
note that will take you by surprise just near the end of
that almost-perfect take.

Photo Mike Beck www.mikebeck.us

Tips from the pros

Place the mic a fair distance away from brass to avoid accentuating
higher frequencies. And placing it off-axis produces a mellower tone.

be areas where the higher brass notes will be louder than

some of the lower ones. The same may be true of the sax,
particularly if theres been some screaming going on. In
that case, by all means use compression, but no more
than is necessary. EQ? Use it correctively, only when
necessary, and for cutting rather than for boosting.
Having said that, it really depends on whats happening
around it. For example, on a busy tune full of guitars, a
slight tweak at the top end will help lift a tenor sax solo
out of the mire. There are no hard-and-fast rules; just
use your ears and common sense. MTM

Micing up

Which mic to use and where to place it for different brass and woodwind sounds.
INSTRUMENT MIC PLACEMENT
Saxophone Close to the bell

SOUND QUALITY
Bright, forceful

Close to the keys

Clarinet

Flute

Full-bodied,
warm, intimate
Above the bell and Natural
aimed at the keys
Close to bell
Bright
Close to
Warm, breathy
sound holes
low register only
Above sound holes Natural
aimed at lowest keys
Close to mouthpiece Breathy, intimate
and sound holes
Above the keys
Natural

Trumpet

Close to bell

Bright, punchy

Natural

Trombone

Not close to bell &

slightly off-axis
Close to bell

Bright, punchy

Not close to bell & Natural

slightly off-axis

COMMENTS
OK if you require a harsher tone
rock solos, perhaps
Nice for quiet solos will pick up
key noise
Good recording practice resulting
in a well-balanced sound
Not ideal somewhat unbalanced
Nice for quiet solos in the lower
register will pick up key noise
Good recording practice resulting
in a well-balanced sound
Nice effect for solos. A pop
shield may be needed
Good recording practice resulting
in a well-balanced sound.
Not ideal, unless you wish to
destroy the players tone!

Good recording practice. On-axis

will result in a brighter tone
Not ideal, unless you wish to
destroy the microphone!

Good recording practice. On-axis

will result in a brighter tone

MICROPHONES
Good quality condensers, cardioid
vocal mics work prefer Shure SM57
to SM58.

Good quality cardioid condensers

Good quality cardioid condensers.

Good quality cardioid condensers,

large diaphragm. Instrument mics
like AKG D440, Audio Technica
ATM 25 also suitable.

Good quality cardioid condensers,

large diaphragm. Instrument mics
like AKG D440, Audio Technica
ATM 25 also suitable.