Essential Reeding

May 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Myles Boisen

RECORDING SAXOPHONES AND OTHER REED INSTRUMENTS

The saxophone and its single- and double-reed cousins are some of the most challenging instruments to record. Their complex systems of tone production, based on multiple harmonic stops along a lengthy and often curved bore, require exacting microphone placement. Saxophones in particular can sound strident or tonally imbalanced when miked too close or with the wrong mic. The acoustic environment also has a big impact on the sound of any woodwind instrument, and key mechanisms can be noisy and idiosyncratic, presenting additional impediments to ideal recorded tracks.

Preparation, an understanding of woodwind mechanics, and knowing what to listen for are all vital ingredients for successful reed recording. To begin, let's get acquainted with the members of the saxophone and woodwind families. For the purposes of this article I have omitted the flute, which is a woodwind but not a reed instrument, and focused on instruments that are in common contemporary usage.

Curved saxes

The common curved saxes — baritone, tenor, and alto — are functionally similar, although each has its own characteristic timbre and stylistic usages. The baritone typically provides the lowest voicings in jazz and R&B horn sections and is less commonly used as a solo instrument. The tenor and alto saxes are ubiquitous as solo and sectional instruments in a variety of musical styles. In the right hands, the tenor has a warm, mellow low end and is very expressive throughout its entire range.

The lower range of the alto can be a bit stuffy- or muddy-sounding and difficult to capture clearly. But often this is not a major issue, because most alto players favor the effortless cutting power native to the mid to high ranges of the instrument. The curved soprano, which has the same fingering and range as the straight soprano, functions similarly to the alto and often has a different sound than its straight cousin due to the latter's forward-facing bell.

Straight saxes

Thanks to Kenny G, most people know what a soprano saxophone looks like. Beyond its smooth-jazz reputation, the soprano is interchangeable with clarinet in trad-jazz circles and has also stayed contemporary in the hands of John Coltrane and Steve Lacy, among others. The sopranino is similar in construction to the soprano and inhabits a high, piping range that makes it the piccolo of the sax family.

Clarinets

The bass, alto, B-flat, and E-flat clarinets differ from other woodwinds in this article in that they have a cylindrical bore rather than a conical one. This internal structure imparts a characteristic bright timbre to the upper harmonics, while the low notes tend to be subdued and woody. The bass and alto clarinets have a small upturned bell below the lowest pads to aid in volume and projection.

Double reeds

The English horn and oboe look similar to the clarinets. Their arrangement of two reeds that vibrate together, combined with a conical bore, grant a distinctive buzzy tonality that is fairly uniform throughout the entire range.

Mic Matters

The first rule for miking any reed instrument in the studio is a simple one: do not stick the mic straight into the bell. This type of placement has its uses with live sound for isolation and reducing a player's movement, but it also brings out the tonal qualities you don't want to hear in a recording: excessive midrange, scratchy highs, uneven timbre, and loud low notes when most of the pads are closed.

To get the richest and most balanced tone for any woodwind, you want to incorporate a blend of the higher harmonics, which come from the highest holes near the mouthpiece, and the sound that develops around the edge of the bell.

Curves Ahead

For the curved saxes, a handy visual placement aid is to imagine a straight line drawn from the top of the crook (the curved pipe that connects the horizontal mouthpiece to the vertical body) down to a spot about 3 inches in front of the bell. The most accurate and/or usable sound will normally be picked up by a microphone positioned somewhere along the lower half of this imaginary line.

Placing the mic lower and closer to the outer edge of the bell will give a big proximity-effect boost to the low notes. Putting the mic just above the lip of the bell and pointing into the bell will also emphasize the cutting power of the upper-midrange harmonics. Conversely, it is also possible to tame the sound of a strident alto or tenor by moving the mic below the lip of the bell (see Fig. 1). I find that these kinds of placements work best for the lower saxes or to give soloists a larger-than-life sonic signature.