Essential Reeding

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

           
 

RECORDING SAXOPHONES AND OTHER REED INSTRUMENTS

Placing the mic nearer to the high keys will yield an airier, neutral sound that represents what the player or a listener might hear. Higher placement also affords the performer more lateral movement before going audibly off-mic. But this higher positioning also picks up more breathing and mechanical key noise. The recorded sax sounds that please me most are usually the result of moving the mic an inch at a time along the aforementioned imaginary line and then fine-tuning the position by rotating the mic to pick up more or less of the bell.

Straight Talk

The principle behind miking the straight saxes, clarinets, and double reeds is not so different conceptually. It's all about getting even coverage of the entire length of the key mechanism, as well as blending in the bell sound.

Finding the sweet spot using a single microphone takes some adjustment, and capturing a good tonal balance may entail moving the microphone a foot away or more. For quieter reed instruments in ensembles, it may be advantageous to mic as closely as possible. But bear in mind that getting too close to the bell or any group of pads with a single microphone will cause certain notes or frequencies to dominate.

FIG. 2: Moving the microphone toward the mouthpiece accentuates the highs; toward the bell increases the cutting power and honk. Close-miking emphasizes warmth and high- and low-frequency details, while distance-miking yields a more natural sound.
Photo: Chuck Dahmer

Of all the straight reeds, I have found soprano sax to be the most challenging to record due to its inherently warm tonality. And because many soprano players don't point the sax at the floor, the bell sound disperses away from them and they don't hear the instrument as listeners do. To get enough highs and definition on this instrument, I often end up with the mic 1 foot to 18 inches away, aimed somewhere between the middle of the horn and the lowest pads (see Fig. 2).

If you're after a more intimate, detailed soprano track, try using two microphones: one at the lip of the bell and the other around the middle of the key assembly. As with any multiple-mic setup, it is important to check for phase coherence and to make sure that the combination of two microphones doesn't color the midrange or produce phasing or chorusing effects when the sax moves around.

It is common practice to use two mics on a bass clarinet as well. Due to the length of the body, phase cancellation tends to be less of an issue, but it should still be checked. I have obtained good results using an XY stereo pattern with matching mics near the middle of the bore, as well as miking the bell and high keys separately.

When evaluating single- or 2-mic placement, it is vital to hear all the notes throughout the instrument's range reproduced evenly, with a pleasing tonal balance from airy highs to warm, low frequencies. Bear in mind that closer miking emphasizes high- and low-frequency details and yields a drier, more modern sound that may need added reverb. Distant placement favors a blended, organic, midrange tone with some room sound, which may be more appropriate for jazz and classical music, vintage sounds, and ensemble playing.

Mic Matching

In most cases, I use condenser mics for reed recording. The higher saxes and clarinets, as well as the oboe and English horn, sound best to me when paired with a high-quality small-diaphragm condenser possessing flat frequency response. My preferred mics for this application are the Neumann KM 140 and Schoeps CMC6 series (with the MK4 cardioid capsule).

Overly bright mics such as those commonly used for drum overheads are likely to sound thin and also boost breath and mechanical noise. Obviously, with ranges that approximate the violin and trumpet, low-end response is not crucial on the higher woodwinds. A small-diaphragm condenser is also a good choice for miking the high keys or as a stereo pair in a 2-microphone setup.

For the lower saxes and bass clarinet, as well as for the bell mic in a 2-mic system, a warm low end is essential. For these applications, I prefer a large-diaphragm tube mic with minimal presence boost. My favorites include the Blue Bottle, the Neumann CMV 563 and U47, and various U47-inspired designs like the Neumann M147 and the Lawson L47 MP with its variable pickup pattern.

I have also gotten good results using ribbon mics on the lower saxes, especially for vintage-sounding R&B and reggae/ska horn sections. In addition, the softened high-end response of the better contemporary ribbon mics is a useful way to deal with any woodwind that sounds too harsh.

The Sennheiser MD 421 and Electro-Voice RE 20 are large-diaphragm dynamic mics regularly used for saxophones and brass in live sound settings. When a suitable condenser or ribbon mic is not available, this type of microphone makes a good substitute for studio work. (For more on large-diaphragm dynamic mics, see “Capturing Big Sounds” in the November 2007 issue, available at emusician.com.)

The Player

Reed players are generally very sensitive to matters of tone. When it comes to reed preparation, recorded sound, and sound and placement in the room, honor the performer's years of expertise with a few minutes of your patience and attention. I guarantee you will learn a lot if you do.