Recording brass can be a bit of an undertaking if one isn’t familiar with the process. Brass instruments (Trumpet, Sax, Tuba, Trombone) can have a massive large dynamic range, and can be very nuanced if the music at hand is jazz. When recording any of the instruments, there are a couple of things to take into account. Here’s a list of how to approach the session: What Genre is the Music being Recorded?: Will you be recording a slow jazz with a horn as a lead? A funk track with a brass section performing stabs? Its very important to take a second, and have the instrumentalist(s) play through the tune at hand to get a feel for the dynamic range, bursts (in the case of a funk stab), as well as, whether the player(s) have a tendency to move around. The distance, and direction of the mic will play a big part in how the sound is picked up. Each one of these factors will come into play when moving on to the next section: Microphone Choice: Condenser or Dynamic or Ribbon?: For me this question really depends on the answer to the first question. If the session is with experienced jazz musicians, more often than not, I will reach for a condenser, as it allows the expressivity of the player to come across much better. If this is the case, I will place the microphone at least 3 feet from the end of the player’s horn. […]
