| Here are some techniques and ideas you may find | | | | The next link in the recording chain is the compressor. |
| useful for recording. Many of them will apply to other | | | | The compressor will bring up the volume on the soft |
| instruments as well. Whether you do it yourself or | | | | parts and prevent the signal from getting too hot on |
| record in a studio or at live performances, it's essential | | | | the loud parts. It also allows you to move around a little |
| that you know how to get your best sound, and what | | | | so you can have some freedom of movement while |
| to do with it once you have it tracked. Don't assume | | | | doing your takes. I get the best results in my home |
| that the engineer will know exactly how to get it for | | | | studio when plugging the mic directly into the |
| you - you will have to work together. | | | | compressor and the compressor directly in to the |
| Like many acoustic instruments, the sax records well | | | | signal path. If you don't have a compressor, plug the |
| with the use of a condenser mic. Condenser mics | | | | mic directly in. Wherever possible, eliminate any |
| differ from dynamic mics in that they usually require a | | | | unnecessary circuitry to get the cleanest signal. The |
| battery (or phantom power supplied from the mixer) | | | | track will get remixed and this is where you should |
| and have a broader pick up pattern which makes | | | | apply EQ and effects. The dbx 163X is a nearly |
| them less useful on stage because they tend to feed | | | | foolproof compressor with only a level set and |
| back. They provide a flatter response, meaning that all | | | | compression slider to worry about. Once the level is |
| frequencies are presented more equally whereas | | | | adjusted (usually between 0 & -10) experiment to |
| dynamic mics are often 'coloured' to bring out voice | | | | determine where the slider goes. With the sax, around |
| tones. | | | | -21 is usually about right. You want just enough so that |
| When recording with a condenser mic, you can 'back | | | | everything you play gets recorded at a good level |
| off' with it at eye level up to three feet away from | | | | without sounding too processed. |
| your face, or 'close mic' keeping it aimed near the | | | | Always add reverb post (during mixdown). This way |
| bottom of the left hand over the bell as you would | | | | you get the verb in stereo while leaving your track |
| performing live. Most of us have discovered not to aim | | | | mono (better for placement during mixdown) Because |
| it down the bell as this can do some awesome | | | | of the delicate nature of the reverb overtones, they |
| damage when you let go with a low Bb. Your choice | | | | can get easily get obscured if they are recorded while |
| of mic, playing style, and recording set-up will determine | | | | tracking. Most processors have a wide selection of |
| just where to place it. If you are recording yourself, set | | | | presets to choose from. Because of the saxophone's |
| up a few tracks to record and compare. You'll need it | | | | voice-like quality the hall and vocal plates work very |
| later to set the equalization (EQ). | | | | well. For a funkier, more Sanborn like sound try the |
| The Neumann U87 is the industry standard voice mic | | | | small club settings with more early reflections. You can |
| and sounds great on sax. If it's high price ($1,000 +) is | | | | use way more signal with these to achieve that kind |
| out of range you might consider a Sennheiser 441. It's | | | | of boxiness that sounds great where you don't want |
| a dynamic mic with a flatter response than those | | | | an audible trail. |
| designed for live vocal use. Even the Shure SM57 | | | | If you've ever tried to emulate those recordings where |
| & 58 can work well for rock & blues but you'll | | | | the sax is swimming in a huge reverb, you will have |
| need to EQ a little. My recording mic of choice is the | | | | discovered by adding that much it sounds like it's down |
| AKG C1000S. It brings out all the warm sax tones I | | | | at the end of the hall. So how do we keep the horn 'in |
| can't live without and works well with other | | | | your face' i.e. up front, and get that hugeness? Here's |
| instruments, e.g. acoustic guitar and drum overhead. It | | | | the secret: Use a large hall setting and set the |
| was fairly well priced at around $300. It can also be | | | | pre-delay parameter to around 250ms. This allows a |
| used live, and doesn't feed back as much as I might | | | | quarter of a second of everything you play to go on |
| have expected. | | | | dry before the effect kicks in. It works beautifully on |
| Using the direct in approach will require that you apply | | | | ballads and gives the horn a truly magnificent sound. |
| EQ during mixdown. I find that with the right mic, I | | | | Here's a mixing technique they use on the big money |
| usually don't need to change too much, but if you are | | | | recordings that can work well for the home recordist. |
| working with overdrive guitars and thick synth patches, | | | | Say you have an eight bar intro, then in you come. Use |
| you might need a little help. If you have sweepable | | | | the pan controls at about 5 to 1 o'clock on the whole |
| midrange you can boost 5-8K for those upper-mid | | | | mix so that it is just about mono. When the sax |
| voice tones. If you are using a dynamic mic like a | | | | comes in, pan down to full stereo. This is a subtle |
| Shure SM 57 or 58 be sure and boost the 300 - 350 | | | | effect but will give the listener the impression that |
| lower midrange a bit to warm up the tone a bit. These | | | | something magical occurred just as you started |
| mics drop off in that register leaving the sax sounding | | | | playing. Keep the magic coming! |
| pretty tinny. | | | | |