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Saxophone Quartet Recording Techniques

6K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  Merlin 
#1 ·
I've been trying to determine the best microphone setup for recording saxophone quartet in a recital hall (think really boomy). Does anyone have some good tips for this? I have a decent amount of recording equipment that I can use as of right now but mic placement seems to generally favor the soprano. Problem is, in such a large hall, you can end up with some pretty bad phasing between the mics if they are offset too much. Thanks for tips and tricks!
 
#2 ·
We've always recorded with two hanging choir mics. We put them close together, and hang them low....probably 10-12 feet apart and 12-14 feet off the stage floor. Here's where you will get your best recordings ---- layout. How you 4 are standing in relation to each other and the mics.

Try playing a lyrical passage in different formations and record it. We always record standing in a square, facing each other, playing inward, almost like 4 people sitting at a dinner table. The other key is to make sure your bells are pointed in. Our most favorable recordings were done: (if you're in the front row of the theatre looking at the stage) :

Bari - front left (note, bell facing toward back of stage)

Soprano - rear left

Alto front right

Tenor - rear right

However, I can remember doing some old traditionals that were AATB and we switched to

Bari - front left

second alto - rear left

tenor - rear right

first alto - front left

Just try some moving around. And of course, practice with a trained ear in the auditorium...=)

- Pat
 
#3 ·
For a boomy hall, I would use the ORTF stereo pair configuration. If it's exceptionally boomy, try hypercardioids.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORTF_stereo_technique

If you record with this technique and the sop is out of balance, I would blame the quartet's balance, not the hall/recording.
 
#5 ·
#6 ·
ORTF is really good.

If you have some matching omnis at your disposal, you can try spaced omnis - either 2 or 3, not more than 5 feet apart, about 10 feet back and 7-10 feet up.

Decca tree is another 3 mic setup worth considering.

If you like these clips, they were done with a Crown SASS-P stereo boundary mic. It was a fairly small dry church it was recorded in.
 
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