Over the last few weeks we’ve been going over a wide range of tips for recording vocals, guitar, keyboard, and last week, drums. These being the most common and keys instruments to be recorded at home or in a small recording studio, one might expect us to jump to another topic this week. Guess again my friends! Rather than give up on the rest of the orchestra without even trying, this week we’re going to look at one of the sections of the band that isn’t recorded at home nearly as often, the brass section. Because this group of instruments tends to be fairly similar we will focus on the two most commonly recorded, the trumpet and the trombone, with some general tips that can be applied to the rest if the brass section.
The main topics of discussion this week will consist of selecting an appropriate microphone, some things to consider about your recording space, and we’ll finish off with mixing and effects. Let’s get to it.
Microphone Selection
As with most other instrumental recordings, the kind of microphone you choose will have a profound effect on your finished product. This has never been more true than with the brass section. It isn’t hard to understand why militaries have used bugles and trumpets to relay commands and intimidate opposing forces for hundreds of years. Not only does the clear, crisp volume of these instruments carry over fantastic distances, but they also have a very distinctive piercing characteristic as well that many microphone won’t be able to handle. Essentially you have three choices in microphones for recording brass: a condenser mic, a dynamic mic, or a ribbon mic.
Condenser mics, as we has discussed previously, tend to have a slight high-end boost to aid in vocal recordings. This configuration might not be your best choice, as that high-end boost can work against a trumpet or trombone by accentuating that piercing quality. Dynamic mics are a slightly better choice, as they can give a much more natural sound to brass recordings than the condenser mics, however your best bet is most likely going to be a ribbon microphone. Ribbon mics give brass a full and natural sound without too much extra “color” in the tone that you may get with a dynamic mic.
That being said, don’t be afraid to experiment with different microphones. For example, some of the lower brass instruments, such as the tuba or trombone, might benefit from the added “color” a dynamic mic might provide. Also, if you are recording as an ensemble you may wish to use a variety of microphone for each instrument, but consider using a ribbon mic as an overhead; this can give you a nice blend. You might also try using more than one mic, even if you are recording solo. A combination of a condenser mic on one channel and a ribbon mic on another can give you some interesting effects, especially if you pan your results a bit. Give it a try. Experiment!
Microphone Placement & Your Recording Space
Once you have your microphones all picked out, its time to begin experimenting with your space and how you place your mics. When considering this, it is important to keep in mind where the sound is actually being produced in a brass instrument. For woodwinds, the sound comes from all the key holes as well as the bell; this is not so with brass. Remember that the sound from brass instruments comes solely from the vibration of the bell.
Due to this simple fact you may be tempted to place your microphone directly in front of your instrument. This would be a rookie mistake, and here’s why: any brass instrument’s sound will be greatly affected by the room it is played in. When recording brass, your best final product comes when you try to capture the sound of the room, rather than the sound of the instrument’s bell. The best way to achieve this varies depending on the specific instrument, but there are a few rules of thumb. For trumpets your microphone should be about 4-6 feet from the bell, and a few inches above or below it, just out of the line of site, with an angle of about 40 degrees. This helps cut down on air sound, while simultaneously capturing more room sound. For trombone or other lower brass, the mic can be set a little bit closer, and with a slightly less angle off its axis.
If you are still not quite getting the sound you want there are a few little thing you can do in your recording room to change it. The easiest is to simply point your instrument in a different direction. Such a simple thing can have some profound effects. A stuffy sound can suddenly become more open and rich by doing nothing more complicated than turning your body a few degrees. Again, like when you chose your mic, experiment! Like with other instruments, hard, flat surfaces will allow the sound to bounce and echo, while hanging blankets and curtains will deaden it. It’s all about the feel you’re looking for.
Mixing & Effects
If you are recording at home or another small studio (and would you really be reading this if you had a big budget studio?) you’ll be faced with the challenge of getting a nice, full brass sound. Due the the difficulty involved you may be tempted to rely rather heavily on post recording effects processing to fix it. The problem with this route is that the overuse of effects can change the sound so much that you can’t even tell it was a brass instrument that was recorded, and really, what’s the point then? The best way to get that thick, full brass sound without overusing effects is to record each part several times. If you record it twice you can pan one recording slightly to the left, and the other to the left (about 25% each). You can even try a third recording centered, though that may prove too much. Again, you may be tempted to take the lazy route and simply pan copies of a single recording. Unfortunately, as clever as you are, this just doesn’t work very well. You need the slight variations that come from separate performances for this technique to really work.
Another technique to achieve that full brass sound is to mix all your brass tracks and add just the slightest touch of reverb to the mix down. Now, with your natural brass tracks and one mixed with reverb, you can raise the reverb track up just enough to give you the sound you’re looking for.
Recording brass is arguably the most challenging instrument section we have discussed so far, but getting it right can be especially rewarding. Brass adds a certain level of sophistication, sparkle, and fire to any recording, and experimenting with your recording process can help you discover a whole world of brass sounds!
