I want to record a saxophone. What mic should I use?
Saxophones cover a wide frequency range (65Hz-1kHz) similar to the human voice. Most of what has been said about lead vocals is therefore also true for sax recordings. Saxophones, however, have a very high sound pressure (SPL), and the mic must be able to deal with the high SPL to avoid clipping and distortion. Saxophones project their sound both through the tone holes and the bell. The key to a good sax recording is therefore mic placement. Pointing the mic to the bell can give a crispy `pop-sound’, while pointing it to the tone holes gives a smoother `jazz-sound’. A good pick up is achieved by placing the mic 5-6 feet above the ground and about 4-6 inches from the bell, aiming at the top of the bell. A common mistake is to put the mic too close or even inside the bell. A very fat sound can be achieved by using two mics, pointing one down the bell and aiming the other one at the mid key holes at the right-hand side of the player. Keep experimenting with placement and distance, such as
