STRINGS, WOODWINDS, BRASS AND MORE... MIC SELECTION, TIPS & TECHNIQUES
PIANO
For a rich sound that picks up all those tones, you’ll want a condenser mic. Drum overheads can be repurposed here, as can quite a few vocal mics. Options: PGA27, SM81, KSM137, Beta 181
STRINGS
If you’re playing a violin, the fancy option is to get a mic that clips on to either the violin or your collar. For everything else, a classic condenser is the best choice. Options: PGA81, SM81, Beta 27, TL47, MV88+
WOODWINDS & BRASS
There are clip-on versions for most brass and woodwind instruments. But a normal mic can work just as well, and gives you more placement variety. Options: SM57, PGA81, PGA98H, Beta 98H/C, MV88+
PERCUSSION
If you're going through a Tito Puente phase, drum overheads are ideal for miking most percussion instruments. But you could also use a trusty dynamic mic or pencil condenser, depending on what you're playing. Options: SM57, PGA181, SM81, SM137, MV88+
For a natural tone, place the mic over the open top of the piano, just above the treble strings. If you want more attack, move the mic inside the piano. For a deeper sound, move the mic so it’s 8” above the bass side of the sound board.
For a sound with lots of definition, place the mic about 6” in front of the bridge. For a fuller sound, place it a few inches from one of the f-holes.
For a bright sound, aim the mic into the bell or end of the instrument. For a warmer sound, place the mic a few inches from the sound holes (wind) or slightly off-axis (brass).
Place the mic between the drums just above the heads (bongos), about 6” to the side (tambourine) or about 6” above the bars (glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba).
PRO TIP: Start out with a versatile mic that can record as many instruments as possible. Save the specialist clip-on mics for later.
Colin Stetson is famous for his radical, full-body approach to playing the saxophone with some of the world’s leading music acts, as well as his eerie compositions for Hollywood film scores such as Hereditary and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Using circular breathing and embouchure, he has developed a unique voice as a soloist, creating polyphonic compositions that upend expectations of the sounds a single horn can produce. His minimalist sound encompasses genres like dark metal, post-rock and contemporary electronics.
Stetson makes a clear distinction when recording his own music and soundtracks, but in both cases, less is definitely more: “My solo work can only be obtained through a physical act between me and the instrument. You can’t add overdubs, you can’t add effects. When it comes to scoring, I don’t have the same prohibition on additives, but I have a certain process of limiting the aesthetic.”
LISTEN TO THE FULL COLIN STETSON SIGNAL PATH EPISODE NOW
This episode was recorded with the MV7 Podcast Microphone. Find more Signal Path interviews with the people shaping the world of audio here.
