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Brass instruments present one of the biggest challenges in a recording studio. Their naturally bright sound is hard to capture, and you can end up with something that sounds like a distressed alley cat. You can overcome the challenge however, with patience and proper mic placement.

When you mention brass to producers and engineers, the first thing out of their mouths is 'ribbon mic'. These fragile dinosaurs are too easily damaged for the average person to be fooling with, and much too expensive. So, I don't recommend using these type microphones. A trumpet blast can blow the ribbon to shreds if you don't know what you're doing.

Good, high-end dynamic mics work well, but I still prefer the condensers. Use one without a presence booster, or one on which you can disable the booster. I said one, but it takes three to do the job. A matched pair, and a single set up 12 to 15 feet away to capture ambiance.

Place the matching pair no closer than 2 feet away, facing slightly away from the instrument. Any closer, and the sound tends to get smaller, and less authentic. You will of course need to tweak this arrangement to suit the circumstances. Also, walk around the room while the horns play, and listen for sweet spots. You can sometimes find a better mic placement this way.

Be patient, if you can master the brass, you will have accomplished something that a lot of producers never quite get the hang of. And it will be one more tool in your recording arsenal.

Learn more about this author, Marty Alan McGill.
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