Recording Horns
I have two suggestions on how to best record horns (saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, etc) in your home studio.
The first is to use a large diaphragm condenser microphone which has multiple recording patterns to choose from such as the Shure KSM44 using the figure 8 or omni-directional pattern (not the cardioid.) You should place the mic off to the side of the horn (not right in front of it.)
The second suggestion is to use a ribbon microphone and place it in front of the horn (at about 2 feet away.) This will give you a nice smooth sound on your horns which can often otherwise sound abrasive if recorded badly.
As with recording any other instrument (or voice) you will want to make sure you are getting as high a level as you can without any clipping or distortion (unless of course you are going for some sort of purposeful distortion.) Don't make the mistake of recording too quietly and then trying to boost the volume later to make up for it, that will not sound as good as recording as loudly as possible and then lowering the volume if necessary.
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