When the Trumpet Speaks (Jazz song, improv.)

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When the Trumpet Speaks

Creative Process...

I elaborated a project, in which it had some experimental bounderies implemented. For the final song it would be necessary to have the recording in overdub of 3 or more instruments from different instrument classes.

The instruments used were as follows, an electric guitar, a drum set, a grand piano, an electro-acoustic bass and a trumpet.

I started by creating a composition having started the process by playing a rhythm on the drums, soon I realized that it would be perfect to add a chord progression, so I used the following progression on the guitar, A minor, F, C and G.

To capture the sound of the electric guitar, I used a Sennheiser MD-421 ON Axis, in order to capture the instrument's mids and highs, I also used a Sennheiser E-906 OFF Axis to pick up the bass and midbass of the guitar.

I also resorted to using a DI Box in case it was necessary to re-amp later or even use the sound of the DI in the mix with the other two microphones.

To capture the drum kit, for the OverHeads I used the Glyn Johns technique, with two AKG C-414.

I also used, four additional microphones to have a greater control on the attack of the following drum parts: For the Kick, using the, AKG D-112, as Kick IN inside the bass drum quite close to the drum beater zone, an, Sennheiser E-602, as Kick OUT two fingers away from the bass drum skin slightly left of center.

For the Hi-Hat I used a, AKG CK-91, over the cymbal, to get the attack and the characteristic sound of it.

Finally I used an, Shure SM57, to capture the attack of the snare and have a little more control on its sound later in the mix.

To capture the piano I used three microphones, two of those mics, are the stereo pair, Oktava MK-012. I did an XY pickup pattern on the hammers to get the attack of the strings and the full range of the frequencies of the instrument.

The third mic was the, AKG C-4000-B, that's placed under the piano, to capture the sound produced by the instrument's resonance box. Trying to capture the bass and mid frequencies at the same.

For the electro-acustic bass, instead of going for a classic capture using microphones on the instrument despite it being electro-acustic, instead I connected it to the guitar amp because I didn't have a bass amp.

The purpose of only using the recording of the amplification of the instrument signal, was to have some distortion in the sound of it and some reverb, because these effects could not be added in post production.

The microphones used were the same ones I used for the guitar, the, Sennheiser MD - 421, for the ON Axis and the, Sennheiser E-906, for the OFF Axis.

Last but not least, I proceeded to conclude, recording the trumpet.

I think it was quite interesting to proceed to capture it, because I didn't know any miking techniques used for wind instruments, going a little on a discovering journey of the best way to position it, in order to obtain a rich and complete sound, I only used an, AKG C - 414, microphone to capture it, as it was the solo instrument of the piece.