Mics for Brass

[DJ Insomaniac]

I'm really starting to use my trumpet in my own material, so i was wondering if anyone has some suggestions for mics to use.

Money is an object, so Royer ribbons mics arent' very realistic.

Thanks!

[Avid]

You might want to see if your dealer can set you up so you can demo the Apex or some of the other budget ribbon mics mentioned in this recent Electronic Musician article:
http://emusician.com/mag/emusic_ribbon_revival

[globaleric]

I've had amazing results with a flugelhorn solo using an EV PL-20 (now RE-20, look on eBay).
Such a monster is also great for kick drum or amp speakers, and you also could bring it to live gigs (where crappier mics are provided) without worrying about damaging it.

[DJ Insomaniac]

As in THE RE-20? Never thought of that for brass.

Any other ideas? They don't nessesarily have to be ribbons mics (although they seem to be well, liked for brass).

[NotRude]

RE 20 is fantastic for practically anything, its a ribbon/condenser wannabe dynamic, another good dynamic is the old reliable Senheiser 421, excellent on all horns

[skycraft]

Remember kids,

Always turn off phantom power when using ribbon mics. Otherwise you'll have an ex-ribbon mic. Poof!

This is one of the things you don't want to learn by accident.

[nob turner]

I'd recommend against the Sennheiser 421 for trumpet... it has an upper midrange peak that will tend to make the horn sound thin and harsh. Other relatively inexpensive dynamics to consider are the Shure SM7 and the Sennheiser MD409. There are cheap new mics from Sennheiser (the E609) which look like the 409, but reportedly don't sound the same.

In a pinch, and AKG D200 might even work... those can be found for about $50 on ebay.

[EGS]

Yeah, avoid the Senn 421. If you cannot afford a Neumann TLM103 (about $1000ish), then this will sound pretty great on trumpet:

http://www.music123.com/CAD-e100--2-...-i134511.music

I think it sounds best to put the mic 3 ft in front of, and 3 ft above the trumpet. On the CAD, I'd also suggest switching the 180hz hi-pass "on", and maybe even switch the -20db pad "on" too. This CAD mic is really useful in a wide variety of situations, by the way. I've used 3 of these mics for quite some time now. What's your budget?

[grindx]

Remember kids,

Always turn off phantom power when using ribbon mics. Otherwise you'll have an ex-ribbon mic. Poof!

This is one of the things you don't want to learn by accident.

The Royer R-122 is a phantom powered ribbon mic.

[DJ Insomaniac]

Cool, i will definetly check out those mics.

I've actually got access to an RE 20, so i'll probably use that for now. I've used them before, they're beastly! Flat response, pop-less, just great.

Also, i don't know how they'd sound on just a single trumpet, but I also have access to the AKG 414. I've used them on entire orchestras and bands and they are just great mics.

Anyone have any experience on the 414s on brass? Also, any other suggestions?