mic recommendation for Saxophone

[kyleknapp]

I'm planning to record a saxophone, and I'm wondering what mic you'd recommend. My arsenal includes:

• Shure KSM27
• Kel HM-1
• SM57
• Audix i5
• MXL-990 & 991
• Superlux SMK-H8K
• Sennheiser e-609

I'll try a few, of course, and experiment with placement, but I'm leaning towards the Kel, the KSM27, or the i5 (I've just gotten the i5 and have never used it yet, but the manual recommends it for brass and woodwinds). What you do you think?

Any recommendations regarding placement would be welcome too.

Thanks,
~kyle

[garageband]

I did this recently on a tenor and got a bunch of my mics out. It really depends on style and context. A lot. Of the things I tried, you have representatives of several.
i5? Too hard
SM58? A little soft but wrong
KSM32? Nice but totally wrong
MD405? A little hard but just right
TLM103? Really nice but second place
K2? Just wrong. Disappointing because that was my first idea.

Make sure he stays on-mic. Don't try to stuff the mic down the bell. It sounds like a sax next to the bell and is less fussy about the player's movements, as he's possibly never recorded properly before.

[kyleknapp]

Thanks GB for the recommendations. I admit I'm a little confused by "nice but totally wrong"...

The song is a mellow, smoky/sultry easy-listening/light-jazz kind of thing, so I'm looking for a rich, smooth sax sound with lots of low midrange.

Any other thoughts (especially regarding mics I already have)?

Thanks,

[garageband]

It still has to do a lot with what other instruments are playing. Also, which of the four commonly available saxes will he be using?

[garageband]

I'd start out with the Shure and KEL and probably pick one of those.

[kyleknapp]

Originally Posted by garageband

I'd start out with the Shure and KEL and probably pick one of those.

Thanks, I'll try those first. I confess I don't know much about saxophones. The one he usually plays is kind of "medium size" with a curved throat (not a straight one like Kenny G plays). He's coming over in a couple hours and we'll see what happens. I'll post a follow-up report later.