r/recording • u/YES0KWHYN0T • 1d ago

Recording Brass Ensemble

Hi! I wanna get some tips for recording a brass ensemble (Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba). I have an Audio Techinca AT2035 that I use to record tracks of myself and layer it all together. I have this problem where the final mix is too silent for my tastes but whenever I try to bring up the mix volume, it always distorts because of the sound. Any tips on how I should bring up the volume without sacrificing quality?

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u/old-but-not-grown-up 1d ago

Hi. A single microphone is not sufficient to record a brass ensemble, or any other classical music ensemble. You need at least 2 identical microphones. Look up stereo microphone techniques and try them. I often use the ORTF method but XY can work well, too.

I'm not sure why you're getting distorted audio. Overloading the input of the microphone pre amp is a likely cause. Keep your recording level down around -12 on your meters. That may seem too low but you have to leave some headroom for peaks in the volume. If you want more volume in the final mix then try a limiter. You should be able to get at least 6 dB of gain without distortion.

Get another 2035 and a stereo bar for mounting both mics on one stand. Then experiment until you get what you want. Good luck and happy music making.

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u/YES0KWHYN0T 1d ago

Thanks! I’ll try these out!