[Classax]

After doing a search, i'm shocked this question hasn't come up a million times. Those of you who have been fortunate enough to record in professional settings, I'm curious what you prefer in terms of recording space, the isolation booth or the band room. I play primarily tenor and to me I always seemed to get better results outside in the larger rooms as opposed to vocal booths. Seems to me in the booth on play back the tone is reduced to something aking to a breathy violin. Where as out in the larger room I typically get mic a little less close and my tone has some room to breathe. To me its not just the room sound micing a bit further back gets a more balance warmer sound. What say you all?

 

[HeavyWeather77]

While I voted "large room" for this particular question, my actual answer is the always-frustrating "it depends."

I've had the great fortune to record in some of the best studios in the country, and if you're talking about a big beautiful live room like that, then absolutely, large room. Ideally with two mics, a u67 or 87 a foot or so away and a ribbon several feet away, like an AEA 44 or 84. But if I have a good Neumann in a good room, I can do without the room mic!

A vocal booth is generally less musical to me, but can be important if the mix needs an isolated saxophone part that's as reverb-free as possible. Good results can come from a well-recorded isolated track.

But my favorite recorded saxophone sound of all time, exemplified by the video below, came from the big converted church sanctuary room of CBS 30th Street Studios with either a Neumann u67 or M49 on Wayne. Plus all the other mics in the room since there was no isolation. And it's the best vibe for acoustic music that I can imagine.

 

[JohnMarkPainter]

A bigger room with controlled ambience is going to be less problematic generally speaking.
I’ve spent a ton of time recording in the old Nashville RCA “A” room everything from solo instruments/voice to orchestras.
It is a very large room but not splashy/reflective. Just open air space. Amazing.

But a well tuned booth can give you a more in-your-face presence than most large rooms.

Even better.... a large clean sounding room but then using Gobos to reduce reflections.
This can let the low end disperse and still get a very present tone.

 

[Pete Thomas]

After doing a search, i'm shocked this question hasn't come up a million times. Those of you who have been fortunate enough to record in professional settings, I'm curious what you prefer in terms of recording space, the isolation booth or the band room. I play primarily tenor and to me I always seemed to get better results outside in the larger rooms as opposed to vocal booths. Seems to me in the booth on play back the tone is reduced to something aking to a breathy violin. Where as out in the larger room I typically get mic a little less close and my tone has some room to breathe. To me its not just the room sound micing a bit further back gets a more balance warmer sound. What say you all?

As you are asking about professional settings, I'll answer on that level. I've done whole load of recordings in many different settings, both for record companies and TV/film directors/producers.

All this is down to two things:

• The experience of the engineer and what they give you in the headphones. A good engineer will have learnt how to provide useful monitoring for the musicians.
• Your experience as a professional session musician in asking for what you want in terms of monitoring ambience.

An engineer may need the isolation and dryer recording depending on how they intend to do the mix, and you as a hired hand have to respect that. But if so they need to have the ability to give you what you need to perform. The mic distance is not really up to the session player, because what happens after you leave the studio is someone else's job and they may need a dry recording for what they do in post.

On a very basic level it's down to you asking for more reverb. Once you learn a bit more about the recording process you can be a bit more specific.

 

[adamk]

As you are asking about professional settings, I'll answer on that level. I've done whole load of recordings in many different settings, both for record companies and TV/film directors/producers.

All this is down to two things:

• The experience of the engineer and what they give you in the headphones. A good engineer will have learnt how to provide useful monitoring for the musicians.
• Your experience as a professional session musician in asking for what you want in terms of monitoring ambience.

An engineer may need the isolation and dryer recording depending on how they intend to do the mix, and you as a hired hand have to respect that. But if so they need to have the ability to give you what you need to perform. The mic distance is not really up to the session player, because what happens after you leave the studio is someone else's job and they may need a dry recording for what they do in post.

On a very basic level it's down to you asking for more reverb. Once you learn a bit more about the recording process you can be a bit more specific.

+1, always get what you need or you will fight the mix and not play your best.
I prefer zero or almost no reverb so I can hear note tails.

 

[A Greene]

Actually, I prefer LARGE isolation rooms. I'm sort of a big guy - not giant but well above average and I've been in some booth where I really didn't fit - height wise. You know the ole' home basement studio. Regardless of the recording situation, I just want the headphones to fit comfortably and the mix to sound as natural as possible.

 

[Merlin]

I'll track in whatever room the producer wants, as long as I'm getting paid.

For my personal projects, I usually record in a small, fairly dead space, so I have better control over reverberations. Close or distant mic'ing - that's more stylistically related than a general thing. Close for pop and jazz, distant for classical.