I recorded at home this morning, got tips on using Reverb for the Saxophone?

[Michael]

Hey guys,

I recorded one of the songs for an upload here to Johnny’s site this morning and was wondering if anyone has got some good tips/insights you can provide for using Reverb–we have some pretty decent software now (I’m still using the same ole’ USB mic for now, I’ll worry about upgrading that later, it’s just for the blog and I’m not trying to impress anyone). When it comes to making use of Reverb, we can make the Saxophone sound like it’s in a huge, empty garage or small room. The room I was actually in while recording was about 15×15 in size, something like that anyway. I was browsing over some important recording info. on Johnny’s other site of yourhomerecordingstudio.com and, when I comes to Reverb for the Saxophone, would we want to approach it like you would for recording Vocals? Check out the info. on Johnny’s link about Reverb that I attached under “Vocals” down at the bottom of the page. My son is our little cpu. software editor and he’ll have this upload ready sometime over the next couple of days, he’s working today. Thanks for your insights guys!
http://yourhomerecordingstudio.com/reverb

[Z]

Yes it is similar to vocals. What DAW are you working with? I use Logic Pro and what I like to do is click on spaces, it brings up a bunch. I choose venue, then turn the reverb down a bit. It gives it a nice full sound without having too much reverb. Reverb can make it sound more professional, but you don’t want to use too much. Otherwise it’ll sound like my “you raise me up” cover, and you don’t want that much haha 😛 just play with it and choose what you want your sound to be like.

[Anonymous]

i record my sax on an apple i-touch – like you say its only
for the blog, and it can go
either way – it can make my sax
sound awful or completely change
the sax’s natural sound!

i have the option of adding
reverb on my i-touch and it
doesn’t make it sound like
its recorded in a different
size room. All mind does
is increase the vibrato
speed – so i can sound vibrato
without playing vibrato – if
you like its falsyfying my
true playing sound!

Saying that, just do a 30
second clip of reverb & a
30 second clip with no
reverb – and we’ll let you
know!

Either way Michael genuinely
looking forward to your upload,
i know my oppinion doesn’t rate
much in your mind, but i don’t
give false views, only unless,
its kids asking me – you can’t
afford to discourage them! lol

[Michael]

JB: EVERYONE’S opinion is important to me! I always read everyone’s input and try to work really hard to apply those points; that’s how we get better. We don’t use the blog to “impress” anyone; we use it to learn. On the last video of “Samba Pa Ti” there was a problem with the LJ Hutchen that I used which my bro-in-law gave me and I took it to the guys at the shop and they found the problem(s) it had right away and fixed it. I was so mentally tired and drained when I came back from New Mexico that I overlooked it…no one is perfect. I was going to re-upload Samba Pa Ti with that same Sax but just haven’t had the chance to do so. I’m taking a small break from the packing/moving over the new few weeks to record and upload though, after we get into our new home things should FINALLY return to once-a-month uploads like I was doing…finally. I’m just looking forward to having some open space; all the hard work is definately going to be worth having my own little recording space for sure! By the way, it would be cool to start seeing members uploading videos again soon. But with Johnny changing his site and everyone jumping into his new Improvisation course; that’s to be expected. I always love watching everyone play, great learning tool to say the least.
Ammin: I’m using software from “Cyberlink Media Suite” using the Audio Director and Wave Director software; perfect for modest Saxophones videos. Thanks for those tips, I’ll show them to my son when he gets home tonight. Seems like your thought about Reverb was the same as mine; just enough to “enhance” it a little to give the playing a pleasing effect? Keep it at a minimum then?

[Z]

Yes, you want enough to make it sound good and enhance the sound like you said, but you don’t want it to be noticeable to somebody listening. Like, if the listener could point out “They have a lot of reverb in their sound” then it’s probably too much.

[Z]

That’s how a lot of professional saxophonists get away with getting such a good sound (Mainly smooth jazz players). I love smooth jazz, but lots of times when I listen I can tell that they’re adding effects like echo and reverb to get that “Smooth Jazz” sound. It still sounds really good though for that style. But if you were to apply that same sound to straight ahead jazz, it wouldn’t sound right.

[Anonymous]

Michael – when i went for my Sax
lesson this week, i sat outside
my teachers room waiting for
someone elses lesson to end,
so i could go in for my lesson.

When this persons lesson ended,
they came out the room – looked at
me and said “you’re that person
that was playing in the room
last week when i was waiting
for my lesson! – i bet you’re
going to show off again aren’t
you?”

The CHEEK – i wasn’t playing
to impress anyone, thats how i
play! If we aren’t going to
play to the best of our abilities
– whats the point of playing at
all? My teacher soon put
them right with a few choice words! lol

In the end i took as some sort
of warped complement!

[Author]

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