Jazz Sound ...let's talk

Lee Brenkman

Lee Brenkman

Junior
Jan 13, 2011
307
0
0
Oakland California USA
I'm looking for at least a couple of guys or gals who have experience providing and mixing sound for jazz shows, clubs concerts or festivals who are planning to attend this year's AES Convention in San Francisco in October.

Particularly if you're are based in the Rocky Mountain West, Midwest or the East Coast (I already have a couple other West Coast Folks).

There's a possibility of sharing some of your knowledge and experience concerning how sound for live jazz shows differs from other genres.

Please PM me or direct email to
[email protected]


Moderator; if the double posting is inappropriate please move or delete as needed.
 
Re: Jazz Sound ...let's talk

Lee,
I remember getting an Audio Technica mic in 1980, ATM 10 or 11.
It was great, I finally had sizzle. And how the hihat sizzled then.
The (rock) drummer heard a tape, called me up on stage, and played his hi hat. Said, this is what a hi hat sounds like.
How can I make love to my hi hat on stage, when everyone is just hearing the highs, no meat, no guts.

After that specific a lesson, I have been so disappointed to hear just sizzle and sparkle as the main ingredient in cymbal mics.
Sometimes it seems the HPF has been set above 500hz.

I think that the genre of Jazz is particularly a place where a great, meaty, natural cymbal sound is needed.

I have been listening to a lot of John Legand's "Used to Love U", and the hi hat in this is so full, and indeed meaty.
So I know it can be done.

I also think the ride cymbal should sound like a rail road crossing bell. (In a lot of instances.)
One of my favorite mics for ride has been a Sennheiser 409.
Lots of midrange clarity. Ding Ding Ding.

Happy Jazzing.
Jack
 
Re: Jazz Sound ...let's talk

Lee, from a player's perspective as a drummer, the best live jazz recorded mic sound I can recall getting from my kit was from a stereo VP88 overhead and an RE20 on kick. The overhead mic had an extra long boom on it, so that it was located directly above the kick beater, at least 6' in the air, and the RE20 was maybe 4" outside the reso head (which, yes, did have a hole in it, a hole the diameter of a Chock full o' Nuts can, ;) but in this low volume environment, the mic went outside - although purists can still kiss my ass).

The VP88 was closer in (and higher up, too) toward the snare and floor tom than the usual overheads, when one is using snare and tom mics, as well, but in this particular environment, the single stereo overhead sounded very realistic.
 
Last edited:
Re: Jazz Sound ...let's talk

John Norris said:
(which, yes, did have a hole in it, a hole the diameter of a Chock full o' Nuts can, ;) but in this low volume environment, the mic went outside - although purists can still kiss my ass).
Click to expand...

Is the chock full..... a technical term?
I gotta get out more.
Personally I prefer the Planters size hole.

And are the purists those that don't like holes, do like holes, or those that don't like kick drum mics? ;-)

Regards, Jack
 
Re: Jazz Sound ...let's talk

Jack Arnott said:
Is the chock full..... a technical term?
I gotta get out more.
Personally I prefer the Planters size hole.

And are the purists those that don't like holes, do like holes, or those that don't like kick drum mics? ;-) Regards, Jack
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone has ever accused me of being a purist but I have mixed the house sound and recorded many live jazz shows that included drum sets with no hole in the kick drum AND no kick drum mic and I can assure you that the kick drum was audible at the appropriate level both in the audience AND the recording.

Usually two or three mics on the drums, mono or stereo overhead and a mic over on the floor tom side, same distance from the center of the snare drum as the overhead(s).

Full disclosure, the drums are well tuned and well played, the venues were ones that had less than 500 seats and the stage volume was determined by the drummer's dynamics. No walls of Marshall amps and SVTs here ;-).
 
Re: Jazz Sound ...let's talk

Lee Brenkman said:
Full disclosure, the drums are well tuned and well played, the venues were ones that had less than 500 seats and the stage volume was determined by the drummer's dynamics. No walls of Marshall amps and SVTs here ;-).
Click to expand...

In this situation with drum mikes "Less is more." I did a show with The Coasters a couple of years ago and used a D112 on Kik and an SM57 as an overhead (I was a last minute hired gun and that is what the venue had) centered 5-6 feet above the kit. Unbelievable! I got comments all night on what a great mix it was including from the musicians in the other bands. There is NO substitute for tuning and playing. If you think about it, capturing the kit with a single mic in the right position is: a) balanced and b) in phase. I rolled off everything but the extreme lows on the kik mic and only used it to add a touch of low end to fill it out and make it bump on the more danceable tunes.
 
Re: Jazz Sound ...let's talk

Jack Arnott said:
Is the chock full..... a technical term?
I gotta get out more.
Personally I prefer the Planters size hole.

And are the purists those that don't like holes, do like holes, or those that don't like kick drum mics? ;-)

Regards, Jack
Click to expand...

Jack,
Hmm, yes, the technical term is the cfon (sea-fon). 1 cfon= 100mm or 3 15/16" in.

And in this context, the purists would be the NoHo jazz police - no hole, no way, never (no hole, never, no more). Which, true, for most jazz gigs, you don't NEED the hole, but orthodoxy is tedious. And certainly, by logical extension, the purest purist would not want mics. Nor electric bass, digital piano - any kind of electricity involved at all - so therefore, the ideal pure jazz band would play in front of a bandshell, under daylight or limelight. ; )
 
Top Bottom