Add the impact and excitement of a powerful horn section to your recordings.…

There’s nothing like a punchy horn section to add an extra dimension to a great rhythm track. Can you imagine such classics as Sam and Dave’s “Hold On I’m Coming” or Wilson Picket’s “Knock On Wood” without those driving horn lines? Of course not. They just wouldn’t be the same.
Maybe you’ve an unfinished track of your own that needs a lift. Well, instead of yet another synth pad why not write and record some horn parts? I’m serious! You don’t require a large studio with dozens of mics and the writing, if kept simple, needn’t be too difficult.

Plan ahead

In part 1 I discussed recording individual brass and reed instruments and how they can be double tracked to create the illusion of a larger section. Although good results can be achieved this way, it’s not a patch on a real thing - a horn section. The best of these work together regularly, as a team, perhaps as part of a band. They’ll be competent players with a professional outlook and used to working fast.

Now, as you probably know, project studios are often solitary environments where endless happy hours are spent working deep into the night. Who cares? It’s your own time, right? But invite a horn section along and your wasted time soon becomes their wasted time. The studio clock has a habit of racing once a session is underway. Before you can say Blood, Sweat and Tears, it’s all over and the horn section are driving to an evening gig leaving you with an unfinished track. So for a few hours at least, the humble project studio must become an altogether more professional place. You’ll need a little bit of extra equipment and most importantly, a plan of action.

Size doesn’t matter

First, decide how many and which instruments you want. The size of your wallet and studio floor space may well be the determining factor here. It doesn’t matter. A large section isn’t necessary to achieve a powerful sound. A lot can be done with just two players, usually a trumpet and sax. The Memphis Horns used four horns, two trumpets and two saxes. Chicago created a huge sound with just trumpet, sax and trombone. For the purposes of this article let’s assume you’ve chosen the latter line-up.

Okay, you’ve persuaded three horn players to play for free in lieu of the eventual paid session. What extra gear might you need? Headphones for a start. If you usually work alone, you may only have one set. You’ll need three more. One for each player. You needn’t spend a fortune. They’re easily damaged and are, after all, just for fold-back.

If you do decide to splash out, make sure you buy something robust. Beyer DT100s are the classic choice with replaceable leads and pads. You’ll also need either a headphone amplifier or splitter box with several outputs. Something like the Samson S-phone, a sturdy headphone amp with four channels, will do the job. A cheaper alternative might be a simple headphone splitter box such as the MTR PS-4.

Headphones - Recording three brass and saxophone players requires three sets of headphones for personal foldback. A closed-back design (no leakage), the AKG K 55 is up to the job and reasonably priced. Supplied with a practical 3 m single cable (not Y type).

Headphone amp - You’ll need a headphone amp. Ideal for feeding up to twelve sets of cans, the Samson S phone has four output channels, each with individual volume controls.

A cheap alternative is a headphone splitter. The MTR PS-4 provides a simple and effective means of splitting one headphone output to up to four sets of headphones.

What else might you need? Music stands. Most horn sections work from written music. Even if you haven’t prepared a chart they’ll probably sketch one out, on the spot, before they record. A stand for each player is best. You can pay a lot for these but the old fashioned fold-up variety are not expensive and do the job perfectly well. In fact many horn players own one of these. All you have to do is remind them to bring it with them.

Anything else? Chairs. Sit them down if possible. Pro studios record horns this way. Apart from the players usually preferring to play seated anyway, it keeps them from moving around. You don’t want dancing horns when you’re trying to record them.

Know the score

And so to the music itself - the dots. Now that’s where problems can arise. If you work with software such as Cubase or Logic, you can sequence the horn parts yourself, listen back and check the notes. That’s the easy part. Many non-reading musicians though, make the mistake of believing that the notes they actually play into the sequencer will automatically appear correctly in the score section of the program. Not so.
Yes, the sequencer will record the MIDI data and display it in a highly accurate fashion in the score editor. But that’s not necessarily the way it would be written down. For example, if an arranger was sitting beside you, writing down by hand everything you played into Cubase, it would look completely different to the sequencer display. That’s because he’s interpreting the music you played as musician friendly notation.

So, in order for the music to be readable by musicians, further editing is required. Providing the music is relatively uncomplicated, a basic knowledge of music theory is all that’s required to produce simple readable parts from Cubase or Logic.

Keep it simple

And how do you go about writing effective horn parts? As mentioned in last months article - when writing for horns keep it simple. Start with the lead line, usually assigned to the trumpet. Concentrate on writing something that sits well with the vocal. Use high notes sparingly, all the time keeping in mind the fact that you’re creating a background effect.

On an up tempo song, with a busy vocal, short, strategically placed rhythmic stabs might be effective. On a slow ballad long notes are usually more suitable, voiced as chords, as a backdrop for the vocal. A rule of thumb: limit the trumpet to G, just above the staff (G4 on a MIDI keyboard).

Once the main lead line is in place consider adding harmonies. Again if you’re inexperienced at this, keep it simple and don’t be afraid to exploit the power of unison. Doubled lines, an octave below the lead provide a powerful sectional sound on strong melodic lines (a typical Chicago trick). Reserve the harmonies for rhythmic stabs and high-points.

Which notes to choose? Another rule of thumb: in three part sectional harmony, have the outside parts (in this case, trumpet and trombone) form a duet and move together in parallel sixths where possible. Close harmony as opposed to open will provide a more solid sound. Dig out some old soul records and have a real close listen. You’ll discover that a lot of the horn writing is very simple, but amazingly effective.

A common beginner’s mistake is to write parts either too high or too low for the instruments. If you’re not ‘au fait’ with brass and reeds, find out their comfortable playing ranges before you write for them. It’s more effective that way.

Three against one

It’s quite logical I suppose to assume that with three players you need three mics in order to record three audio tracks and therefore gain more control when mixing. But hang on a minute. There isn’t much space in the average project studio. To achieve any degree of separation the mics would need to be spaced a fair distance apart and placed close to each instrument - not always the best way of recording brass instruments.

Apart from that, horn players generally prefer to be close to each other, in order to produce a tight performance. The result? Overspill and much the same thing being recorded on all three tracks. That’s put paid to the mixing control. Not only that, there’s a good chance of phase problems between the mics.
Another, far simpler method is to place a single condenser mic about 2m in front of and slightly above the players. If you’re recording a larger section, consider using a crossed stereo pair, also above and in front of them. Trumpets and trombones, being louder than saxophones, may have to move back a bit.

Aim for an even balance with no single instrument dominating. Not only is it easier to get a nice sound this way, you now have two more tracks for overdubs, later on. Refer to part one of this article, in last month’s issue, for a more detailed account of choosing and using microphones.

In the can

The next thing to consider is the player’s fold-back. What do they need to hear and how much? Well generally speaking they don’t need it too loud. When overdubbing in a section I use one side of the headphones only, leaving one ear uncovered. That way I can hear exactly how the others around me are phrasing, particularly the lead trumpet, because that’s the guy I have to follow. Give them all the essentials - drums, bass, rhythm guitar and keyboards. Avoid feeding them vocals or blistering guitar solos.

If there are solos to record (often best overdubbed later) the musician, just like many vocalists, may prefer to hear himself in the cans with a touch of reverb added. This is more likely to be requested by a sax player. I personally like it because the reverb encourages me to back off and play a leaner more economical solo. Less notes. That’s my excuse anyway.

Chop savers

They’ll need a rehearsal to sort out phrasing and bum notes. Use this time productively, to set your signal levels. As a precaution, ask them to play a short passage at the actual volume they’ll be pumping out on the take. Blowers expend a great deal of physical energy so make full use of modern technology and save their chops. They’ll be much happier and more co-operative as a result.

Look for opportunities to drop in and out when recording. If you’re using Cubase or Logic and there are repeated horn figures - a chorus perhaps - consider using cut and paste. Something else that saves time and frustration - leave the difficult bits until last. The same goes for solos.

If the mic is positioned correctly and the internal balance sorted out, the actual recording process should be a fairly painless business without the need for EQ or compression. Once the track’s down, particularly with a small horn section, things sometimes sound a little on the thin side. If that’s the case, and the players are willing, why not double track them (on a paid, commercial session this can cost a great deal of extra money). It’ll fatten things up for sure. If you’re recording in stereo, shuffle them about first to broaden the stereo picture.

Mixing

On reaching the mix it’s time to reconsider the case for compression. If you want that tight American sound, then go for it. How much compression you use though will depend on how well the horns were recorded in the first place. A noisy track is going to sound far worse with compression than without. In general, use fast attack and release times, but don’t overdo it. Good horn players go to great lengths to achieve a tight performance. Don’t destroy it by ruining their natural attack.

EQ? This is where excessive tinkering will spoil the sound of brass and reed instruments. If they sound good (and they should if you’ve recorded them carefully) leave it alone. Use it only when necessary.
What about effects? Think about it. Do you really want to add chorus or flanging to a stonking horn section? I thought not. You may, however, want to add a touch of reverb. But be careful. Too much will ruin the punch and attack so carefully captured until now. Choose a pre-set, a small or medium room, maybe a small hall and take it from there. Send just enough to provide a natural sound.

Consider this

Within this article (part 2) and part 1, I’ve covered most aspects of recording horns and woodwind. The one thing I can’t do is provide the experience. Get writing and consider this: with all the demos containing sampled sounds landing on the A & R people’s desks, a real live horn section might just send a tingle down their corporate spines and tip the balance your way. I wish you luck.

Copyright 2006 Keith Gemmell

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