Annie

If you've been wondering why I haven't posted in forever...or have no idea who I am - I've been busy directing bands & joining up with an R&B/Blues band...

So, does anyone have any suggestions when playing & writing for an R&B/Blues Band? Any idea what kind of Mic I should sooner or later invest in?

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~Annie

*I may not be great yet, but I'm working hard on it and one day I'm gonna be there.*

Vulgano Brother

Hi Annie!

By writing for an "R&B/Blues band" are you talking about horn parts? What is your instrumentation?

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www.letsbuildhope.org

Annie

Yup - writing horn parts. Instrumentation is pretty easy too - trumpet & tenor sax.

__________________
~Annie

*I may not be great yet, but I'm working hard on it and one day I'm gonna be there.*

trumpetfunk

Hi:

I've played (and still do play) in several R&B bands & have over 100 charts, many for just two horns. If you tire of doing your own charts & need something, check with me (PM or eMail) and I may have it for a small fee.

As far as a mic, the best low cost investment is a Shure SM57. It's the standard horn mic. There are better ones, but this is the workhorse and is, good place to start and you can use it for many other things if you replace it with a better one. They have great resale value too as they are so versatile & sought after, though not rare (ie you may find one used for under $100).

Learn to use the mic to your advantage. If you move in tight (ie within an inch or so) you'll get a huge boost in dynamics & richness in lows. This is due to the 57's "Proximity" effect. Other times, you may want to back away for quieter sections and even if you're going for a high note at a high acoustic volume where you don't need a proximity boost.

Later on, you may wish to move to a clip-on (or not). The clip on will not have a proximity effect but the advantage is clarity of sound and you can do some moves without worrying about playing in to the mic.

One thing I found was not to use a clip-on (or other condensor mic) unless the rest of the section does. One of my learning experiences, was when the saxes were using 57s (dynamic mics) and I was on my clip-on (condensor mic), my sound was quite different & didn't blend with the saxes. Now, this was later when I listened to a recording but I presume it may have sounded that way at the venue too.

You might also move to a more expensive dynamic mic instead, like a Sennheisser MD421 or an Electrovoice RE20.

Also, don't ever let them (the band) place you in front of guitar or bass amps on stage.

Lastly, make sure you have good monitors for the horn section, separate from the vocals/band mix. If not, make a plexiglass reflector (or buy one if you choose, they're easy to make).

Anyhow, there are also a few older threads about mics which you may want to check out.

Good luck.

Vulgano Brother

We used the good 'ol SM57's back in the 70's--they were the standard then, and they are road tested. Good choice, and cheap, too.

As for writing, you can use the tenor sax like a baritone outside the section rhythms, anticipating the punches. You have your choice between providing a sustained background or "hooks." You can write in thirds, not transposing the tenor (that will get you a nifty drop-two voicing) and still get a full sound.

Other than that--try stuff out, and have fun!

__________________
www.letsbuildhope.org

Annie

Thank you Vulgano & trumpetfunk!

Also - trumpetfunk - I am not looking to buy charts, I am writing them.

__________________
~Annie

*I may not be great yet, but I'm working hard on it and one day I'm gonna be there.*