07-23-2019, 10:45 PM
(07-23-2019, 03:04 PM)Michael Willis Wrote:(07-23-2019, 02:46 AM)Samulis Wrote: with a tuner nearby or drone (quietly) played back over headphones
Do I understand correctly that the purpose of a drone would be to serve as a frame of reference to harmonize against, to avoid a wobbly pitch?
Should I monitor the mic input over the headphones at the same time, or just go by what I can hear from the instrument?
Something weird about playing a wind instrument is that it becomes a sort of extension to your own body. With the mouthpiece so close to the jaw, I'm convinced that the sound resonates through the skull and into the inner ear, so the player hears a different sound than the audience. I feel like it's the same phenomenon that surprises people when they first hear a recording of their own voice; it sounds different from the outside.
The drone or tuner would help avoid pitch drift and pitch waver, yes. You could change the drone for each note, or use a fixed drone (such as for a diatonic sampling, where it is easy and normal to play in harmony... although note that the 'just intonation' of playing in tune with a drone would be different from the equal tempered sound, so it would need to be lightly tuned in post, but regardless waver would be very well controlled).
I normally do not monitor with headphones, unless I am having trouble hearing the instrument or am concerned about outside noises in far mics. Regardless it is always a good idea to do a few test recordings and listen back to them on headphones before proceeding, to ensure the mic placement is not too close or too far, or in a bad spot as to pick up unwanted resonances or emphasize too much of one aspect of the tone.
I think all instruments sound different to the player- trombones, trumpets, and horns are all the same way. Sitting with the bell facing away from you gives a warmer, fuller sense of the instruments' tone.
Sample library developer, composer, and amateur organologist at Versilian Studios.