Mic Archive

Saxophones

Baritone saxophone

Saxophones: Soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophone. Many sources write for 'sax' in general, so their advice is filed here and shows on each member's page.

Also called baritone saxophone.

Part of the Saxophones family; that family's advice shows here too.

Range
C2–A4
Overtones to
about 5 kHz
Peaks up close
up to 113 dB SPL
Sources
11 (8 independent)

Recommended mics

Mics sources recommend

27 setups from 11 sources, 8 of them independent of any mic maker. Each mic shows how many sources name it for that role, and how many of those are independent. Listed alphabetically: there is no ranking.

Studio and stage

Spot

  • one mic is not enough (type-level note)1 source, 0 independent

Named, no placement given

Close

  • DPA 4006ES (variant of the DPA 4006A) maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
  • Shure SM571 independent source
The 5 setups behind this: placement and quotes
  • Spot one mic is not enough (type-level note)
    spot, away from the instrument
    On larger saxophones like the baritone, one microphone cannot cover all the sound holes (paraphrase).1
  • Named, no placement given Saxophones advice Shure SM57
    Pete Thomas calls the SM57/SM58 a great versatile mic that needs no phantom power (paraphrase).2
  • Close Saxophones advice DPA 4006ES (variant of the DPA 4006A)
    close, beside the bell on the player's right
    The spot slightly to the player's right-hand side, next to the bell, is a good starting position.1
  • Close Saxophones advice Shure SM57
    budget, close
    Most-mentioned mic in the thread (about 7 posters by my tally); aim more at the body of the sax for a warmer sound (paraphrase).3
  • Named, no placement given Saxophones advice Shure SM58
    budget
    Mentioned about 3 times by my tally as the dynamic alternative (paraphrase).3

Studio

Close

  • Coles 40381 independent source
  • Electro-Voice RE201 independent source
  • Neumann U 871 independent source
  • Rode NT11 independent source
  • Sennheiser MD 4212 independent sources
  • Shure SM581 independent source
  • close mic at the bell (type only)1 independent source
  • condenser or dynamic (type only)1 independent source
  • condenser or ribbon (type only)1 independent source
  • large dynamic (type only)1 independent source
  • large-diaphragm cardioid condenser (type only)1 independent source
  • large-diaphragm condenser or dynamic (type only)1 independent source
  • large-diaphragm condenser, cardioid (type only)1 independent source

Room

Named, no placement given

The 18 setups behind this: placement and quotes
  • Close condenser or dynamic (type only)
    close, about 6 in from the bell, slightly off axis
    Position your mic about 6 inches off the bell, slightly off-axis (baritone).4
  • Close Rode NT1 or Neumann U 87
    close, 12-18 in, between bell and left hand
    The RODE NT1 is rapidly becoming my new weapon of choice for tenor and baritone saxes (as well as bass clarinet). ... Personal favorites include the Neumann U 87 condenser, the Electro-Voice RE20 dynamic, and the Coles 4038 ribbon (saxophones in general).5
  • Close large-diaphragm condenser or dynamic (type only)
    close, 12-18 in from the horn, aimed between bell end and left hand
    Mic 12 to 18 inches away from the horn, aimed at a point equidistant between the end of the bell and the player's left hand.5
  • Room Saxophones advice Coles 4038
    room ambience must be good
    Pete Thomas (saxophonist and producer): Coles 4038 is great for saxophones (paraphrase).2
  • Named, no placement given Saxophones advice Neumann U 87
    studio, listed among suitable condensers
    Pete Thomas lists U87 and U47 among studio condensers suitable for sax (paraphrase).2
  • Named, no placement given Saxophones advice Sennheiser MD 421 or Electro-Voice RE20
    studio, listed as fine
    Pete Thomas: RE20 and the Sennheiser 421 are fine for saxophone recording (paraphrase).2
  • Close Saxophones advice Sennheiser MD 421
    studio, close
    Praised for smooth tones by two posters (paraphrase).3
  • Close Saxophones advice Neumann U 87 or Electro-Voice RE20 or Coles 4038 or RODE NT1 or Shure SM58
    distance, 12-18 in, aimed between the bell end and the player's left hand
    A well-balanced portrait of the sax's whole range is usually attained 12 to 18 inches from the horn.5
  • Close Saxophones advice Electro-Voice RE20 or Coles 4038 or Sennheiser MD 421
    close, 12-18 in
    Personal favorites include the Neumann U 87 condenser, the Electro-Voice RE20 dynamic, and the Coles 4038 ribbon (saxophones in general). ... You can't go wrong with a Sennheiser MD 421 (saxophones in general).5
  • Close Saxophones advice Shure SM58
    close
    Some of my most cherished sax sounds were recorded with a Shure SM58 (saxophones in general).5
  • Close Saxophones advice Neumann U 87 or Electro-Voice RE20 or Coles 4038 or Sennheiser MD 421 or Shure SM58
    close
    Personal favorites include the Neumann U 87 condenser, the Electro-Voice RE20 dynamic, and the Coles 4038 ribbon (saxophones in general). ... You can't go wrong with a Sennheiser MD 421 (saxophones in general). ... Some of my most cherished sax sounds were recorded with a Shure SM58 (saxophones in general).5
  • Close Saxophones advice large-diaphragm cardioid condenser (type only)
    distance, about 1 ft from the bell, 45 degrees up; or a second mic about 6 in below the bell
    One foot from the bell at about 45 degrees up; or two mics, one above the keys and one below the bell (paraphrase).6
  • Named, no placement given Saxophones advice Royer R-121
    comparison, Albini against the Coles 4038
    Albini compared the R-121 and Coles 4038 on saxophone on a demo CD (page gives no verdict).7
  • Named, no placement given Saxophones advice Coles 4038
    comparison, Albini against the R-121
    Albini compared the R-121 and Coles 4038 on saxophone on a demo CD (page gives no verdict).7
  • Close Saxophones advice large-diaphragm condenser, cardioid (type only)
    distance, 18 in, aimed just below the middle of the body
    Large-diaphragm condenser about 18 inches away, aimed just below the midpoint (paraphrase).8
  • Close Saxophones advice large dynamic (type only)
    distance, 18 in, aimed just below the middle of the body
    Large dynamic microphones offer a fuller, softer alternative (paraphrase).8
  • Close Saxophones advice close mic at the bell (type only)
    close, very close to the upturned bell, pop style
    In pop music sax mics sit very close to the upturned bells, for a bright, raspy sound (paraphrase).9
  • Close Saxophones advice condenser or ribbon (type only)
    distance, about 18 in, over the bell aimed at the middle of the keys
    Both condenser and ribbon mics do a good job; aim over the bell at the middle of the keys (paraphrase).10

On stage

Clip-on

Close

  • DPA 4011ES (variant of the DPA 4011A) maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
  • Shure SM137 maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
The 4 setups behind this: placement and quotes
  • Clip-on Saxophones advice DPA 4099 CORE+
    clip-on, on the bell (saxophone clip STC4099)
    4099 CORE+ with the STC4099 saxophone clip listed as the directional instrument option.1
  • Close Saxophones advice DPA 4011ES (variant of the DPA 4011A)
    close, beside the bell, for isolation on a noisy stage
    Directional (cardioid) mics isolate the sax from stage noise but bring proximity effect (paraphrase).1
  • Clip-on Saxophones advice Shure PGA98H
    clip-on, a few inches from the bell
    A few inches from and aiming at the bell gives a bright sound with reduced feedback and leakage (paraphrase).11
  • Close Saxophones advice Shure SM137
    close, a few inches from the bell
    The sax is like the human voice, so a shaped-response (vocal) mic works well (paraphrase).11

Range

C2 to about A41265.4 Hz – 440 Hz

E-flat baritone with low-A key; sounds an octave and a major sixth below written (written A3-F#6). Without low A: Db2.

LowC2–E3huge, buzzy
UpperF3–A4firm, horn-like
AltissimoBb4–E5thin

Written registers: low B-flat3-C#5 (no octave key), upper D5-F#6 (octave key), altissimo above; converted to sounding pitch. Boundaries are the usual fingering split, not a sharp change in tone.

Overtones reach about 5 kHz (the highest harmonic within 40 dB of the strongest, at a moderate level; louder playing reaches higher)13.

The sound

The fundamental is well below the strongest harmonics (here 13 dB under the 3rd); energy stays high up to many harmonics, giving the buzz.

Where the sound goes

Bell and tone holes together; Ross's "bell/tone hole blend" and aim point between the bell and the left hand say so.5

Recording it

How loud

Sound pressure level measurements as published. Different kinds of figure (a playing level, a peak, a dose at the player's ear) can't be compared with each other, and neither can figures at different distances.

Playing level
75–110 dBat 3 m; UK Sound Advice table of representative noise levels, row 'Saxophone' (single musician) secondary14
Peaks
113 dBnot stated (peak column of the same table); UK Sound Advice table of representative noise levels, row 'Saxophone' secondary14
Sound power
114.6 dBmaximum sound power level Lw (re 1 pW), no distance; Sengpielaudio table of maximum possible sound power, row 'Bass-Saxophon' secondary15

Only the one "saxophone" line, 75-110 dB at 3 m, peak 113 dB, in the Sound Advice table. Nothing specific to baritone.14

Sources

  1. DPA Mic University: How to mic a saxophonemanufacturer · dpamicrophones.com
  2. Cafe Saxophone: Recording saxophones (Pete Thomas, 2025)engineer · cafesaxophone.com
  3. HomeRecording.com forum: Which microphone to studio record a saxophone?forum · homerecording.com
  4. Production Expert: Free woodwind and sax recording techniques (2020)magazine · production-expert.com
  5. Recording Magazine: Miking Brass and WindsBob Ross · magazine · recordingmag.com
  6. Recording Magazine: Miking the Horn SectionMichael Schulze · magazine · recordingmag.com
  7. Royer Labs library: Steve Albini microphone comparisonsmanufacturer · royerlabs.com
  8. Sound On Sound: Q. How do I mike up woodwind instruments? (Hugh Robjohns, Nov 2003)magazine · soundonsound.com
  9. Sound On Sound: Q. How do I record brass in the home studio?Paul White and Hugh Robjohns · magazine · 2008-03 · soundonsound.com
  10. Yamaha Hub: Recording Acoustic Instruments, Part 3Mike Levine · magazine · 2022 · hub.yamaha.com
  11. Shure: How to Choose the Best Mics for Brass, Wind, and String Instrumentsmanufacturer · shure.com
  12. Wikipedia: Saxophone (written range, transpositions, high F#, low A on baritone)reference · en.wikipedia.org
  13. MTG Solo Saxophones (Music Technology Group, UPF, via Freesound; SFZ by kinwie), CC BY 4.0; own FFT analysisgithub.com
  14. Representative noise levels table with orchestra noise guidance (UK Sound Advice material)eclass-b.uoa.gr
  15. Sengpielaudio (UdK Berlin): Stoerquelle - Musikinstrument? (maximum sound power of instruments)Eberhard Sengpiel · educational · 2006-05 · sengpielaudio.com