Saxophones
Tenor saxophone
The existing entry adds "a ribbon suits the breathy ballad sound, a dynamic the rock honk"; no source I opened says this. Schulze (Recording Magazine) names "alto/tenor" together and gives a foot from the bell at 45 degrees up, or a second mic 6 in below the bell.1
Also called tenor saxophone.
Part of the Saxophones family; that family's advice shows here too.
- Range
- Ab2–E5
- Overtones to
- about 5.9 kHz
- Peaks up close
- up to 113 dB SPL
- Sources
- 10 (7 independent)
Mics sources recommend
23 setups from 10 sources, 7 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
Room
- Coles 40381 independent source
Named, no placement given
- Coles 40381 source, 0 independent
- Electro-Voice RE201 independent source
- Neumann U 871 independent source
- Royer R-121 maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
- Sennheiser MD 4211 independent source
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 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, cardioid (type only)1 independent source
The 15 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Room Saxophones advice Coles 4038room 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 87studio, 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 RE20studio, listed as fine
Pete Thomas: RE20 and the Sennheiser 421 are fine for saxophone recording (paraphrase).
2 - Close Saxophones advice Sennheiser MD 421studio, 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 SM58distance, 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.
4 - Close Saxophones advice Electro-Voice RE20 or Coles 4038 or Sennheiser MD 421close, 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).
4 - Close Saxophones advice Shure SM58close
Some of my most cherished sax sounds were recorded with a Shure SM58 (saxophones in general).
4 - Close Saxophones advice Neumann U 87 or Electro-Voice RE20 or Coles 4038 or Sennheiser MD 421 or Shure SM58close
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).
4 - 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).
1 - Named, no placement given Saxophones advice Royer R-121comparison, Albini against the Coles 4038
Albini compared the R-121 and Coles 4038 on saxophone on a demo CD (page gives no verdict).
5 - Named, no placement given Saxophones advice Coles 4038comparison, Albini against the R-121
Albini compared the R-121 and Coles 4038 on saxophone on a demo CD (page gives no verdict).
5 - 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).
6 - 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).
6 - 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).
7 - 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).
8
Studio and stage
Named, no placement given
- Shure SM571 independent source
- Shure SM581 independent source
Close
- DPA 4006ES (variant of the DPA 4006A) maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
- Shure SM571 independent source
The 4 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- 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.
9 - Close Saxophones advice Shure SM57budget, 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 SM58budget
Mentioned about 3 times by my tally as the dynamic alternative (paraphrase).
3
On stage
Clip-on
- DPA 4099 CORE+ maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
- Shure PGA98H maker's advice1 source, 0 independent
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.
9 - 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).
9 - Clip-on Saxophones advice Shure PGA98Hclip-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).
10 - Close Saxophones advice Shure SM137close, a few inches from the bell
The sax is like the human voice, so a shaped-response (vocal) mic works well (paraphrase).
10
Range
Ab2 to about E511104 Hz – 659 Hz
B-flat tenor; sounds a major ninth below written (written Bb3-F#6). Altissimo goes higher.
| Low | Ab2–B3 | full, heavy; honks at the bottom |
|---|---|---|
| Upper | C4–E5 | singing, can be edgy |
| Altissimo | F5–C6 | thin, piercing |
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 5.9 kHz (the highest harmonic within 40 dB of the strongest, at a moderate level; louder playing reaches higher)12.
The sound
Rich in harmonics: many stay within 10-15 dB of the strongest up to 3 kHz, which is why the tenor cuts through.
Recording it
- Where: above and in front, aimed at the middle of the body or just below it; the bell gives mostly the highs and alone sounds hard and characterless
- Distance: about 45 cm (18 in) to 1 m
- Mics: a cardioid large-diaphragm condenser; a large dynamic for a fuller, softer sound
- Watch: key noise (angle toward the upper rim of the bell), level changes when the player moves, very loud peaks close to the bell
- Mics: a ribbon suits the breathy ballad sound, a dynamic the rock honk6,15
Estimate: Not found in the sources checked (general practice): Mics.
Playing techniques
- Subtone: soft, breathy, dark
- Growl: humming while playing, a rough buzz
- Altissimo: notes above the normal range, thin and piercing
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 dB | at 3 m; UK Sound Advice table of representative noise levels, row 'Saxophone' (single musician) secondary13 |
| 71–102 dB(Z) | at 1 m; Tenor saxophone, derived from the TU Berlin sound power values estimate14 |
| Peaks | |
| 113 dB | not stated (peak column of the same table); UK Sound Advice table of representative noise levels, row 'Saxophone' secondary13 |
| Dynamic range | |
| 31 dB(Z) | sound power, whole range; Tenor saxophone, Weinzierl et al. 2018, Table I estimate14 |
| Sound power | |
| 82–113 dB(Z) | sound power level Lw (dB re 1 pW), not a sound pressure at a distance; Tenor saxophone, single notes over the whole range played as soft and as loud as possible, anechoic chamber TU Berlin, 32-mic spherical array14 |
Sources
- Recording Magazine: Miking the Horn Section
- Cafe Saxophone: Recording saxophones (Pete Thomas, 2025)
- HomeRecording.com forum: Which microphone to studio record a saxophone?
- Recording Magazine: Miking Brass and Winds
- Royer Labs library: Steve Albini microphone comparisons
- Sound On Sound: Q. How do I mike up woodwind instruments? (Hugh Robjohns, Nov 2003)
- Sound On Sound: Q. How do I record brass in the home studio?
- Yamaha Hub: Recording Acoustic Instruments, Part 3
- DPA Mic University: How to mic a saxophone
- Shure: How to Choose the Best Mics for Brass, Wind, and String Instruments
- Wikipedia: Saxophone (written range, transpositions, high F#, low A on baritone)
- MTG Solo Saxophones (Music Technology Group, UPF, via Freesound; SFZ by kinwie), CC BY 4.0; own FFT analysis
- Representative noise levels table with orchestra noise guidance (UK Sound Advice material)
- JASA: Sound power and timbre as cues for the dynamic strength of orchestral instruments (Weinzierl, Lepa, Schultz, Detzner, von Coler, Behler)
- Sound On Sound: Recording Brass & Reeds