Microphones are the most important recording equipment for saxophones or any musical instrument.
They determine the quality of the recorded sound of the instrument and the better mic you use the better result you get.
So, choosing a good and high-quality microphone for your saxophone is critical for creating good-sounding sax songs.
What’s The Best Saxophone Microphone?
If you want to find the best saxophone microphones to use with your instrument, here are my recommendations.
1. Audio Technica AT2040
Features
AT2040 by Audio Technica is a perfect microphone for sax. It’s a very affordable mic that is great for beginner recording engineers or home studio owners. I love Audio Technica gear and own a couple of their headphones and a record player.
This is a dynamic mic with a hypercardioid polar pattern and frequency range of 80Hz-16kHz which is perfect for sax and woodwind instruments. I have used this not only saxophone but also string instruments and vocals and captures sound perfectly.
2. Electro Voice RE20
Features
Although Electro Voice RE20 might be a little expensive saxophone mic, I recommend it to anyone who needs a good microphone to record. The quality you get is superb and it can be used for various instruments and vocal performances.
RE20 has a cardioid polar pattern and is a dynamic microphone that doesn’t require phantom power. My friend uses it on instruments such as guitar and I have tested it for sax and the result was amazing. I have recorded several sax tracks with it since then.
3. Shure SM57
Features
Shure SM57 is one of the most used microphones for recording any musical instruments and is one of the best saxophone microphones as well. This is a very affordable mic with great sound capabilities and overall sound quality.
This particular microphone is a dynamic mic with a cardioid polar pattern and covers the frequency range from 40Hz to 15kHz. I have used SM57 hundreds of times to record saxophone or other woodwind instruments and it works perfectly.
4. AKG C414
Features
AKG C414 is another great saxophone microphone that offers amazing sound. It perfectly captures sax or other woodwind instrument sound and you can use it in a live recording too.
It’s a condenser microphone that has various polar pattern options which is perfect for recording sessions. C414 frequency range spans from 20Hz to 20kHz and is perfect for recording multiple instruments at the same time.
Conclusion
These are some of the best microphones for saxophones I have owned or used throughout the years. Each mic will work great in a studio environment and also, and you can freely use them in live performances.
