The past year has been challenging in many ways, and because of quarantine and restrictions it has not been possible to play concerts, teach in person or attend lessons. Therefore, more and more have started to record at home, either to send to their teacher for feedback, to post on social media, to host a virtual home concert or to send recordings for competitions. But if you are not used to record at home, it can be a struggle to find a reed that sounds good on the recording. There are a few factors to bear in mind, in order to get the best quality recording you possible can. Read here for my tips on what to consider when choosing the best reed for home recording.
What kind of equipment will you be recording with?
I highly recommend using a zoom recorder for home recording. I myself have a Zoom H1 that I have been using for years, and I am still very happy with the result. If you have good recording equipment, like a zoom recorder or any other good recorder, it will be more forgiving with the sound. But if you do not have a recorder, you can still use your phone, but this will pick up the high overtones of your sound a lot more. Therefore, I would recommend choosing a reed that has a mellow and dark sound to compensate for the quality of the phone recorder. If you use a high-quality recorder, it is better at recording the sound how it actually sounds, and because of this you don’t need to compensate as much by choosing a very mellow sounding reed. In this case it is a good choice with a very flexible reed, so you are able to play all dynamics and articulations, and the recorder will be able to show these differences. If you record with a high-quality recorder it is also easier to edit the sound in an editing program afterwards, if you wish and if you are allowed. But I do not recommend editing the sound of your recording, if the purpose of the recording is to send for a competition or sending to your teacher for feedback. In these cases, the jury or teacher needs to be able evaluate your performance according to how you actually play.
From what distance will you be recording?
Another thing to be mindful of, is how far away your recorder will be. If you will be recording in a very big room or hall, you will be able to play on a reed that is brighter in the sound and has more projection. I recommend playing on these kinds of reed whenever possible, since these kinds of reeds work better in concerts as soloist or in orchestra and they tend to be more flexible. But it is good to experiment with the placement of the recorder, to see from which distance you sound the best. It is good to place it as far from yourself as possible to get the clearest sound and the least trash from your sound, but don’t place it too far so your articulation is still clear and not blurring together.
If you will be recording in a smaller room and the recorder will be close to you, you will need a reed that is very dark in the sound and less projecting. By choosing a reed with these qualities, your sound will be beautiful in the recording, but I do not recommend these kinds of reeds for concerts, because it can be very hard to project enough to reach the back row of the audience. Before recording I recommend testing out different reeds and different placements of the recorder, to see what combination works the best for you and the piece you play.
What kind of acoustic will you be playing in?
If you will play in a room with a lot of acoustic, you can choose a reed that is brighter and smaller in the sound, and the acoustic will make your sound come together as darker and bigger. If you choose a reed that already has a dark sound, it might sound blurred together and not clear enough in the recording.
On the other hand, if you will be recording in a small room with a dry acoustic, i.e. your living room, it is a good idea to choose a reed that has a dark sound and that does not project a lot. This way your sound will be very beautiful and clear in the recording.
Summary
If you record in a small room with dry acoustic: choose a reed that has a dark sound and does not project much. Place the recorder as far from you in the room as possible, i.e. 2-3m, and if possible don’t play directly towards the recorder.
If you record in a big room or hall with a lot of reverberation: choose a reed that has a brighter sound and more projection. Place the recorder far from yourself, but not too far, i.e. in the middle of the room.
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