What is the best way to add distortion to brass instruments?

Question

I am a trombonist, and I am thinking about adding distortion and running other effects as well for live performances. I would need to move about while performing with it. Thank you for your advice!

I would like to have a light weight mike that would attach to my bell, and run through pedals, like a guitarist in a rock band. I would like to have the "intensity" of sound without having to blow my brains out!

Answer 1

If you are using a Mic. you could do alot. If not then try making something that attaches to the front of your horn, and put springs or some other vibratable material to that.

Answer 2

a clip mic (say, a shure beta 98H/C) running to an FX box then to something like a guitar amp. You can use any FX box at that point to do any effect you'd like. usually, you'd need 1/4 connectors on the cables, so check the mic (which probably is XLR/3 Pin) and make sure you've got a cable that can go from XLR to 1/4. just have enough cable handy to wander around.

Shure does make a PGX14/Beta 98H wireless system as well, but that'd cost a lot more money(as well as having to patch things much differently). you might be able to run the Out from the wireless receiver to the In on the FX peddle, than out to the amp. If you're going into a "house" system with an engineer, you'll have to patch things yet another way.

For peddles, you'll have to go talk to a guitar player. heh, sorry, but i'm an audio engineer, trombonist, and composer...FX peddles are just barely outside my expertise.

Answer 3

I think, before putting too much effort into making an object that attaches to your instrument you should think about control. After all, you'll need a method to control the distortion, kind of an on and off method. Is this to be done by temporarily removing the object with your hands - like done with the trumpet. Can you easily reach it to place and remove it rapidly.
Just remember the key to having distortion is not having it present throughout a song - it is done sparingly, perhaps through a specific section to emphasize that part, for example. So I restate that control has to be figured out foremost.

Answer 4

I saw a trombonist doing that last month. He had a sort of black-bag contraption dangling from the bell, and from it a standard 1/4 inch cable plug to a sound processor. I'm supposing he had a regular microphone inside the bag.

I've experimented with clip-on mics and unless you get a high-quality one, they're prone to pick up unwanted sounds from the instrument. You don't want the sound to include the soft hiss of the slide working, or occasional clicks from you touching with your left hand--or maybe you do, but not always :-)

You might get a lot more information about this sort of thing if you join the Yahoo! group "oddmusic". A wealth of information ranging from circuit-bending to wierd ethnic instruments.

Answer 5

Like someone else has suggested, what kind of "distortion" are you meaning? Electronic or through other props? There are hundreds of mutes from which to choose that allow the trombone to create amazing sounds, and there are tons of programs that you can utilize to electronically alter your sound.
Many, many 20th century composers are utilizing electronics for solos and related, and they've coined and used dozens of mind-boggling techniques. Often, it's a computer program where you tap a pedal and it sends a command to the computer to engage in a certain program for each tap you give.

If you can give us more specifics on what you're looking for, we can better help you.

Answer 6

You'll have to clarify what you mean by "running other effects"; do you mean electronically? If so, obviously you'll need a clip-on mic, and if your moving far and/or amongst other objects (or people), you'll need to do it wirelessly, in which case you'll have to buy a beltpack and receiver... you'll then have to specify what kind of budget you're willing to work with. :)

Answer 7

Most want perfection to be added. Play wrong, it becoimes distorrtion, lively..