When miking a full horn section, engineers often use one R-121 per musician at a distance of 1 to 2 feet. Grouping two players on one mic also works well – the off-axis response of a good ribbon is excellent, so having two on one mic can yield great results.   Once you’ve spot miked the instruments, adding an overall section microphone can add greatly to the fullness and cohesiveness of your recording. Royer SF-12 and SF-24 stereo ribbon mics do a beautiful job. Position the mic over and in front of the section, then position to taste. Consider how much room sound you want, since this will determine how close you position the mic.   R-121’s on brass section on Sony scoring stage, Los Angeles. Brass section setup for Arturo Sandoval big band. Four R-121’s on trumpets and four R-121’s on trombones. 2007 Academy Award pre-records at Capitol Studios, Los Angeles. Brass section recorded with four R-122V’s on trumpets, four R-121’s on trombones. SF-24 active stereo ribbon mic used for the room mic during the 2007 Academy Award recordings.