Clarinet
- Range
- D3–Bb6
- Overtones to
- about 5.4 kHz
- Peaks up close
- up to 127 dB SPL
- Sources
- 107 independent: not from a mic maker
Range
D3 to about Bb611147 Hz – 1.86 kHz
B-flat clarinet; sounds a major second below written (written E3-C7). VSL: orchestral top about G6.
| Chalumeau | D3–E4 | dark, full, warm; strong odd harmonics |
|---|---|---|
| Throat | F4–Ab4 | weaker, duller; few overtones |
| Clarion | A4–Bb5 | bright, lustrous, compact |
| Altissimo | B5–Bb6 | piercing and shrill toward the top |
Traditional written boundaries (chalumeau to F#4, throat G4-Bb4, clarion B4-C6, altissimo from C#6) shifted down a major second. VSL groups the clarion and lower altissimo as one "upper register" A4-F6 and calls Gb6-Bb6 the highest register.
Overtones reach about 5.4 kHz (the highest harmonic within 40 dB of the strongest, at a moderate level; louder playing reaches higher)12.
The sound
A cylindrical bore closed at the reed end behaves like a stopped pipe, so in the low register the even harmonics are weak (here the 2nd is 40 dB down); higher up the even harmonics come back.
Where the sound goes
SOS: most of the sound comes from the unstopped finger holes, so aiming at the bell misses about 70 percent of the harmonic range. DPA says the bass clarinet radiates like a saxophone, with bell and tone holes both contributing. Agrees with the existing entry.5,1
Playing techniques
- Glissando: a smooth slide, easiest in the upper register
- Subtone: soft, breathy, fewer harmonics
- Multiphonics and flutter-tonguing: rough, several pitches11
Estimate: Not found in the sources checked (general practice): Subtone.
Good to know
- Twelfth: it overblows at the twelfth (the 3rd harmonic), not the octave, so each register needs new fingerings; the throat notes in between are the weak spot11
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 | |
|---|---|
| 68–82 dB | at 3 m; UK Sound Advice table of representative noise levels, row 'Clarinet' (single musician) secondary13 |
| 85–114 dB | not stated; hearingconservation.org decibel chart, 'Sound Levels of Music' secondary14 |
| 42–99 dB(Z) | at 1 m; Modern Bb clarinet, derived from the TU Berlin sound power values estimate15 |
| Peaks | |
| 112 dB | not stated (peak column of the same table); UK Sound Advice table of representative noise levels, row 'Clarinet' secondary13 |
| 96–105 dB(A) | at the player; same study, LASmax (slow) per rehearsal or concert16 |
| 113–127 dB(C) | at the player; same study, LCpeak per rehearsal or concert16 |
| Dynamic range | |
| 57 dB(Z) | sound power, whole range; Modern Bb clarinet, Weinzierl et al. 2018, Table I estimate15 |
| Player's exposure (dosimeter) | |
| 81–90 dB(A) | at the player (meters on tripods with microphones close to the players); Polish opera and symphony orchestras, group rehearsals, concerts and performances; 18 samples16 |
| 80.7–88 dB(A) | dosimeter on the student; Classical music students (Portugal), classes with instrument practice, dosimeter over two weeks17 |
| Sound power | |
| 107 dB | maximum sound power level Lw (re 1 pW), no distance; Sengpielaudio table of maximum possible sound power, row 'Klarinette' secondary18 |
| 53–110 dB(Z) | sound power level Lw (dB re 1 pW), not a sound pressure at a distance; Modern Bb clarinet, single notes over the whole range played as soft and as loud as possible, anechoic chamber TU Berlin, 32-mic spherical array15 |
| 69–102 dB(Z) | sound power level Lw (dB re 1 pW), repertoire-weighted average; Modern Bb clarinet, pp and ff sound power averaged over the range, weighted by how often each pitch occurs in Beethoven's symphonies15 |
The UK Sound Advice table of representative noise levels gives 68-82 dB at 3 m with a peak of 112 dB; an unsourced chart gives 85-114 dB with no distance. These disagree by a wide margin; I trust neither fully. The clarinet dosimeter failed in the RCM student study, so it gives nothing.13,14,19
Recording it
- Where: level with the top half of the instrument, aimed at the lower tone holes; most of the sound comes from the body, not the bell
- Distance: about 45 cm (18 in) close up; 1-2 m for a natural sound
- Mics: sources disagree: small-diaphragm condensers (SOS 2005, DPA) or large-diaphragm condensers (Recording Magazine, SOS 2003). Avoid presence peaks, which emphasise the squawk
- Watch: key noise close up, and the wide dynamic range1,5,4,3
Mics
- 18 setups from 10 sources, 7 of them independent of any mic maker.
- On top: the mics more than one source names for this instrument, in any role, the most named first. That is a count of sources, not our verdict.
- In the full list, each mic shows how many sources name it for that role, and how many of those come from a mic maker.
All the mics sources name, by setting and role (11)
Studio
Spot
Close
- beyerdynamic M 1601 source
- Neumann U 871 source
- RODE NT11 source
The 11 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Spot DPA 4006Aspot, 15-20 cm, at the fingering holes a third of the way up from the bell
Aim the mic at the fingering holes, a third of the length up from the bell, at a distance of 15-20 cm; omni when possible.
1 - Spot DPA 4006C (variant of the DPA 4006A)spot, 15-20 cm, at the fingering holes
4006C compact omni listed beside the 4006A for the same spot position.
1 - Spot DPA 4011Aspot, when more separation is needed
If more separation is needed, a 4011A cardioid or 4015A wide cardioid can be used (paraphrase).
1 - Spot DPA 4015Aspot, when more separation is needed; also orchestral off-axis between two players
4015A wide cardioid named for separation and for an off-axis position between two players at head height.
1 - Close Neumann U 87 or RODE NT1 or beyerdynamic M 160distance, perpendicular to the instrument, about 1 ft from the midpoint
Clarinet: U 87, RODE NT1 or beyerdynamic M160 ribbon, a foot from the midpoint (paraphrase).
2 - Close large-diaphragm cardioid condenser (type only)distance, about 1 ft, pointing between the player's hands
Soprano sax and clarinet: point at the holes, not the bell, about a foot away, between the player's left and right hands (paraphrase).
3 - Close condenser (type only)distance, about 18 in, half to two-thirds down the body
Condenser typically gives best results; about 18 inches away, half way down, so the mic can see the whole instrument (paraphrase).
4 - Close small-diaphragm condenser (type only)distance, about 1 ft, aimed at the lower hand position
Most of the sound comes from the unstopped finger holes, so focus on the bell and you miss 70 percent of the harmonic range (paraphrase).
5 - Close condenser or ribbon (type only)distance, about 18 in, aimed at the middle of the keys
Both condenser and ribbon mics do a good job (said for sax and clarinet); about 18 inches, aimed at the keys (paraphrase).
6 - Spot Woodwinds advice Royer ribbon microphonespot, close mics on the woodwinds
Royer ribbon mics on the woodwinds and low brass
7 - Contact Woodwinds advice 2 × Schoeps MK 4pair, stereo pair as overall woodwind pickup
the woodwinds had a stereo pair of Schoeps MK4s as an overall pickup
8
On stage
Clip-on
- DPA 4099 CORE+1 source from its own maker
- Shure PGA98H1 source from its own maker
Close
- Shure SM1371 source from its own maker
The 4 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Clip-on DPA 4099 CORE+clip-on near the bell, aimed at the keys
Use the 4099 with its clip near the bell but point it toward the keys for a blend of bell and tone-hole sound (paraphrase).
1 - Clip-on Shure PGA98Hclip-on, about 1 ft from the sound holes
Listed under woodwinds, clip-on; avoid miking the finger holes too closely to reduce key noise (paraphrase).
9 - Close Shure SM137close, about 1 ft from the sound holes
Listed under woodwinds: a flat-response cardioid probe microphone with an ultra-thin diaphragm.
9 - Clip-on clip-on instrument mic (type only)clip-on, keeps position when the player moves
For feedback or spill problems, clip-on instrument microphones keep a consistent position whatever the player does (paraphrase).
5
Studio and stage
The 3 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Close Woodwinds advice DPA 4006close, about 5-10 cm from the instrument, aimed halfway between the mouthpiece and the left hand
"Approx. 5-10 cm away from the instrument, aim the mic halfway between the mouthpiece and the left hand"; omni for lower sensitivity to wind and pop. DPA: the techniques apply to "other variants of the flute family".
10 - Spot Woodwinds advice DPA 4011spot, behind and slightly above the player's head, pointing at the finger holes
"spot-miked behind and slightly above the head of the player, pointing at the finger holes" (4011 cardioid or 4015 wide cardioid). DPA: the techniques apply to "other variants of the flute family".
10 - Close Woodwinds advice condenser (type only)close, about 30 cm from the sound holes
A mic placed about 1 foot from sound holes will produce a natural, well-balanced sound.
9
On stage
Clip-on mics keep position when the player moves (SOS 2005). DPA's 4099 clipped near the bell and turned toward the keys; Shure's PGA98H and SM137 at about 1 ft from the sound holes, and not too close to the finger holes (key noise).5,1,9
Sources
- DPA Mic University: How to mic a clarinet
- Recording Magazine: Miking Brass and Winds
- Recording Magazine: Miking the Horn Section
- Sound On Sound: Q. How do I mike up woodwind instruments? (Hugh Robjohns, Nov 2003)
- Sound On Sound: Q. What's the best way to mike a clarinet? (Hugh Robjohns, 2005)
- Yamaha Hub: Recording Acoustic Instruments, Part 3
- Mix: The Changing Landscape of Orchestral Recording (engineer Steve Smith, Music Works Studios)
- Sound On Sound: Jake Jackson: Recording The 2012 Olympic Anthems
- Shure: How to Choose the Best Mics for Brass, Wind, and String Instruments
- DPA Mic University: How to mic a flute or recorder
- Vienna Symphonic Library Academy: Clarinet in Bb
- SHARC Timbre Database v2 (Gregory Sandell): harmonic analyses of McGill University Master Samples
- Representative noise levels table with orchestra noise guidance (UK Sound Advice material)
- Decibel (Loudness) Comparison Chart, hearingconservation.org
- JASA: Sound power and timbre as cues for the dynamic strength of orchestral instruments (Weinzierl, Lepa, Schultz, Detzner, von Coler, Behler)
- JOSE: Evaluation of Sound Exposure and Risk of Hearing Impairment in Orchestral Musicians (Pawlaczyk-Luszczynska, Dudarewicz, Zamojska, Sliwinska-Kowalska)
- 3rd International Congress on Environmental Health (Porto 2014), abstract: noise exposure of jazz and classical music students
- Sengpielaudio (UdK Berlin): Stoerquelle - Musikinstrument? (maximum sound power of instruments)
- Backus, Clark and Williamon: Noise exposure and hearing thresholds among orchestral musicians (ISPS 2007)