Best pres for recording brass ensemble

[twelvetone]

So, I've got a Digi 003 with the black lion mod, and am upgrading to more pres. I'll probably be starting with 4.

I'm going to be recording a brass band (british style; tubas, euphoniums, baritones, coronets, alto horns and trombones) as well as some other classical ensembles. Obviously having excessive coloration is an issue, so the A12 and N72 are out. (That being said, I also record rock music, and will eventually have some N72's and A12's).

I'm looking at either the C84 or J99's. Does anybody have a feeling one way or the other which of these pres would be most appropriate for the application?

Thanks much,
Mike

[DPLight]

I have 2 C84's that I use for brass, overheads for drums, acoustic guitar... One bonus I wasn't expecting from the C84's is that the dynamic mics I have (Senn 421, 441, SM57) all have a much smoother usable high end. I don't have a J99, but would expect good results there also.

[Jezza]

I was recording brass recently and tested the A12, N72, and C84s to see which was the best. I was recording tuba and trombones, and I found that the N72 was the best choice in that application. The sound of brass that we all like is the sound of brass FAR AWAY. Nobody wants a tuba right in their ear, but our close mics are always within a few feet. The N72 helped to take some of the sharp edge off the brass instruments, providing a less aggressive and more natural sound.

I used the C84 pres for my room mics, and that worked perfectly.