This is kind of on-topic. I want to record my playing onto my computer so that I can start to (ugh) hear what I sound like. My question is: What is the best microphone to use, and where should I get it, and at about what price should I be looking? Thanks all.
I just picked up a Labtec desk mic 524 for $10 at CompUSA which does a decent enough job. It’s response is 100Hz to 16KHz and works well with my low and high whistles. On others advice I installed Audacity (freeware) and use that to record. It lets me lay down a whistle and bodhran track separately and sounds pretty good.
For my simplistic needs these two work well together.
Thanks for the advice. Nice to know it is not going to take $100.
separate soundtracks would be fun…I’m thinking of whistle and flute. The closest thing I own to a bodhran is an empty oat meal container. 
That would REALLY be folk music.
Audacity is pretty cool (thank you to whomever first recommended it here). I’d been using an old copy of Cool Edit 96 and it is still better for some things. But, the multi-tracking in Audacity is nice and so is the pitch shifting. The pitch shifter does a pretty good job of lowering pitch by a full octave without destroying the timbre – so you can lay down a “low whistle” track even if you have tiny hands and no breath
If you don’t mind a fairly steep learning curve and a distinct lack of documentation, check out an open-source program called “Psycle.” It is a tracker-style synthesizer that can use VST modules. Don’t let the examples at the Psycle site throw you off (they’re almost all techno-dance-trance music) – the Psycle engine can produce some pretty neat stuff, especially if you use VST plugins. (Most of the downloads at the Psycle site use exclusively Psycle machines and the Psycle developers are obviously mostly interested in techno-dance-trance.)
Microphones are like whistles in terms of price. Folks can get by with the $10 variety, and I use the inexpensive kind. However, many will want to step up to the $100 level for a mic, especially if he/she has a boatload of $100+ whistles. The Shure SM-57 and Sm-58 have a long distinguished history for reliability, ruggedness and good sound at around that price. Studios generally use these as their workhorse mics.
I have also seen recommended the electrek Radio Shack mic for about $30. The advantage is that it can clip on to the whistle, making for easier positioning adjustments.
One accessory (for any mic) that may be handy is a windshield (an elastic foam cover), especially if you position the mic very close to the wind way.
- Bill
i you really want to spend some money, try out some microphones in a music shop first.
i have a" beta 57 shure" on order, it’s supposed to be the best allrounder.
but the rode NT3 is better for whistles they say here http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?t=7708&highlight=studio+microphone
but you’ll need a pre-amp with the rode.
I use the Shure SM57. No complaints.
Well, I went out and bought a radio Shack boundary mic, multidirectional, for about $30 or so. It has a heavy base and lies flat and will pick up everything into the next county.
Now the problem is that I have finally heard myself. I had no idea I was so terrible. The instrument on the other hand sounds great, it just happens to be player-challenged at the moment. 
I guess it is going to be a big help, but now I am nursing a wounded pride.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
Bill, do you have the RS part numbers for these items? RS is notorious for not knowing their you know what from a whole in the ground.
Cat # is 33-3013, unfortunately, it is out of stock at this time, though some local stores may have a few.
Hands-Free Tie-Clip Omnidirectional Electret $24.99
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog_name=CTLG&product_id=33-3013
[quote=“Celtoid”
Now the problem is that I have finally heard myself. I had no idea I was so terrible. The instrument on the other hand sounds great, it just happens to be player-challenged at the moment.
[/quote]
I hear that one! I got some good advice about recording on the Flute Forum, may try downloading Audacity! (Well, I may ask my son to download it, I’m the one who’s computer-challenged!)
Mary
it all depends on what kind of recording quality you want to get out of it, and your intended audience, if it’s just you and you’re not overly concerned about the quality of the recording use a $10 mic, if you want something to send to friends and family that’s fairly decent quality go for an SM-57 or similar mic. if you want a professional sound or you’re an audiophile get a large diaphragm condenser and a good phantom power unit or mixer with phantom power, a good condenser goes for between $300-$2,000+
A small condenser omni may be the way to go since it generally is less colored than the large diaphragm condensers.
I use Earthworks QTC1 and they are outstanding. A friend has a studio with AT and Röde tubed mics, the omnis outperform them.
Important thing is flat frequency response and small capsule for good performance in both amplitude and time domain.
/Peter
Great advice, and more complicated than my unsophisticated brain can handle. I found Sound Forge on my system, and I downloaded Audacity. I think they are both OK. Audacity has some really great abilities to add tracks and work with the sound. My ambition is to make a CD so I can play along with myself (probably easier…even though it sounds, well, unnatural ) I also want to send a CD to Dear Old Mom, so this is going to work out just fine. Thanks all!