Hey, I know this has been discussed before, but I’m looking for some current info. I play in a band that performes pretty frequently playing flute and highland/border pipes. I’m looking for a good (lapel?) mic that I can use for these live performances. I’d like to attach it close to the embroucher hole like the how it’s attached on Terry McGee’s site. (Unfortunately, he doesn’t plan on making these) So, in conclusion I’d love to hear what you guys think I should get, and ways to attach it. Cheers, William
William,
I don’t have a huge amount of experience, but I can tell you what I actually use (not what I think should be used), so I guess that counts for something, as this is from trying lots of different ways live.
First up, I have used an Audio Technica ATM35 Microphone attached to me flute with a hair band, as well as an AKG. I prefer the Audio Technica, but there’s not much difference.
Take it out of the thing that’s supposed to attach it to a sax and it works pretty well. The problem with that is that you can’t move the flute relative to the mike, so some of the tricks you would usually have at your disposal don’t work. It’s pretty easy to make a plastic clip that attaches to the head of the flute, also.
However, I still prefer a good quality condenser mike on a mike stand, though I know it doesn’t look as good.
Hope this helps a little.
Richard
I haven’t used one so I can’t comment on its quality or usefulness, but here is a link to a microphone made by Yamaha (MC7) for wind instruments:
http://www.mouthpieceexpress.com/pages/catalog/yamaha/silentbrass2.html
Anybody tried it?
-Joe
I had the chance try try to audio technia Pro series Pro 35x.($120 or so) I unscrewed the end cap (is this good for the flute?)and clipped it on up there. It sounded absolutly great! HOWEVER, you can hear my fingers hitting the flute when im playing, and it cause a pretty big disturbance. I’d like to hear what you guys think about how i can maybe fix this.
On 2002-12-23 10:38, jduffy wrote:
I haven’t used one so I can’t comment on its quality or usefulness, but here is a link to a microphone made by Yamaha (MC7) for wind instruments:http://www.mouthpieceexpress.com/pages/catalog/yamaha/silentbrass2.html
Anybody tried it?
-Joe
I have tried attaching a regular Radio Shack lapel mike to a whistle using a rubber band, which works pretty well, but I bet this would be better.
On 2002-12-23 13:34, theweirdscotsman wrote:
I had the chance try try to audio technia Pro series Pro 35x.($120 or so) I unscrewed the end cap (is this good for the flute?)and clipped it on up there. It sounded absolutly great! HOWEVER, you can hear my fingers hitting the flute when im playing, and it cause a pretty big disturbance. I’d like to hear what you guys think about how i can maybe fix this.
I left the windscreen on mine, and used that as the way I held the mike in - it seems to cut out the finger noise, at least for me. Anything you can do to isolate the body of the mike from the body of the flute helps.
Also, remember that you’re usually making a noise when you play (that is, you’re usually not moving your fingers like crazy when you’re not sounding a note) so check if the finger noise is evident when you’re playing, not just when you finger tones.
Richard
Currently I use the old standard, Shure 58. I make sure that the fipple hole is almost touching it when I play, this way the whole tone of the whistle is captured. The further away from these mics you get the thinner the sound.
I also have a cordless lapel mic I clip onto the bell of my Sax. I think it is a samsung with a sony mic. I have clipped this onto my flute and taped it just below my fipple hole on my whistle but prefer just to use it on the sax and accordion.
What I am saving up for though… Is a cordless headset mic. If you get one with a long enough arm, you can swing it infront of the fipple hole of a whistle, place it over the mouthpiece of a flute, or use it to sing. All with out the cord in the way. I play the piano as well as other instruments and find this freedom amazing. I rented one for a concert last year and fell in love.
You can also buy the headset seperatly from the cordless unit (as in cordless guitar setup). It costs about the same and you can use the unit for many different things.
Sandy
Edited because I can’t spell sax. The word is much too long…
[ This Message was edited by: Sandy Jasper on 2002-12-23 15:26 ]
The $25 Radio Shack lapel mic is terrific, and it has a tie-tack clip so you can pin the mic onto your clothes, or onto a strip of double-sided Velcro ™.
Hang on to the foam winscreen - very important!! (Mine is glued on.) Or maybe get two, one for the pipes and one for the flute, so you don’t have to keep turning it on and off as you switch over to the other instrument. (And it kills spontanaeity [sp?], too!) Also, try the stereo mic and put one mic on the chanter and one one the drones.
Barcus-Berry makes a flute mic that goes where your cork was. Sounds great, no hassles, but about $150.
\
–^======== (( whistle on & on …
[ This Message was edited by: elliott on 2002-12-27 16:12 ]
I’m going to pick up one of the Radio Shacks mics as mentioned if I can tonight. I’ll let you know how it goes. -William
RS 33-3013 @$24.99 Page 213 in the catalogue.
See if you can’t get them to give you a free battery (can’t hurt to try).
Be advised: The mic ends in a 1/8th inch miniplug, which can easily come loose in performance if you don’t somehow secure it.
I use black plastic tape around the adapter.
While you are there, play around with the headset mic (33-3033 @$29.99) and the fancy headset mic (33-3012 @$49.99). Bring your flute or a whistle and make them plug it into an amp. I have no experience with these particular mics, but they’re worth checking out.
Just thinking out loud, would the stereo electret mic work with one on the chanter and one on the drones? You’d have to come out of a stereo mini-plug, though.
Best part is Radio Shack is awfully good about letting you return things you’re not happy with (in good condition).
Keep us posted on how it works out!
On a whim I looked in the index. Radio Shack even carries a kind of Velcro tape. Page 230. Prob’ly not as cheap as K-Mart or whatever, but it saves a trip.
I went out and bought the 25 dollar radio shack mic. I was extremely suprised how great it sounds for live playing into an amp. (crummy for recording of course.) It sounded just as good as one of the more expensive mics ive played. I like how it has a nice long cord. People have said it has low output- maybe so…but when its right next to the e. hole of a flute, it has plenty of volume. I would DEFINATELY recommend trying this to anyone who is thinking about buying a more expensive mic before you drop the money. Also- there is not much “finger hitting the flute noise” when its being played. A+ Cheers, William
Great!
It only has a low output when the battery is run down (something we all forget to check).
Why doesn’t it work on recording?
And how did you end up attaching it?
Did they give you a battery (or, at least, one of their “free battery cards”?
[ This Message was edited by: ELLIOTT on 2002-12-27 22:12 ]
I know that I’m coming in late here, but I use this: http://www.microvox.demon.co.uk/flutepage.htm
Erik
ELLIOT- I have attached it with a rubber band but now have some velcro that I’ll have to try. I havent experimented much with recording, but it really sounds kinda cheap when you listen back to it. Keep in mind this is going into my computer. I’ll have to try it on my digital Boss Br-8 recorder sometime and I’ll keep you posted. It came with a battery. It’s like a small watch battery. Im anxious to experiment more with it since I got a new tube amp for christmas- a Fender Blues Junior. -William
Glad this is working out for you.
After you’ve got it attached to the Velcro, try putting the mic and the windscreen up by the fipple, but away from the direct wind stream. It might sound better when you record (and it might, or might not, sound better through your amp). That’s why you attach it to Velcro.
[ This Message was edited by: ELLIOTT on 2002-12-30 15:57 ]
I have one of the Radio Shack mikes. It not only works well for whistles, but also guitars. I haven’t done so, yet, but I plan on trying this on my mixing machine just to see how well it records.