Can anyone suggest some good miniature mic’s for whistles? I play Low and high so it would have to accompany both (currently a Chieftain low D, Alba low C and Copeland D.
Thanks a lot.
I have a Sony ECM-DS70P stereo microphone that i use in combination with my Minidisc recorder and have been very pleased with the results. This model requires plug-in-power from the recording unit.
So far i have recorded high and low whistle, flute, guitar, mandolin, vocals and a whole band.
The microphone is very compact and can be plugged straight into the equipment. At home I use an extention wire (as in the picture above) and hang it up over the lamp in the middle of the room to reduce foot tapping noises…
There are better/more expensive models available. I guess in the end it is up to what quality you want to achieve.
Jeroen
I went the fairly cheap route with my mic, and bought a mic and desktop mic stand from Radio Shack.
<A HREF=http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F002%5F003%5F005%5F000&product%5Fid=33%2D3021>Cat.#: 33-3021 and <A HREF=http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog_name=CTLG&category_name=CTLG_002_003_009_000&product_id=33-370>Cat.#: 33-370
I feed this mic directly into my PC via a Sound Blaster Live! Platinum, and record/process the input with Cool Edit Pro.
OK so I do use fairly expensive software, but if you’ve heard my recent submissions to Clips & Snips I think you’ll agree that I have a pretty good setup.
I also have 25’ audio extension cables running from my PC to my bedroom.
If you want clear recordings with a setup like mine, getting as far away from your PC as possible is an absolute necessity… and going into another room is most preferrable.
Mics will pick up electronic noise from a PC from quite a distance… that’s the source of the annoying hum you hear in many amateur recordings.
Recording to a mini-disc and then transferring it to your PC for editing will also eliminate the hum, but audio extension cables are much cheaper than mini-disc recorders! 
By the way, Radio Shack does sell several higher-end mics than the one I bought… but only one other model with a greater frequency response range than mine (but they were out of stock).
I’ve never had any problems clearly recording my low D, nor have I had any problems with overdrive distortion while recording the 2nd & 3rd octave notes from any of my soprano whistles.
I’m very pleased with the setup I have… especially for no more money than I have invested in it.
“[Rain Dogs] …the ones you see wanderin’ around after a rain. Ones that can’t find their way back home. See the rain washes off the scent off all the mail boxes and the lamposts, fire hydrants…”
Tom Waits
[ This Message was edited by: raindog1970 on 2002-03-06 08:59 ]
On 2002-03-06 07:41, ParaHandy wrote:
Can anyone suggest some good miniature mic’s for whistles? I play Low and high so it would have to accompany both (currently a Chieftain low D, Alba low C and Copeland D.
Thanks a lot.
What are you trying to accomplish? Home recording? Performance?
Richard
Whoops Richard, thanks for the question. I am looking for a mic for performance - preferably one I can attach to the whistles so it is mobile.
Thanks for all the input!
For performance, I actually would recommend a mike on a stand. Something like a Shure SM57 would be a good place to start. It is relatively cheap ($80 from SamAsh), and very directional. The problem with a fixed on mike is that you cannot vary the distance between the mike and the whistle.
For example, there are some tunes I play in Church which require a high high E (E above the high D), which is getting pretty shrill on any whistle. Thus, by using a mike on a stand I can back off the mike a little when I get up there, making sure the sound doesn’t become too loud.
If you really want a click on Mike, I also use an Audio Technica ATM35 Bell Mike (not for whistles) which is a lovely mike, but a little more expensive (~$200).
Richard
Simply a word of concern…Possibly I am posting to an individual totally experienced in the use of instruments on stage, and if so, please note that I apologize for giving you an opinion that may be immaterial to you.
Whistles, being very light, are not held with the same firm grip as are other instruments. Between the weight of the small mic, itself, and the weight of the mic cable, the resulting situation can mean great increase in the weight/mass of the whistle you are holding. The whistle is no longer balanced, and if you happen to step on the cable, the whistle will undoubtedly end up on the ground.
Should you decide you wish to purchase a stand-held mic, there are many available. One very durable mic that works well with whistles is the Shure Beta 57. (Not the SM57) The Beta’s frequency balance and proximity effect possibilities make for a very nice sound.
Cheers.
Byll
I have also used an Audio Technica wireless mic, and it made my Waltons brass D sound great. (Not that it’s bad without the mic.) I’m not sure which model the mic was, but the AT-831cW uses a cardioid pick-up pattern, which is better for wind instruments.
Byll,
I’ve used both the SM57 and the Beta 57 before, and while you’re right, the Beta is the better mike, do you think it makes that much difference for most live venues which you end up playing? Not disagreeing with you, just wanted your thoughts…
Richard
Richard: Timing is everything. You and I were probably creating our posts, simultaneously. My comment about the SM57 was not in reaction to your post. It was simply an opinion concerning the mic I have had the best luck with. Because of the integral windscreen on the Beta, and the lack of same on the SM, it is possible to get ‘too close’ to the capsule of the SM, where that is not possible with the Beta. You are completely correct about the sound. Even though the Beta has a smoother high end, in practical concert situations, the difference would be negligible.
Cheers to 'ye, Richard.
Byll
I’m also a fan of the mic on a stand setup, for the aforementioned reasons. However, I have had to be portable on occasion, and in those instances, a Shure headset mic has worked for me. Not one of the wireless ones (although I’ve also used an Audio Technica wireless rig, which wasn’t my favorite), but the wired one they make. The only niggle is to make sure you’re using a good preamp for it to get the kind of gain and sound you’re looking for. (ART makes a compact tube mic preamp that fills the bill nicely…)
Cal
Thanks all. Great input. I am looking for a portableainly because I already have a vocal mic’ and want to cut down on the stage clutter that another mic and stand cause, hence the clip on. I suppose I could always use a footswitch to change gain on the vocal mic but that is not ideal either.
The whistle player in OBD uses a clip on mic pretty well but I cannot tell what it is.
Thanks again all - keep up the great work!!!
I’m using a gooseneck mike stand positioned over my left shoulder so I can pick up both whistle ad fiddle playing. Gives my bow more room.
Leaning toward a head mic, though, like Jeff McNally (Afro Celt Sound System).
I don’t use a mic myself but a college who plays at ceilidhs uses a small tie clip type mic. He has removed the clip and uses a couple of velcro pads to attach the mic to the whistle just in front of the fipple window. You have to offset it a bit or you get to much wind noise.
This solution is cheap and works remarkably well.
On 2002-03-06 12:52, ParaHandy wrote:
I suppose I could always use a footswitch to change gain on the vocal mic but that is not ideal either.
The whistle player in OBD uses a clip on mic pretty well but I cannot tell what it is.
Thanks again all - keep up the great work!!!
Couple of points. First, a vocal mike probably won’t be ideal for miking an instrument - it’s actually a somewhat different design.
Second, Byll, thanks for the input, you’re absolutely right! I always use a pop shield with the SM57 for exactly the reason you gave. How do you mike your whistles? From above, from immediately in front of the fipple? From a few inches lower down? I have found the sound varies enormously depending on position, and have settled for above and in front, but I have no idea what the “right” way to do this is.
Richard
Richard: You obviously have experience with this issue. I own one recording studio and have taught in the Lebanon Valley College ¶ studio complex, for years. The solution you have come to is precisely the solution I usually use. This is ‘above and in front’. How much of each depends on the mic used, whether compression is being used, the quality of the EQ, effects being used, whistle brand, etc. Sounds like a cop-out, but it is not. There is obviously no one correct way to accomplish the task.
For live applications, a good second pair of ears in the house, in contact with the FOH engineer during sound checks, is the key. For studio work, discussing with the whistle client, pre-session, concerning what ‘sound’ they desire, is very important. It is next to impossible to please a person who truly does not know exactly what they desire the sound to be.
In the studio, large diaphragm tube mics, ranging from the expensive classic Neumann U-47 and its recent replacement, down to some very fine units in the $300-400 range, are amazingly effective, placed where you mention in your post.
When all is said and done, with the craziness that goes into set-up time on stage, the afore-mentioned Beta or SM57 does a creditable job. It is predictable and forgiving and does not require phantom power.
Your comment about a vocal mic not being really suitable for instruments is spot on. Hence, I find the Beta or SM 58’s not in the running for whistle reinforcement.
Cheers to you.
Byll
ParaHandy, check out the OBD website. They have Rory’s email addy and you can ask him what Mic he uses. I have emailed him before and he replied, so I think you’ll get an answer.
In the studio, large diaphragm tube mics, ranging from the expensive classic Neumann U-47 and its recent replacement, down to some very fine units in the $300-400 range, are amazingly effective, placed where you mention in your post.
Hi Byll,
Could you expand on this a bit? I would like to upgrade my home recording mic. What do you consider very fine in the $300-400 range and why.
Kevin
Here’s another option for you…
http://www.microvox.demon.co.uk/flutepage.htm
You can clip the pack to your belt and velcro the mic to your whistle. I have been very happy with mine.
Erik
Kevin: No time to discuss the mics at the moment. I am busy changing tri-mesters at my teaching job… I will either attempt to post later this evening, or you can e-mail me, personally.
Cheers to 'ye,
Byll