I’m in an irish rock band that features a tin whistle and we’re having a hard time micing it for live performances. Any suggestions?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Tim
www.sharkydoyles.com
Lots has been said before (look at search up above)
However: One suggestion has been to use a flute mic (the strap/clamp on type) Instrument mics should capture the frequency much better, and since most Boehm style fluting (and hence flute-mics) uses the third octave, it is ready for the range of the whistle.
I use a voice mic. It works all right, but is hard to hear (soundboard issues I think) sometimes. It is nothing special, just a standard, unidirectional, voice-mic
NOTE: make sure you have the mic pointed at the window of the whistle. For best pick-up range (on voice mic), I have found around an inch (3 cm) to be good, but the mic should be pointed at 90 degrees to the window. (I think… although it is usually closer to 60-70 degrees… and it sounds alright)
Take all this with a grain of salt, and do look at old threads. Types and BRANDS are discussed!
I would also suggest a pre-amp/compressor to boost the signal, especially with dynamic mics. I use an ART TubePAC that I got on eBay for around $100. The pre-amp helps lower the feedback threshold, and the compressor boosts my low whistles and tones down the upper octave on the high ones in the mix…
[quote=“NicoMoreno”]
[edited]
I use a voice mic. It works all right, but is hard to hear (soundboard issues I think) sometimes.
NOTE: make sure you have the mic pointed at the window of the whistle. For best pick-up range (on voice mic), I have found around an inch (3 cm) to be good, but the mic should be pointed at 90 degrees to the window. (I think… although it is usually closer to 60-70 degrees… and it sounds alright)[\quote]
I generally use a Shure 58 vocal mic and am very happy with it. It means I can also do background vocals through the same mic, although some adjustments to mic distance are necessary. Also, I adjust the mic distance according to what whistle I use (Shaw, Feadog, Susato) and sometimes according to register on that whistle.
I think that’s what I use too
I use an AKG C3000B mic (1" diaphram condenser mic, approx $300, requires phantom power) for both whistle and bagpipes, at about a distance of 8-12" away from it, unless it is all lower octave stuff when I go to about 3", then back up for the higher parts. Original Clarke design is the whistle I play.
You can get by with one of those cheap Shure vocal mics, but you gotta get close to it. And the sound comes out of the windway of the fipple, so that should be the part that is close to the mic.