I really dislike this approach to recording. The measure of the quality of a recording should be how close it is to the actual sound. If your low whistle sounds crap, learn to play it better, or get a better whistle.
the problem is not the whistle OR my playing, you cheeky git,
it's that the recording process seems to take away any smoothness and leave it too toppy, or it's too dull and muddy, I'm having problems finding an acceptable balance .....
I use Colin Goldie's Overton, it's ok but I've played better.
Try any you can get your hand's on, or try 'Chiff & Fipple' for reviews, a low 'D' would be best.
Cheeky Git...!!!! Obviously Dzoni is a bit dozy this morning or else s/he is not used to the nuances of bulletin boards. Suspect you should rephrase if you want any useful response!
Ah, but that's not what you said, you said you wanted to sound better than it actually is, not that the recording process takes away stuff. Sounds to me like you just don't have a decent enough mike. Get a really really good nymen or equivalent and stand a good 3 feet away behind a popping sheild. Keep the eq flat and add a touch of compression to bring up the bottom notes and flatten out the top ones. Then just a touch or reverb. Viola.
Personally I would recommend using a good quality large diaphragm condenser mic, one that you could consider recording even vocals with. Then, depending on the role of the low whistle in the song (or arrangement), try to find a "sweet spot" to play in, so that the sound even without eq sounds sufficient and pleasing.
I personally start out by placing the mic perhaps half a meter away from the instrument, basically above it, and "aim" it so that the diaphragm (of the microphone, that is ) is in the angle as the low whistle.
You can of course then try out a number of things: the closer you get to the mic, the thicker and nearer it will sound, moving away from the mic will move the low whistle further away in the mix (which sometimes can be useful). It's good to remember, that the further away you are from the mic, the more you will start hearing the acoustics of the recording space blending in with the direct sound of your low whistle.
I agree with Michael on adding a touch of compression, that'll normally make it easier to handle in the final mix. Sometimes a little bit of eq can help too - again depends on what kind of good sound you're looking for.
I play Overton (Goldie) low whistles quite frequently in studio, and sometimes the recording engineer wants to record it in stereo. I was at first a bit doubtful about it, but if you place the mics correctly, it can add quite a bit of liveliness to the sound.
I know this might stirr up somebody's emotions, but i've also found that a bit of autotuning can sometimes make the low whistle sound sweeter. I'm not for automatically "correcting" whole tracks with that software, but if the player or the instrument aren't totally in tune, it might bring good results.
c'mon he WAS cheeky!!!
But then equally helpful, cheers lads.
I'll give it a go, I think I'm too near the mic but having an amateur set up the recording space is a problem then,
we'll see,
Thanks again.
Dzoni
Yes, condenser mikes are good for toppy stuff, but I prefer a truer mike. I reiterate what I said first about the reality of the instrument, rather than the artificial "where you want it in the mix".
And the point about recording the room rather than just the instrument is merely an extention of the same argument.
But he biggest problem with low whistles is that they have very little natural dynamics. The have an optimum sound which is set at a specific volume for each note and their tuning is integral to this. Try to play with their dynamics and all you end up diong is playing the thing out of tune. Fix it with a digital auto tune if you want, but don't ask me to listen to it.
The problem with low whistles is that the high notes are an awful lot louder than the low notes. So, example in a tune like Sean sa Cheo, the first and second parts will sound grand and then the third part will cut the ears off ya!
Not great fun if you're sitting on the bus with a discman pluged into your ears... I'd go for a good condenser mic set a foot away at your top hand level. That way you don't get the breathyness if it's too close to the mouth piece. With all wind instruments, a very large percentage of the sound comes from the finger holes too.
I wouldn't EQ it too much. Mic positioning can do this a lot better. Spend time getting a good sound by moving the mic around, but you may want a small bit of compression, just to level out volume differences between the low and very high notes.
Not too much at all though.
High notes are mean't to be high for a reason.
Also if there is vast volume differences between low and high notes, you are guarenteed not to be played on the radio.
Low whistles are not like fiddles or boxes or even uilleann pipes. The high note on those instruments are brighter and in some cases can be controlled but not on a low whistle.
To get the note in tune you have blow hard, thus increased volume.
Now the other option is to record digitaly and then reduce the volume of each note that peaks. Lot of work though.
Record your stuff, listen back, and then put on a cd of some other band that has some low whistle track and compare.
Be honest with yourself and don't be afraid to use some effects to make your hard work enjoyable to others.
I recently bought a lovely little Mimic with a sleeve designed for my Overton. The problem is that it works with some amps and not with others. Cheers Ged
Recording Low whistle
Recording Low whistle
anyone got any tips on recording a low whistle?
EQing and stuff so it sounds better than it actually is?
Cheers
# Posted on February 6th 2006 by Frulator
Re: Recording Low whistle
I really dislike this approach to recording. The measure of the quality of a recording should be how close it is to the actual sound. If your low whistle sounds crap, learn to play it better, or get a better whistle.
# Posted on February 6th 2006 by ...
Re: Recording Low whistle
On the subject of low whistles, because they're expensive, what would be a good model and key whistle to get first?
Cheers
# Posted on February 6th 2006 by copo24
Re: Recording Low whistle
the problem is not the whistle OR my playing, you cheeky git,
it's that the recording process seems to take away any smoothness and leave it too toppy, or it's too dull and muddy, I'm having problems finding an acceptable balance .....
I use Colin Goldie's Overton, it's ok but I've played better.
Try any you can get your hand's on, or try 'Chiff & Fipple' for reviews, a low 'D' would be best.
# Posted on February 6th 2006 by Frulator
Re: Recording Low whistle
Cheeky Git...!!!! Obviously Dzoni is a bit dozy this morning or else s/he is not used to the nuances of bulletin boards. Suspect you should rephrase if you want any useful response!
# Posted on February 6th 2006 by the wounded hussar
Re: Recording Low whistle
Ah, but that's not what you said, you said you wanted to sound better than it actually is, not that the recording process takes away stuff. Sounds to me like you just don't have a decent enough mike. Get a really really good nymen or equivalent and stand a good 3 feet away behind a popping sheild. Keep the eq flat and add a touch of compression to bring up the bottom notes and flatten out the top ones. Then just a touch or reverb. Viola.
# Posted on February 6th 2006 by ...
Re: Recording Low whistle
Personally I would recommend using a good quality large diaphragm condenser mic, one that you could consider recording even vocals with. Then, depending on the role of the low whistle in the song (or arrangement), try to find a "sweet spot" to play in, so that the sound even without eq sounds sufficient and pleasing.
) is in the angle as the low whistle.
I personally start out by placing the mic perhaps half a meter away from the instrument, basically above it, and "aim" it so that the diaphragm (of the microphone, that is
You can of course then try out a number of things: the closer you get to the mic, the thicker and nearer it will sound, moving away from the mic will move the low whistle further away in the mix (which sometimes can be useful). It's good to remember, that the further away you are from the mic, the more you will start hearing the acoustics of the recording space blending in with the direct sound of your low whistle.
I agree with Michael on adding a touch of compression, that'll normally make it easier to handle in the final mix. Sometimes a little bit of eq can help too - again depends on what kind of good sound you're looking for.
I play Overton (Goldie) low whistles quite frequently in studio, and sometimes the recording engineer wants to record it in stereo. I was at first a bit doubtful about it, but if you place the mics correctly, it can add quite a bit of liveliness to the sound.
I know this might stirr up somebody's emotions, but i've also found that a bit of autotuning can sometimes make the low whistle sound sweeter. I'm not for automatically "correcting" whole tracks with that software, but if the player or the instrument aren't totally in tune, it might bring good results.
# Posted on February 6th 2006 by matti
Re: Recording Low whistle
c'mon he WAS cheeky!!!
But then equally helpful, cheers lads.
I'll give it a go, I think I'm too near the mic but having an amateur set up the recording space is a problem then,
we'll see,
Thanks again.
Dzoni
# Posted on February 6th 2006 by Frulator
Re: Recording Low whistle
Yes, condenser mikes are good for toppy stuff, but I prefer a truer mike. I reiterate what I said first about the reality of the instrument, rather than the artificial "where you want it in the mix".
And the point about recording the room rather than just the instrument is merely an extention of the same argument.
But he biggest problem with low whistles is that they have very little natural dynamics. The have an optimum sound which is set at a specific volume for each note and their tuning is integral to this. Try to play with their dynamics and all you end up diong is playing the thing out of tune. Fix it with a digital auto tune if you want, but don't ask me to listen to it.
# Posted on February 7th 2006 by ...
Re: Recording Low whistle
The problem with low whistles is that the high notes are an awful lot louder than the low notes. So, example in a tune like Sean sa Cheo, the first and second parts will sound grand and then the third part will cut the ears off ya!
Not great fun if you're sitting on the bus with a discman pluged into your ears... I'd go for a good condenser mic set a foot away at your top hand level. That way you don't get the breathyness if it's too close to the mouth piece. With all wind instruments, a very large percentage of the sound comes from the finger holes too.
I wouldn't EQ it too much. Mic positioning can do this a lot better. Spend time getting a good sound by moving the mic around, but you may want a small bit of compression, just to level out volume differences between the low and very high notes.
Not too much at all though.
High notes are mean't to be high for a reason.
Also if there is vast volume differences between low and high notes, you are guarenteed not to be played on the radio.
Low whistles are not like fiddles or boxes or even uilleann pipes. The high note on those instruments are brighter and in some cases can be controlled but not on a low whistle.
To get the note in tune you have blow hard, thus increased volume.
Now the other option is to record digitaly and then reduce the volume of each note that peaks. Lot of work though.
Record your stuff, listen back, and then put on a cd of some other band that has some low whistle track and compare.
Be honest with yourself and don't be afraid to use some effects to make your hard work enjoyable to others.
Tommy
# Posted on February 7th 2006 by tompipes
Re: Recording Low whistle
I recently bought a lovely little Mimic with a sleeve designed for my Overton. The problem is that it works with some amps and not with others. Cheers Ged
# Posted on February 7th 2006 by gedpipes