I have recently played with plugged in guitars and vocals and wanted to know what your opinions are on a microphone for the low D whistle. It's featured in the song and they are having a hard time picking me up. I was playing with the fipple opening up to the mic. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to do it right?
These have been my first performances in public. What a rush!
Thanks
Whitney
I have found from playing the low-D in our church rock band that most of the sound comes out at the fipple of the whistle. This means that if you are using a stand-up mike, that you should put it at mouth-level, play right next to the fipple, and then you really need to crank the level of the mike. I have also played with a miniature mike with a wind sock and taped it to the whistle above the fipple, if you place it wrong, you will get a lot of wind noise from air blowing past the mike. If you have a super-cardioid mike, then you can crank the level of the mike more without the other instruments leaking in as much.
My Chieftain low whistle has a much better balance of volume than the Shaw whistle. The main thing I have found is that the low octave isn't loud enough on the Shaw when it is blowed at the right effort-level to keep it in tune. The high octave is much louder. The Chieftain whistle has a much better balance in this way. It's still louder in the upper octave, but it's not nearly as bad. There are pobably better ones out there than the Chieftain, too. Another thing to note- the Shaw is a cone-shaped whistle, where the bottom end is thinner than the fipple end. The Chieftain is a cylinder - the top and bottom are the same diameter. This makes a lot of the volume difference between the whistles, I believe. You might also steel a glimpse at how Davy Spilane mikes everything in the Riverdance video, too. Good luck!
As long as you have a decent instrument mic, there shouldn't be any problem. Of course you have to turn up the volume if you switch from ordinary whistle to low whistle. But most songs and tunes where you choose the low whistle are quieter.
I too have the mic close to the fipple. Problems with different volume in the different octaves must be solved by changing distance to the mic
Years ago, i directly amplified my (admitedlly plastic) Yamaha recorder by clamping the head to a drill press and drilling a hole to accept a very small flute pickup I don't know if these pickups are still available, but it works great, as you can plug the other (male) end of the pickup directly into an amp. Amazingly, plugging up the hole with an ordinary cork works for regular playing--seemingly without any change in playability, range or tone. If your whistle is somewhat "expendible", you may wish to experiment.
hey, i play the low wistle and i see your problem, the low notes are too low and the high notes too loud (on a cheiftans one anyhow) a cousin of mine plays a michael grinter one with a band and he has the fipple up to the mic and for the high notes, tilts the fipple to the side to avoid blowing the ears of people !
They definately want me miked to hear the low whistle. It sounds like I just need to get used to playing into the mic and find the right level. I was curious to know what the opinions were out there.
Glauber, I like the demicing comment.
Why not practice getting it right at home with a mic & a practice amp? Also what about those little mics that fluters tape to their head-joints above the emb. hole? If you put one of those just to the side of the "window' on the low-whistle you'd be able to pick up the sound evenly & would get any air blown directly onto the mic.
I've used decent quality vocal mics for low whistle with good effect (my old band featured a low whistle as the main melody). Two things that you should be aware of: first, as has been mentioned, mic technique is critical with any whistle. Set a good level for the low end of the scale, down where there isn't a lot of sound - get that to the point where it's audible with the other instruments. When you play down there, you want to be right on top of the mic. When you go up into the upper register, you want to either back off or play a bit off to the side. If you have access to a sound system, try to practice with it a bit before gigging. Best if you can use the mic that you use on stage, because different microphones will have different amounts of off-axis rejection - which is a fancy way of saying they slope off more as you go to one side. You want your technique to be a reflex, not something you have to think about on stage.
Second thing is particularly important with a quiet instrument like the low whistle. ALWAYS point the tail end of the mic, where the cord comes out, directly at your monitor to avoid feedback. If you have a monitor to the side of the mic, you'll be picking up more monitor, which means more feedback.
Good luck.
Question about Micing a low whistle
Question about Micing a low whistle
I have recently played with plugged in guitars and vocals and wanted to know what your opinions are on a microphone for the low D whistle. It's featured in the song and they are having a hard time picking me up. I was playing with the fipple opening up to the mic. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to do it right?
These have been my first performances in public. What a rush!
Thanks
Whitney
# Posted on June 24th 2002 by Whitney
Re: Question about Micing a low whistle
I have a low whistle but I've never tried it with a mic. What type of whistle do you have? I believe that some low whistles are louder than others.
# Posted on June 24th 2002 by The Whistler
Re: Question about Micing a low whistle
I have a Michael Burke low D whistle.
# Posted on June 24th 2002 by Whitney
Re: Question about Micing a low whistle
I have found from playing the low-D in our church rock band that most of the sound comes out at the fipple of the whistle. This means that if you are using a stand-up mike, that you should put it at mouth-level, play right next to the fipple, and then you really need to crank the level of the mike. I have also played with a miniature mike with a wind sock and taped it to the whistle above the fipple, if you place it wrong, you will get a lot of wind noise from air blowing past the mike. If you have a super-cardioid mike, then you can crank the level of the mike more without the other instruments leaking in as much.
My Chieftain low whistle has a much better balance of volume than the Shaw whistle. The main thing I have found is that the low octave isn't loud enough on the Shaw when it is blowed at the right effort-level to keep it in tune. The high octave is much louder. The Chieftain whistle has a much better balance in this way. It's still louder in the upper octave, but it's not nearly as bad. There are pobably better ones out there than the Chieftain, too. Another thing to note- the Shaw is a cone-shaped whistle, where the bottom end is thinner than the fipple end. The Chieftain is a cylinder - the top and bottom are the same diameter. This makes a lot of the volume difference between the whistles, I believe. You might also steel a glimpse at how Davy Spilane mikes everything in the Riverdance video, too. Good luck!
-Dirk
# Posted on June 24th 2002 by dirk
Re: Question about Micing a low whistle
As long as you have a decent instrument mic, there shouldn't be any problem. Of course you have to turn up the volume if you switch from ordinary whistle to low whistle. But most songs and tunes where you choose the low whistle are quieter.
I too have the mic close to the fipple. Problems with different volume in the different octaves must be solved by changing distance to the mic
Lars
# Posted on June 25th 2002 by lars
Re: Question about Micing a low whistle
Years ago, i directly amplified my (admitedlly plastic) Yamaha recorder by clamping the head to a drill press and drilling a hole to accept a very small flute pickup I don't know if these pickups are still available, but it works great, as you can plug the other (male) end of the pickup directly into an amp. Amazingly, plugging up the hole with an ordinary cork works for regular playing--seemingly without any change in playability, range or tone. If your whistle is somewhat "expendible", you may wish to experiment.
# Posted on June 25th 2002 by cliff
Re: Question about Micing a low whistle
The Low D that I have is a Susato Dublin, and I've read that they can be quite loud. I don't know how loud the Burke Low D's are.
# Posted on June 25th 2002 by The Whistler
Re: Question about Micing a low whistle
Hmmm, i wonder if someone asked, if Michael Burke could make a low whistle with a builtin pickup. I've seen expensive recorders done with one.
# Posted on June 25th 2002 by glauber
Re: Question about Micing a low whistle
hey, i play the low wistle and i see your problem, the low notes are too low and the high notes too loud (on a cheiftans one anyhow) a cousin of mine plays a michael grinter one with a band and he has the fipple up to the mic and for the high notes, tilts the fipple to the side to avoid blowing the ears of people !
# Posted on June 25th 2002 by martin t
Re: Question about Micing a low whistle
Send in a cat.
# Posted on June 26th 2002 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Cat
You're thinking of de-micing, not miking.
# Posted on June 26th 2002 by glauber
Re: Question about Micing a low whistle
They definately want me miked to hear the low whistle. It sounds like I just need to get used to playing into the mic and find the right level. I was curious to know what the opinions were out there.
Glauber, I like the demicing comment.
# Posted on June 26th 2002 by Whitney
Re: Question about Micing a low whistle
Why not practice getting it right at home with a mic & a practice amp? Also what about those little mics that fluters tape to their head-joints above the emb. hole? If you put one of those just to the side of the "window' on the low-whistle you'd be able to pick up the sound evenly & would get any air blown directly onto the mic.
# Posted on June 26th 2002 by Brad Maloney
Re: Question about Micing a low whistle
I've used decent quality vocal mics for low whistle with good effect (my old band featured a low whistle as the main melody). Two things that you should be aware of: first, as has been mentioned, mic technique is critical with any whistle. Set a good level for the low end of the scale, down where there isn't a lot of sound - get that to the point where it's audible with the other instruments. When you play down there, you want to be right on top of the mic. When you go up into the upper register, you want to either back off or play a bit off to the side. If you have access to a sound system, try to practice with it a bit before gigging. Best if you can use the mic that you use on stage, because different microphones will have different amounts of off-axis rejection - which is a fancy way of saying they slope off more as you go to one side. You want your technique to be a reflex, not something you have to think about on stage.
Second thing is particularly important with a quiet instrument like the low whistle. ALWAYS point the tail end of the mic, where the cord comes out, directly at your monitor to avoid feedback. If you have a monitor to the side of the mic, you'll be picking up more monitor, which means more feedback.
Good luck.
# Posted on June 27th 2002 by Jon Kiparsky