Mic-ing smallpipes?

MooglePower · 07-23-2019, 12:45 PM

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good mic or mic set for recording smallpipes?

Graineag · 07-23-2019, 02:55 PM

If it's for home recording, I've had nice results from the Blue Snowball Ice USB mic. Haven't actually tried it with the smallpipes yet, but they worked well for my uilleann pipes.

For live and studio work, I've used an AKG C1000S with good results.

bob864 · 07-24-2019, 08:41 AM

How you record it will depend on what you intend to do with the recording.

If you want a recording of solo smallpipes, then a Blumlein pair somewhere in a good sounding room will do what you want. Probably six feet from the instrument or so. A pair of CAD M179 mics would work well.

Most of the recordings on this page were made with a Blumlein pair. It's a string quartet, but you can hear

If you want to produce a track of various instruments that includes smallpipes, then a single microphone (mono recording) is probably what you want. An SM81 would be a good choice. Where you position the mic will depend on how you want the smallpipes to sit in the mix. You might want it pretty close to the chanter to minimize the drones, for instance, if you're going to have some other instrument playing in the same range as the drones. OTOH, if it's mainly percussion and instruments not playing around the range of the drones, then you might want a more balanced recording.

If you're on a budget, a used iPhone 4s is $20 and it will make better recordings than many mics costing $100 to $200.

TwitchyFingers · 07-24-2019, 11:20 AM

For videos and such, I've recently begun using a Zoom Q2N to replace my Blue Snowball. Camera and mic are in one, and it picks up sound well. Can handle up to 120db without distortion, too, so the big pipes are no problem. It can also be used as mic only to patch into computer/USB recording programs. Only caveat is it eats batteries. You'll do well to pick up a rechargeable battery pack like the Pocket Juice 7800mah (milliamp hours). It also has a smart chip to regulate power depending on the device it's hooked to.
Not in a studio, here, so it picked up the train whistle down the way, but a nice result once you're playing. Outside of that, you're looking at multiple mics in a studio setting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yeTXaq3xNA

bob864 · 07-24-2019, 01:25 PM

This was the link I intended to post above:

https://soundcloud.com/user-587794595

It's a series of string quartet recordings made with a Blumlein pair.

07-23-2019, 12:45 PM	#1
MooglePower Forum Member - Shy or Quiet Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Santa Barbara, CA Posts: 1	Mic-ing smallpipes? Does anyone have any suggestions for a good mic or mic set for recording smallpipes?

07-23-2019, 02:55 PM	#2
Graineag Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 97	Re: Mic-ing smallpipes? If it's for home recording, I've had nice results from the Blue Snowball Ice USB mic. Haven't actually tried it with the smallpipes yet, but they worked well for my uilleann pipes. For live and studio work, I've used an AKG C1000S with good results. __________________ www.portlandpipes.com soundcloud.com/channing-dodson

07-24-2019, 08:41 AM	#3
bob864 Holy smoking keyboard! Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 9,365	Re: Mic-ing smallpipes? How you record it will depend on what you intend to do with the recording. If you want a recording of solo smallpipes, then a Blumlein pair somewhere in a good sounding room will do what you want. Probably six feet from the instrument or so. A pair of CAD M179 mics would work well. Most of the recordings on this page were made with a Blumlein pair. It's a string quartet, but you can hear If you want to produce a track of various instruments that includes smallpipes, then a single microphone (mono recording) is probably what you want. An SM81 would be a good choice. Where you position the mic will depend on how you want the smallpipes to sit in the mix. You might want it pretty close to the chanter to minimize the drones, for instance, if you're going to have some other instrument playing in the same range as the drones. OTOH, if it's mainly percussion and instruments not playing around the range of the drones, then you might want a more balanced recording. If you're on a budget, a used iPhone 4s is $20 and it will make better recordings than many mics costing $100 to $200. __________________

07-24-2019, 11:20 AM	#4
TwitchyFingers Holy smoking keyboard! Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wyandotte, Michigan Posts: 3,284	Re: Mic-ing smallpipes? For videos and such, I've recently begun using a Zoom Q2N to replace my Blue Snowball. Camera and mic are in one, and it picks up sound well. Can handle up to 120db without distortion, too, so the big pipes are no problem. It can also be used as mic only to patch into computer/USB recording programs. Only caveat is it eats batteries. You'll do well to pick up a rechargeable battery pack like the Pocket Juice 7800mah (milliamp hours). It also has a smart chip to regulate power depending on the device it's hooked to. Not in a studio, here, so it picked up the train whistle down the way, but a nice result once you're playing. Outside of that, you're looking at multiple mics in a studio setting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yeTXaq3xNA __________________ Before you start fixing problems with your reeds, check to see if the bag or stocks are leaking. http://www.youtube.com/user/Marcblur?feature=guide

07-24-2019, 01:25 PM	#5
bob864 Holy smoking keyboard! Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 9,365	Re: Mic-ing smallpipes? This was the link I intended to post above: https://soundcloud.com/user-587794595 It's a series of string quartet recordings made with a Blumlein pair. __________________

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search