Headset mics

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 7:31 am

Does anyone have any experience with these. Are they ok for playing whistle and flutes with or are there major problems.

Bretton · Post by **Bretton** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 7:35 am

They work very well for recording whistle...haven't tried flute.

-Brett

Myrddin · Post by **Myrddin** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:36 am

I use one (Shure WH30) for flute and whistle, and am very happy with it.

Ro3b · Post by **Ro3b** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:49 am

I used one for a while, but it was more of a hassle than it was worth -- a good level for my flute was too low for my speaking voice or my whistle. Plus someone told me it made me look like one of the Borg. I use a regular old Shure SM57 now, and it suits me fine.

StevieJ · Post by **StevieJ** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:55 am

Ro3b wrote:Plus someone told me it made me look like one of the Borg.

"Space cadet" was one of the more polite comments I got. If you can stand that, they work OK for the whistle. I think mine is an Audio-Technica or something.

But a drawback for the whistle is that you cannot come closer to or back away from the mike to control your volume when you need to. With the insane difference in volume from low D to high b, this is a real problem when you're playing with other melody instruments.

Plus you can't share juicy observations about members of the audience with your band members without switching off. Easy to forget!

You also need a good spherical popping shield if you don't want the entire crowd to hear air exhaling from your nostrils and other head noises.

I think there are better options for the flute - mikes that clip onto the instrument.

Steve

Bretton · Post by **Bretton** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 11:41 am

StevieJ wrote: But a drawback for the whistle is that you cannot come closer to or back away from the mike to control your volume when you need to. With the insane difference in volume from low D to high b, this is a real problem when you're playing with other melody instruments.

Ahh...I hadn't thought of it from a performance point of view. My comments were made mainly of it's usefulness for recording whistle reviews, posting tunes to Clips-N-Snips etc.

For that use, I found the constant distance from the mic to be a positive aspect because folks could get an idea of the volume difference vrom low D to high B. I agree in a performance situation that wouldn't be so good (unless you have a very balanced whistle, in which case, please let me know what kind you have!).

-Brett

pureshift · Post by **pureshift** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 11:50 am

You could possible use the headset mic in a live situation in conjunction with a compressor to lower the volume for you on the louder notes.

shadoe42 · Post by **shadoe42** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 2:27 pm

StevieJ wrote:I think there are better options for the flute - mikes that clip onto the instrument.

Steve

But how is a mic that clips to the instrument itself any different froma headset other than you can pull it away from your mouth to make comments?

pureshift · Post by **pureshift** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 2:53 pm

shadoe42 wrote:
StevieJ wrote:I think there are better options for the flute - mikes that clip onto the instrument.

Steve
But how is a mic that clips to the instrument itself any different froma headset other than you can pull it away from your mouth to make comments?

I think it's better in terms of the position of the mic. With it clipped to the instrument itself, the distance will always remain a constant. Also, you might bump the mic and push it out of position a lot easier with a headset. Most of the folks I've seen on stage that use a mic in this fashion work with it clipped on the instrument itself (both flute and whistle).

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:23 am

pureshift wrote:
I think it's better in terms of the position of the mic. With it clipped to the instrument itself, the distance will always remain a constant. Also, you might bump the mic and push it out of position a lot easier with a headset. Most of the folks I've seen on stage that use a mic in this fashion work with it clipped on the instrument itself (both flute and whistle).

Thanks for all the comments. Maybe a clip-on mic is a better option for me. Are there any clip on mics that are recommended. I assume they are reasonably easy to move from instrument to instrument?

pureshift · Post by **pureshift** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 2:18 am

Adrian wrote:
pureshift wrote:
I think it's better in terms of the position of the mic. With it clipped to the instrument itself, the distance will always remain a constant. Also, you might bump the mic and push it out of position a lot easier with a headset. Most of the folks I've seen on stage that use a mic in this fashion work with it clipped on the instrument itself (both flute and whistle).
Thanks for all the comments. Maybe a clip-on mic is a better option for me. Are there any clip on mics that are recommended. I assume they are reasonably easy to move from instrument to instrument?

Here are some that I've found:
http://www.sdsystems.com/frame.html?fra ... /70/70.htm
http://www.sennheiser.nl/sennheiser/icm ... root/04520#

I've also seen people use various lavalier mics on whistles. Not all of them have the perfect mount for a whistle but I've seen people rig things up pretty easily.

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:34 pm

Thanks for all the help. I'm on track now.

tim-hart · Post by **tim-hart** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 12:05 am

Hi. I tried a headset mic for a while and while it was wonderful to be able to move around on stage the quality of the mic itself wasn't great. Also, I don't think the audience liked it much -- i had this black thing in front of my face all the time that they couldn't get used to. I later switched to a Beta 57. It's a drag that I have to stand in front of it all the time, but the sound is really superior.

NoMattch · Post by **NoMattch** » Sat Oct 07, 2006 1:33 pm

I've been using a headset mic for about 8 months. You really have to buy quality or you'll have sound problems. I started out with a cheaper Audio Technica which didn't have much power and there were times that the whistle couldn't be heard over the other band instruments. I bit the bullet a few months back and got an expensive Shure headset which I haven't had any problems with at all.
There is a learning curve involved with using a headset. It helps if the mic has a gooseneck so you can position it differently between tunes. I'm at the point now where I'll pull it in closer for a solo or an interlude right in the middle of a song but it took a while to get used to. I play better when I'm not in front of a mic stand and I love that I don't have collisions with the mic anymore when I close my eyes.

tubafor · Post by **tubafor** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 8:13 am

I use a decent quality Audio Technica headset for my gigs, and it works pretty well. I went with it, because I change instruments quite a bit in the show I do for retirement communities, so I go from whistle to melodica to ocarina, etc. I found that the headset gives me the ease of being able to move around and the gooseneck easily adjusts from instrument to instrument.

I agree with others that you lose the ability to "work the mic." One way I've found to work around this is when I'm playing a low whistle in the upper octave, I move it to the right side of my mouth (I wear the mic on my left side), and get it a little bit away from the mic. Or, if I'm going from low to high whistles, same thing - I play the higher whistle on the right, away from the mic.

The freedom I found in the headset, and also not having to put up another stand for a mic, is worth the tradeoff one makes by using a headset. But, that's just my experience.