Mic for pipes

[Lorenzo]

If you put cardioids overtop of each other, the left one pointed right, and the right one pointed left, kind of like this ^ where each line is a microphone, and the diaphrams are at the top, then it will record stereo. Since the centers of the diaphragms are in a straight line, it eliminates phase distortion. If you pointed that pair straight at the chanter, then the chanter would be centered, and the drones and the regulators would be slightly off to the left (more or less, depending on how far away it was).

That's the xy configuration you mentioned earlier, right? One of the links I posted above has a section on that with diagram.

FIG. 4: XY mic placement uses two coincidentally placed mics
(typically with a cardioid pattern) positioned to create an angle
of 90 to 135 degrees between them. By positioning the capsule
of one mic directly over that of the other, sound arriving at the
mics in the horizontal plane will be picked up at virtually the
same time, reducing phase cancellations. The XY technique is
highly mono compatible.

Personally, I find recordings made that way to sound really great on headphones, but not as dramatic on speakers. Another common patter is to put the bases of the microphones together like V (where the diaphragms are on top (110 degrees is the "standard", developed by French television). I don't think a pattern like that would lend itself to pipes, but it might be good for a small group, if you didn't have enough microphones for each musician. The drawback is obviously that it limits editing possibilities.

I discovered that quite by accident, the xy configuration, and wondered why the instrument sounded so good. One thing in the learning curve was that everything sounds better through headphones, so don't trust the recording to sound good on your car stereo if using only headphones. I finally located a great set of studio monitors. They don't work like regular speakers, but are designed to tell you the truth. If it passes that test, I take it out to the car. One engineer commented that 80% of all music is play on car stereos nowadays. My car stereo really is just the thing. The Bose is questionable, but I do play back a master CD there just to see what it sounds like. I use several sources to an idea of what the mixdown needs as a compromise for all systems.

[highland-piper]

That's the xy configuration you mentioned earlier, right? One of the links I posted above has a section on that with diagram.

Yes. The other one is called OTRF, iirc.

That 80% figure is interesting. I listen to at least 80% of my music in the car, because I drive a lot. For a HS to college age audience I bet it's 80% on earbuds. My brother listens to music on his laptop a lot.

Sometimes I wonder how much good is being served by using high quality monitors for mixing and mastering when the vast majority will listen on factory-car audio or boom boxes. Oh well.

[Cathy Wilde]

In the world of commercial production it's a standard "best practice" to listen to every mix through a small pair of cheap monitor speakers at least once. A common brand was/is something called "Auratone," which of course has morphed into "Horrortone"... as in "Now let's listen back on the Horrortones."

[boyd]

I'm glad I resurrected this topic now, having seen the ensuing discussion.

Most interesting.

Seems there are now tips in the thread, and its various links, for both the on-stage situation and for the recording studio.

I reckon NPU should run a wee article on the subject, for their magazine and also for the website.
Would be a tremendous reference for pipers that have to perform.

I have seen the sound of the pipes get completely ruined by the (inadequate) attempts of the sound crew to amplify them.

How much better if even the average piper could get on stage and have a proven set-up.

Imagine telling a sound crew in advance to go look up such-and-such a link on NPU website or C&F to get the tech specs for a solo piper or for a piper in an ensemble, tips on how not to lose back D, how to stop the chanter sounding like a duck or the drones coming and going as the piper moves to reach the reg keys.


Boyd

[Patrick D'Arcy]

These do a nice job. They have the added advantage of having a clamp that is actually useful rather than the silly clip that comes on some small mics. Prefferably in this order:

http://www.akg.com/site/products/powers ... ge,EN.html

http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Products/ ... -S_content

They aren't cheap though and you'll need two. One on the bass drone and the other on the chanter.

Patrick.

[boyd]

Do you clip it to the chanter?

And if so, which bit of the chanter?


B

[Patrick D'Arcy]

Yes you do. To the top usually but the bottom works too. It depends on your chanter blocks and key layout. You see some Galician pipers using this set up from the bottom of the chanter.

Patrick.

[Podge]

Do you clip it to the chanter?
And if so, which bit of the chanter?
B

You can use a cable tie if there are no other suitable mounts. Just wrap it around the chanter throat (just below where the reed sits) and clip the mic to it. I used an AKG clip-on for years but it really depends on the environment and whether it's noisy on stage or not. I found that an SM57 was the best all rounder (combined with a nice preamp) but I do like to use a nice condenser if I can.

[simonknight]

Robbie Hannan centers the chanter and it feels as though the drones and regs are panned slightly left. He use no reverb as far as I could detect.

That could be a stereo pair, could it not?

I think so also. If you use a coincident stereo pair a few feet away you can get some pan on the drones.

[boyd]

bump!!


and also search.php

[MTGuru]

bump!!

You are evil.

[boyd]

Nay!!

I'm just a helpful old-timer

(leans over gate and chews on a bit of straw)


Boyd

ps... if you've just tuned in, read the bulk of this thread as it is very helpful on the subject of mic'ing pipes

[piperhahn]

Why isn't this a sticky already? it comes up enough and I'm sure that even if it's not coming up then someone is wondering about it.