Mic'ing a Tin Whistle

[CharlieH]

Good morning everyone, a bit of a weird one for you this time http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif

 

Our school Performing Arts Evening is in a few weeks, and I have been trying to figure out how to amplify a tin whistle. One of our staff is exceptionally good (has records out on iTunes etc) and has asked if he can play a few songs from his new album. Okay, I here you saying, some sort of instrument mic - AKG Blue Line, or SM57 perhaps.......but no. He wants to move about the stage whilst playing http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif

 

So now I am stumped. I'm assuming it has to attach to his tin whistle some how, and the only thing I can think of is a lapel radio mic, clipped to the bell but positioned so it is just out of the airflow exiting the instrument. Am I thinking along the right sort of lines?

 

Many Thanks, and a Happy New Year,

Charlie

[pritch]

Something to bear in mind with a tin whistle is that the sound doesn't come out of where you might instinctively think it comes from!

 

Have a look at this picture, and note where the mic is pointing; there's an aperture below where the player blows into the instrument, and that's where you need to be concentrating.

[ramdram]

You might have a look at Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull:

 

 

It looks as if he has the mic cobbled on to the pipe right at the back end (nearest to his head).

 

Doubtless he and his techs played about for a while so hopefully this will save you some R&D, ** laughs out loud **.

 

HTH

[Bobbsy]

How much amplification do you need? Bearing in mind that they have a fairly piercing sound anyway, in your position I've just miked it with either a hairline mic (like an actor would wear--well, most of the sound comes from near the mouth) or used as a clip-on with the mic as high as possible on the shirt or collar.

 

Bob

[Seano]

So now I am stumped. I'm assuming it has to attach to his tin whistle some how, and the only thing I can think of is a lapel radio mic, clipped to the bell but positioned so it is just out of the airflow exiting the instrument. Am I thinking along the right sort of lines?

 

Unless its a huge space, you probably wont need to amplify it very much.

The 'bell'? Nah. If you're putting a radio pack on the player, its more trouble than its worth trying to mount the mic itself on the instrument - its a cable management nightmare for no real benefit. I'd suggest putting the mic on the player's head as if he were singing in a musical (up on the forehead just below the hairline - plenty of topics here about how to go about that). Failing that, how about putting your lapel mic on his lapel? ;)

 

(In pritch's picture above, I'd probably put the mic on the brim of the player's cap.)

[paulears]

If he really wants to move about, clip a radio mic to his glasses (if he has them, or twist one into some elastic so it's centre forehead). A tin whistle can be treated like a recorder for recording purposes, but I'm confused by the previous post - they don't have any holes on the underside normally - the octave hole on a recorder is missing from a tin whistle as it's a pressure and embouchure change to go into the upper registers?

 

As the tube is only fully stopped for the lowest notes, during playing, the majority of sound comes from the holes open, although if you get too close in, many players actually make a fair bit of clatter when then bang their finger pads down! - so around a foot away, perhaps favouring the lower portion gives the most pleasing sound, as the higher notes are quite piercing and quite a bit louder. Sticking an omni on the head will be quite bright - but has the advantage the head stays the same distance away, so you can tame the top end with eq, and this helps any feedback issues too.

[Seano]

A tin whistle can be treated like a recorder for recording purposes, but I'm confused by the previous post - they don't have any holes on the underside normally ..

Confused by my post?

My rationale is this:

Going by the OP, he's not making a recording - its a one-off live performance in a small space.

No doubt there will be other problems to solve, so if the player is reluctant to go for a head-mounted mic, personally I wouldn't spend a lot of time dealing with it; I'd stick it on his body and move on.

[CharlieH]

Thanks to everyone for their rapid replies! So I should mount a lapel mic somewhere on his body. We haven't got any head-mounted mics, but Paul's elastic idea would probably work well. The guy is really laid back so shouldn't be too hard getting him to wear a mic on his person.

 

I think the mic will be needed, as you can fit 500 in our hall (at a push) and the backing track will be coming from the main PA. If we feel during sound checks that it is not necessary, then we can scrap the idea or just turn the mic down low, but I would prefer to go with the assumption that it will be needed unless proved otherwise http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif

[paulears]

Well - the previous one when I started typing!

Something to bear in mind with a tin whistle is that the sound doesn't come out of where you might instinctively think it comes from!

[Seano]

We haven't got any head-mounted mics, but Paul's elastic idea would probably work well.

It would, and it does.. Elastic is a very common solution. (So are wig-clips and home-made ear mounts etc to a lesser extent.)

You don't necessarily need a proprietary headset type thing, there's a long tradition of sound techs improvising their own ways to do this and there are some well established (happily usually very cheap) techniques. Like I said - there have been quite a few threads here about that. If you have a little search, I'm sure they won't be hard to find.

 

I would prefer to go with the assumption that it will be needed..

Always wise, and you may well find you need it. Even if you do though, you're very unlikely to need a great deal of gain.

 

Well - the previous one when I started typing!

Oh, I see (said the blind man). ;)

[Bobbsy]

I'd go as far as to say a standard headset mic wouldn't be desirable for this case...just an omni nearby but not TOO close, hence my suggestion of a hairline mount or clipped to the shirt fairly high up.

 

As Seano says, use of a standard lav held in the hairline by elastic or some kind of clip is totally standard for miking actors when you want the placement to be unobtrusive. Indeed, in EQ terms, a hairline mount often sounds more natural than headset/boom mics. They only reason I tend to go for the latter type is when a loud show causes GBF problems.

 

@Seano, if you check the times of the Paulears, your and my posts, they all popped up at almost exactly the same time...so Paul hadn't even seen yours when he posted!

 

Bob

[boswell]

@Seano, if you check the times of the Paulears, your and my posts, they all popped up at almost exactly the same time...so Paul hadn't even seen yours when he posted!

Bob

You mean the clock works now!!:P

[CharlieH]

I'd go as far as to say a standard headset mic wouldn't be desirable for this case...just an omni nearby but not TOO close, hence my suggestion of a hairline mount or clipped to the shirt fairly high up.

Sorry, but what is the difference between a hairline mount and a headset mount? http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif

[boswell]

Hairline goes on the forehead in the hairline (or in my case, where the hairline should be!)

Headset is a wire mounted over or under ear arrangement were the capsule ends up near the corner of the mouth

[kerry davies]

Interesting comment from Bob regarding headset mics. Afro Celts always use them for tin whistle and Overton and I would have assumed they had more experience than most in live micing of them. McNally actually plays on one side of his mouth to get closer to his mic.

http://www.afrocelts.org/wst_page4.php see pics.