Recording Flute

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rodbox5

New member
We've been trying to record a flute track with varying levels of success.

There seems to be three options:
1. Instrument mic on a stand (what we've tried so far)
2. External miniture mic which clips onto flute
3. Internal mic (replaces the flute's end cork)

Mics for both option 2 & 3 are pretty expensive(for good ones), so I'd appreciate any recommendations as to which works best.
 
I've recorded the flute many times and have always used a dynamic mic, mainly because it was all I had. But I always got good sounds. How close you go is dependent on how much breathy sound you want.
I remember it coming as a big surprize to me discovering, the first time I recorded the flute, that the mic yielded a far better sound when placed close to the mouthpiece whereas visual logic would've dictated the other way, like horns.
 
yeah,,i've noticed that, and never understood it.

Every inch of me wants to put the pic at the end of the flute, but anytime i see a flute miced up, it's always off axis at the mouthpiece.
 
Well, while the kid that was playing the flute was playing, I was setting up the mic. As I got close to her........{this sounds like a scene from a raunchy novel} I noticed the sound came from the mouthpiece. So I put the mic close and the levels shot up ! When I put them at the end they went down dramatically. From that point I've never miked any other way. Funny thing is, I've always liked good photography of musicians and singers but up until 1993, I'd never really taken notice of where mics were in relation to a flute player.
 
From comments here it sounds like we're too far away. I was worried about picking player and mechanical noise, so have used an instrument mic at about 3 feet.

Will try close up - thanks guys
 
I've had tons of luck with just simply putting up a 57 in front of the mouth piece.
And as what Grim points out the closer you are the more breath sound there will be.
 
rodbox5 said:
From comments here it sounds like we're too far away. I was worried about picking player and mechanical noise, so have used an instrument mic at about 3 feet.

Will try close up - thanks guys
Click to expand...

Remember to go off axis a little. If you don't you're effectively letting someone blow into your mic.
 
I like an LDC positioned about 12 inches from the instrument, about halfway between the mouthpiece and the tone holes. I like to get the mic slightly above the instrument, angled downwards to avoid any breath going straight into the mic as "wind noise". If the flutist moves a lot, you may have to go farther back which can make you struggle for gain. This gives a fairly bright, detailed sound which suits a lot of styles but sometimes for rock/jazz flutes I'll move to a dynamic (even an SM57) for the slightly darker sound.

The small clip on mics and the "end corks" are more applicable to live sound situations where the struggle is gain before feedback...it makes the flute louder but, to my ears at least, don't give such a pleasing sound.
 
Steenamaroo said:
yeah,,i've noticed that, and never understood it.

Every inch of me wants to put the pic at the end of the flute, but anytime i see a flute miced up, it's always off axis at the mouthpiece.
Click to expand...

I think that the flute works on the principle of standing waves. So the sound is generated from the body of the flute, not the end. Something like a pipe organ.

My wife plays flute, and for some live work, I bodged up a little instrument mike that I lightly strap to the head-joint, and the mike sits between the lip plate and first key, about 2-3 cm away from the flute.

Crude, but it serves the purpose.
 
Did a quick trial run with my AT2035 microphone.
Positioned the mic a little high and angled down.
Flute player up close (about a foot) but slightly angled to the left of the mic.
Mic located above and evenly between the blow hole and the fist joint on the flute.
Flute player a little put off by the proximity of the mic first off - but got used to it quite quickly.
Really great sound - but a little breathy first go.
Tried fitting a pop shield and bingo - perfect!

Thanks for all the advice folks.
 
PRHunt said:
I think that the flute works on the principle of standing waves. So the sound is generated from the body of the flute, not the end. Something like a pipe organ.
Click to expand...

I played flute to grade 7, and had to study the (simplified) physics of how aerophones produce sound last year.

How much worse does that make my ignorance? lol.

Glad you had success OP.
I'd love to hear some recordings!
 
Steenamaroo said:
Glad you had success OP.
I'd love to hear some recordings!
Click to expand...

We're trying to reproduce a few vintage tracks from John Mayall's "The Turning Point".
Probably so old now, nobody will remember the album. Great sax and flute numbers all the same!
A few issues to sort out still - but will post a track when we're done.

Thanks again!
 
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