What type of mic should I use and how many?

[Bagungie]

I trust that this is the right place to post this question:

I will soon be involved in recording a Pipe Band (ie. Bagpipes - about 15 pipes), in a reasonably 'live & bright' sounding venue into my PC which has a mic input, using Cool Edit Pro.

I would value any advice in:
(1) what type of mic/mics to use;
(2) how many mics would I need;
(3) pre-amp requirement (if needed);
(4) a passive/mixer to group mics etc.
(5) consideration of layout/position of players to mics etc. etc.

Also, I think that there is no such thing as too much information either guys!

Thanks!

[IIRs]

Can't say I've ever recorded a pipe band, so the following is general location recording advice:

You will need Condenser mics (also known as Capacitor mics) or Back-Electret models which are usually cheaper (although there are lots of Chinese made bargains to be had these days)

Condensers usually need to be supplied "Phantom Power" by the pre-amp to work, usually 48V. If the mic input on your PC doesn't supply this you will either need a seperate pre-amp / mixer, or you will need to choose mics that can be battery powered (this cuts down your options a lot though)

Be aware that some audio interfaces DO supply phantom power, but at a lower voltage (usualy 12V). While this MAY work with a mic designed for 48V, it may well affect audio quality, and I wouldn't personally trust it.

How many mics is a more complicated question: You might get away with just one (if its good), but to cover a large band it will have to be placed at quite a distance, and so will pick up a LOT of room reverb.. whether this is desirable or not will depend partly on the type of sound you hope to achieve, but mainly on how good the room sounds.

Of course, if you want stereo you need at least two mics.. at this point you need to decide what type of stereo mic technique you want to use: I would suggest a spaced pair for this job, as this is likely to cover the whole band better than coincidental or mid / side techniques (both of which require both mics to be in the same place).

Traditionally, omnidirectional mics are used in this configuration.. but if you can find switchable pattern models to fit your budget that would be better as, in an overly reverby environment, you may get better results with a pair of cardioids.

The next step up would be to add another mic or two to cover any soloists if there are any.. but before you do that you need to consider how you record these extra signals:

Do you have enough analogue inputs to record them seperately to be mixed later? This is much the best option, as many potential problems can then be fixed later. eg: the balance can be changed (or automated for different parts) and phasing problems can be addressed with tiny delays.

If you only have stereo inputs to work with, then any more than two mics will mean a small mixer (this may of course solve other problems such as mic pre's & phantom power). Working this way is risky however, as you will be pretty much stuck with the mix you set up on the day, usually judged on headphones or other in-adequate monitors..

If you DO go with multi-micing, you may be able to group them into 3's & 4's and cover the lot with 4 cardioids.. this may depend on the band however (eye contact with conductor.. maybe they group themselves in some other way that doesn't fit with your scheme)

If you can, (and its not already too "wet") add another pair of distant room mics to capture the ambience.

My guess is that bagpipes don't sound good close-mic'ed, so going to a mic each (even if that were possible) probably isn't a good idea!

If you can't stretch to a multichannel interface, my instinct would be to go with a spaced stereo pair, as the more mics you add in a multi-mic setup the more potential there is to run into phase problems, and the more need therefore for good monitoring to avoid them..

Good luck.

[Bagungie]

Can't say I've ever recorded a pipe band, so the following is general location recording advice:

You will need Condenser mics...etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.....good monitoring to avoid them..

Good luck.

Thankyou very much 'platinumears' for all of your very comprehensive advice (which I've printed out to study).

It's guys like you that make KVR a great site to be involved with.

My regards and best wishes for many platinum mixes for you this year.

[IIRs]

You're welcome.

Happy new year.

[fishbowl.tucson.az]

You will need Condenser mics

Why would you choose condenser mics over dynamic mics to record bagpipes?. Either can work just fine, but I'm absolutely sure the first mic to come of the bag for this purpose would be a pair of SM57's, in a slightly >90 degree XY arrangement, probably 10 meters from band. If I have four tracks instead of two, I'd try an AB pair overhead as well, but I don't know how to predict stereo phase problems here.

I've recorded Afro/Hippy drum jams like that, bagpipes can't be a worse sonic mess than this.

I'm pretty sure the last thing you want to do here is individual close-miking. Pipes (and drums) should be recorded outdoors (get good windscreens) from a distance.

Just my unprofessional opinion.