Mic'ing of flute in band advice

[Birminghambrownie]

I play flute in a worship band with guitars, keys and vocalists. I am having issues with the AV and could do with some advice!

 

I' meow being told the flute doesn't need mic'ing up as its 'a loud instrument' and the sound carries, which maybe true during the sound checks. However I know that when the congregation sing the flute is not heard at all which defeats the object of me being there!

 

Now I have never had an issue with being mic'd before and am used to having to be close up with the mic between the mouthpiece and first keys but with some new team members I'm struggling. I need the right language to be able to discuss whether the flute needs to be mic'd and what equipment is best (I've been told if I really want to be mic'd the only way is to use a specialist clip-on one). I've no idea what microphones we have currently, and to complicate things we do both inside and outdoor services.

 

Any advice gratefully received! Thank you.

[Shaster]

I frequently work with flute players. Most of them just use an SM58 or something similar. There is one fellow I worked with recently that can play very loud, and I've jammed with him without a mic - but he's the exception not the rule.. This fellow has recorded many albums on flute and on saxophone so if a plain old mic is good enough for him, I reckon it's good enough for most. http://tomkeenlyside.com/presskit.htm

 

Here's a video with what looks like a 58

[Shaster]

Here's a clip of another guy I work with. On our gig a couple of weeks ago the sound man gave him an AKG 414 but ninety-nine times out of a hundred he gets a Shure SM58. He plays more trumpet than flute, but he is a very good flute player. http://gabrieljazz.com/ Here's a live video (two flute players) Gabriel's on the left of the screen.

 

 

 

So NO you don't need a special mic and yes you should have a mic of some sort, unless you're playing a fife or something.

[Birminghambrownie]

Thank you Shaster, I'll try to tactfully relay that;)

I'm assuming that in a band situation where you have majority electronic/amplified instruments that you need to mic everything to be able to achieve a good balance?

[Shaster]

I'm a bit old school, but I believe that just like a symphony, electric instruments can balance themselves as long as the venue isn't too big, or the crowd too loud,. Of course the players need to have good gear, and it helps if they're pros. However, in a large or difficult venue I would want to mic everything, but in a small club, if you only need vocals, then that's all you need.

 

Putting instruments in the PA can enhance their clarity and dispersion, but as I said, I'm more into the sound reinforcement angle, than sound creation. There are certainly many people that like to mic every drum, kazoo and penny whistle - I'm just not one of them. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a million mics on the drums, gone back to the board, and the tech has pulled the overheads, snare and most of the toms out of the mix. I start with kick, then maybe overheads and add if I need to. Can't recall the last time I needed to, being that I'm a small time guy, usually in small venues.

 

Wow, long answer to a simple question. Sorry about that

[minn12]

I play flute in a worship band with guitars, keys and vocalists. I am having issues with the AV and could do with some advice!

 

I' meow being told the flute doesn't need mic'ing up as its 'a loud instrument' and the sound carries, which maybe true during the sound checks. However I know that when the congregation sing the flute is not heard at all which defeats the object of me being there!

 

Now I have never had an issue with being mic'd before and am used to having to be close up with the mic between the mouthpiece and first keys but with some new team members I'm struggling. I need the right language to be able to discuss whether the flute needs to be mic'd and what equipment is best (I've been told if I really want to be mic'd the only way is to use a specialist clip-on one). I've no idea what microphones we have currently, and to complicate things we do both inside and outdoor services.

 

Any advice gratefully received! Thank you.

 

I'm not sure who is telling you that you don't need to be mic'd. I have a few questions- do you have a dedicated 'sound guy', and if so, is he located out in the congregation? How many people attend a typical service, and how big is the church or house of worship? Do the guitar players have amps on stage, and how loud are they generally?

 

From your description, I would say that you should be mic'd. It is better to have a mic and not need it much, than to not have a mic and need one during parts of the performance. When mic'd, you can simply hang back during quieter passages, and move closer to the mic when needed.

 

One suggestion is to have someone in the congregation listen to your playing and then tell the sound guy or band leader that your flute playing is not being heard during parts of the performance, if that is the case. That would support your point that a mic is necessary. If the church does not have enough mics, you might want to supply your own if needed if you choose to do that. You may need to be a little more assertive in order to make your point. Good luck, and let us know how this turns out.

[Birminghambrownie]

Thank you Shaster and minn12.

 

to answer a few of those Q's minn12 - it's one of the sound guys telling me I don't need mic'd, he has his own sound production company and brings lots of his own kit to church, the weeks he isn't doing sound the other guys use what we have at church (which is perfectly adequate;)) I have a feeling he has an issue with me personally and this is how it is manifesting but I dont want to be saying that until I have a some sound people telling me that;)

 

location wise the sound person is at the back of the room, we meet in a beautiful terrace room, oblong shaped and we play in the middle of one of the long sides. we get maybe 80-120 at a service. Usually the bass guitar has own amp but the rest go directly through the PA system.

 

Unfortunately I regularly get feedback from my other half that the flute can't be heard so I know what currently happens isn't really working!

 

Im trying to build up the assertiveness but am aware I don't have the right 'sound guy' language being a more classical instrumentalist than band girl;)

 

I'll let you know how it goes;)

 

thanks again

[DanCostello]

Unfortunately I regularly get feedback from my other half that the flute can't be heard so I know what currently happens isn't really working!

 

Yeah, so, about that.... There's actually kind of a running joke among soundfolk about how random punters will comment on how they can't hear their girlfriend/boyfriend/son/daughter/etc who's on stage, despite that person's instrument being perfectly audible (and often, too loud).

 

The truth is that you don't really know whether or not your flute is audible. I've been in churches of that size where the congregation sings loudly and I've been in ones where they barely make a peep. I wouldn't be surprised at all if your flute was loud enough to carry the room unamplified.

 

The sound guy's comment about you needing a special clip-on mic initially made me think that they were short on equipment, but if he's bringing his own, then that wouldn't be the case. Do you move around a lot when you play?

 

Out of curiosity, do you have any videos of this band playing?

[Tomm Williams]

Be careful here...................

 

 

It would be very easy for your comments to be construed as telling the sound guy how to do his job. Now perhaps he needs some friendly "advice" as he is not providing a proper mix, perhaps he is. I would consult with your conductor/director for a more educated opinon of the mix from the audience position. This could be a great opportunity to to build a relationship with your sound guy.