Mic' ng A Flute

The flute is not the easiest instrument to mic but fortunately it's very simple in most situations. Usually a condenser mic somewhere near the player's mouth will do the trick. I find the easiest to hang a microphone of the left shoulder in most situations. For a jazzier sound get the mic within a couple of inches which'll give you more breathy sound but if you want a more rounded out smooth tone then a foot or two away will do. Be careful one mic in the flute and decide to get close as they will be a lot of air movement which microphones in general bowel like. If you really want to close-up mic a flute then I would suggest a lavaliere mic and some elastic near the mouthpiece. Place the mic out of the air path and it will be very effective plus it won't pick up too much room noise which is a killer for your mix. If you don't have a lavaliere available and you need to mic a flute close then make sure to use a quality windscreen on a variable D mic. Some of microphone manufacturers are now making mics specific for flutes but who has the budget for a specific flute mic I mean really. If by chance you want to knock out two flutes with one mic then I would suggest trying to get above the shoulders and place the mic a foot or two away from the flutes. As always when mic'ing an instrument that you don't normally mic, plan some time to play with the mic setup for the instrument. Instrumentalist are by nature a little finicky and they will appreciate your extra effort to make their instrument sound it's very best.

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