recording bagpipes

[bennyboy]

recorded a 12 piece bagpipe band today not easy

i had like what i can explain in words a sucking and pumping sound like bad compression
and on the daw only top half of the wave shows no mater what i did i tried a different source a guitar and
no probs
changed the phase on the pre same thing
and every thing seamed to clip even at minimal gain when i got close and the further away i got the more the pumping sound

things like u 87 ,414,c12 and pretty much every thing i owned with a large diaphram the sound seamed to just have that pumpeffect

and the smaller every thing seamed to be a wash moved them round heaps nothing seamed to work

in the room it sounded good what i recorded didnt

i got realy stuck today on this

and ended up doing 3 at a time over dubbing them as the less pipes in the room the less this effect

is this is this a room acoustics prob or gear prob bad mic technique or just bagpipes are a bitch

has any one ever done this and had similar problems

[Barney Loveland]

What's the definition of a true gentleman?

Someone who knows how to play the bagpipes but doesn't.


Sorry no help but couldn't resist. Hopefully someone wiser can advise on recording.

[heathen]

Geez I hate days like that.

Could be the drone notes causing multiple standing waves. I think you would want a very very large room to do it without issue. Just a thought as I've never recorded bagpipes.

I wonder if pzm's would be a better mic choice? I dunno.

[heathen]

What's the definition of a true gentleman?

Someone who knows how to play the bagpipes but doesn't.

:) Good 1 Barney.

[wez]

bagpipes should always be recorded from the next valley.

[Chris H]

From what you describe it's hard to pinpoint the problem, ie not sure what this is" when you say
"and on the daw only top half of the wave shows " Is there clipping on the DAW input, or distortion of the mic pres or the mics . My thinking is probably the mics as 12 bagpipes will give you high SPL in a smallish room. I have done a similar number in a large hall along with those snare drums that crack like rifle shots...kevlar heads tuned super tight... and it was essential to have mics that handle a high SPL WITH pads engaged. I prefer small diaphram condensers for high spl in this sort of thing, something like a pair of AKG 451 would be ideal.

Was your room smallsh or with low ceiling, and what Wez said points to a good idea, recording them outdoors, if your room is small.

[NYMo]

Hi there,

Trying to remember if I have ever seen bagpipes being played indoors....
and i don't think i can !

(we had a renowned pipe band at the school I used to go to)

cheers
N
Y
M
O

[chris p]

Were they all playing the same tone, and were they in tune? Well, for bagpipes anyway?

Two similar tones slightly off from each other will create a beat effect, so multiply that by all those players and drone notes ....

I get something like your description when recording school orchestras. There's not a lot you can do. If space, mics and channels allow, separate the players or (as you did) record in groups, or try the various stereo recording techniques, particularly the ones that do not point directly at the players. Also trying to record a nice bright reflection off a wall or ceiling can sometimes do the trick.

If you listen to iTunes bagpipes recordings (because you're some form of twisted masochist), the band tracks (as distinct from bagpipe solos) all sound like they've been recorded from about 600 meters away. I'm sure this is at least partly OH&S for the recording engineer and support crew (you need Hazmat suits and noise cancelling headphones to get any closer to a bagpipe band), but it may also be the only way to tame the pumping.

I hope you all caught my use of "bagpipe solos" in a serious post. I think I can claim a Turtlerock first.

[jkhuri44]

bagpipes are a harsh toned instrument, u get all sorts of nasties when recording those...

a friend of mine recorded an asian singer, japanese i think who do some wierd thing with the overtone's in the voice, that + the room's frequency bump produced a recording that sounds like it was clipping...although it did not look like that in the DAW.


if half the wave is showing...thats quite a serious distortion issue? and not sure it would be a problem with the bagpipes or the room, or micing, especially if u said it sounded good in the room....maybe some of your gear is rooted?? like, preamps doing something nasty? you might have already trouble shooted this, sorry to suggest if you've already tried.

[Djembe]

I sometimes record with a friend who plays Balkan style bagpipes. He always records the drone first, on it's own, then overdubs the chanter part.
That way you have much more control over the balance between the two.

Blair Greenberg