Mic Archive

Instrument

Bodhrán and frame drum

A single-headed frame drum from Irish music, 25-65 cm across (most 35-45 cm), 9-20 cm deep, with a goatskin head tacked on one side and the other side open so one hand can press the inside of the skin to change pitch and tone. One or two crossbars may be fitted. Played with a double-ended stick (cipín, "tipper") or the hand (Wikipedia). A "top-end" style uses a smaller (14-15 in), deeper drum with a thin skin (Wikipedia).

Also called frame drum.

Sources
6 (6 independent)

Recommended mics

Mics sources recommend

20 setups from 6 sources, 6 of them independent of any mic maker. Each mic shows how many sources name it for that role, and how many of those are independent. Listed alphabetically: there is no ranking.

Studio

Close

  • AKG C 4521 independent source
  • Neumann U 872 independent sources
  • good mic in front, not behind1 independent source

Named, no placement given

  • AKG C 4141 independent source

Multi-mic plan

Inside

The 7 setups behind this: placement and quotes
  • Close 2 × Neumann U 87
    pair, one left and one right, about 30 cm (two mono tracks)
    Bodhrán: one U87 from the left, one U87 from the right, both about 30cm away ... Small room, very dry sound1
  • Named, no placement given AKG C 414
    recording
    If it's for recording purposes, the AKG C414 would be ideal, but very expensive2
  • Multi-mic plan front of the head: Neumann KM 184 + behind, just inside the rim: Electro-Voice EV 468
    one mic in front of the head, one behind the drum
    In the studio, along with the EV we also used a Neumann KM-184 on the front of the head ... Our current favorite is an EV 468, a dynamic mic made for drums ... We usually use that on the back of the drum for live shows3
  • Close good mic in front, not behind
    front of the drum
    A good mic in front (not in back) of the drum should yield the sound of the drum as it sounds live4
  • Inside Electro-Voice EV 468
    behind the drum, just inside the rim, below the left hand (recording)
    For recording we used the EV mic in it's usual position behind the drum, just inside the rim below her left hand5
  • Close AKG C 452
    front, about two feet out at 45 degrees, for the stick 'scuff'
    also used an AKG 452 condensor mic ... about two feet out from the drum head at a 45 degree angle5
  • Close Neumann U 87
    front, with an AKG dynamic on the back
    On the 'back' we used an AKG dynamic and for the 'front' a Neuman U87 (mcdowall)5

On stage

Close

  • Shure SM572 independent sources
  • Shure SM581 independent source
  • any instrument mic (no model)1 independent source

Clip-on

  • AKG C 4182 independent sources
  • AKG C 4191 independent source
  • Audio-Technica AT35x Pro1 independent source
  • Beyerdynamic TG-X51 independent source
  • JTS CX-5081 independent source
  • Sennheiser e6041 independent source
The 10 setups behind this: placement and quotes
  • Close Shure SM57
    stand mic; for 'damped', clicky playing
    If played 'damped' ... something like a Shure SM57 or Sennheiser E845 should work well2
  • Clip-on AKG C 418
    clip-on
    i just got the AKGC418, clip on mic, designed as a percussion mic ... was really pleased2
  • Clip-on Beyerdynamic TG-X5
    clip-on on the rim
    The bodhrán microphone that I use is a Beyerdynamic TG-X5 percussion mic, which has a flexible swan neck2
  • Close any instrument mic (no model)
    over/under, or a single well-placed mic
    Sometimes over/under micing works best with drums; other times, a well-placed single mic does the trick (caption: the drum is a bodhran)6
  • Close Shure SM57
    stand mic, near the drum; most common live choice, needs gain and EQ
    A -57 is great for the full tonal range of the drum ... but ONLY if it's mixed right (dirtyheel); 'the soundman gives me an Sm57' (original post)3
  • Close Shure SM57
    stand mic; placement tuned until it sounds right
    Yes, John Joe Kelly does like an sm57 ... he was very happy with that, and preferred some bass rolled off (sound engineer for Flook)3
  • Clip-on AKG C 418 or Audio-Technica AT35x Pro
    clip-on, on the rim
    We used the AKG C-418 for a while, then the AT35x Pro ... bodhran players who use both and are very satisfied (stv culchie) ... the ATM35 would be my first choice and the sm57 ... my second choice (original poster's summary)3
  • Clip-on Sennheiser e604
    clamped to the shell, rim mount
    Just about to try a Sennheiser 604 screwed into the shell of the drum (Paul Keeler; planned, not yet a result)3
  • Clip-on AKG C 419 or JTS CX-508
    clip-on
    We have used the AKG C419, and it was pretty good ... AudioTechnica AT35x Pro ... the mid- and low-range tones were richer ... JTS CX508 and AKG C419 are two good ones (clip-ons)5
  • Close Shure SM58
    stand mic
    I use a SM58 and have always been pleased (ejsant)5

Studio and stage

Close

The 3 setups behind this: placement and quotes
  • Close AKG D12
    kick drum mic for 'open' bass-drum-like playing
    If played more 'open' ... then the old AKG D12 ... is the best bet2
  • Close Sennheiser MD 421 or Beyerdynamic M 88
    kick or tom mics used on bodhrans
    I've seen a lot of mics made for kick drums or toms used on bodhrans: Sennheiser 421s, Beyer M88s ... Sennheiser 421s, Beyer M88s, and now there are lots of mics built specifically for kicks3
  • Close tie-clip electret condenser
    on the inside of the rim, looking at the skin, about 1 in away
    a tie-clip electret bluetaced to the inside of the rim looking at the skin, about an inch away ... sounds great with hardly any spill4

Where the sound goes

The skin is the source; the frame is open on the player's side, so sound also comes out of the back (estimate, no source states it). Hand sliding on the inside skin is audible, more so on a clip-on mic (The Session). No source gives a radiation pattern or a measurement.

Recording it

Studio, two mics: one forum recording engineer (Chiff and Fipple) used two U87s, one left and one right, 30 cm away in a small dry room, on two mono tracks. Another poster used a dynamic on the back, just inside the rim below the player's hand, and an AKG 452 two feet from the head at 45 degrees to catch the tipper "scuff"; yet another used an AKG dynamic behind and a U87 in front. A different poster says one good mic "in front, not in back" is enough. Clip-ons (C 418, C 419, AT35x Pro, JTS CX-508, Beyerdynamic TG-X5) are common live: they free the player to move, but the player can no longer vary distance to the mic (The Session, mudcat). Live: SM57 or SM58 on a stand is the default ("what the PA company has").

Problems to watch

Thin or boomy depending on the room and the mic (Crash Symphony, a studio, no mic named). Feedback in a pub (The Session). Clip-ons stop the player varying distance, and pick up more hand slide noise (The Session); a stand mic gets bass and spill from the rest of the stage. One sound engineer rolled off bass and a little low mids for a player who used an SM57 (The Session).

About the range

No pitch range: the drum is not tuned to notes; the hand changes pitch. No source found.

Sources

  1. Chiff and Fipple forum: Tips for recording (2011)forum · forums.chiffandfipple.com
  2. mudcat.org: Microphones for Bodhran (2001-2019 thread)forum · mudcat.org
  3. The Session: Bodhran Mic? (2003 thread, many posters)forum · thesession.org
  4. The Session: Has anyone recorded and mixed bodhran? (2003 thread)forum · thesession.org
  5. The Session: A question of Bodhran Mics. (2005 thread)forum · thesession.org
  6. Hogan, J. & T. (2016) Accordions & Didgeridoos: Mic Techniques For 'Exotic' Instruments, Pro Sound Webmagazine · prosoundweb.com