Mic Archive

Instrument

Didgeridoo

A droned lip-reed tube, usually 1 to 3 m (most about 1.2 m), made of termite-hollowed eucalyptus or modern PVC. The player adds vocalisations and circular breathing (Wikipedia).

Range
B1–G3
Sources
12 (12 independent)

Recommended mics

Mics sources recommend

57 setups from 12 sources, 12 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.

On stage

Close

Clip-on

The 11 setups behind this: placement and quotes
  • Close Shure Beta 52 (as written; Beta 52A)
    close, low end at the bell
    Beta 52 named for capturing the low end of the didgeridoo (forum summary).1
  • Close Shure SM81
    close at the bell, live
    SM81 reported to work well live on didgeridoo (forum summary).1
  • Close Shure Beta 87A
    close, live
    Beta 87A proven effective on didgeridoo (forum summary).1
  • Clip-on Shure Beta 98H/C
    clip-on at the bell, moving performer
    Clip-on condensers with a gooseneck keep the mic aimed at the opening as the player moves (forum summary).1
  • Close Shure SM58
    close, much closer to the end, bass via mixer EQ
    Howie Factor: Live, I stick a '58 much closer to the end and use the mixer's bass control to get it right.2
  • Close Audix i5
    close, on the instrument (live)
    Jeff_D: a dynamic with a cardioid or hyper cardioid pattern would be better for a live application ... I prefer an Audix I5 over an SM57.3
  • Clip-on AKG C519
    clip-on, clipped to the bell, into a wireless bodypack, for a moving player
    try a clip-on AKG C519 miniature condenser clipped to the bell, preferably run into a wireless bodypack transmitter.4
  • Close AKG C430
    close, near the mouthpiece (seated player, with a D112 at the bell)
    A good compromise is to deploy an AKG C430 miniature condenser near the mouthpiece, and an AKG D112 MKII kick drum mic at the bell.4
  • Close Shure SM58
    close, on the floor near the opening (bell), monitor the low frequencies
    Our experience is that a Shure SM58 is a great bet. Place a mic on the floor near the opening and monitor the low frequencies.5
  • Close Audix i5
    close, on stage (also in a multi-didgeridoo rack)
    Recommended by Zalem, Adele Blanchin, William Thoren: very good at handling high levels of acoustic pressure.6
  • Close AKG C1000S
    close, on stage
    William Thoren: a studio condenser designed for the stage (paraphrase); would replace his Audix i5s with it.6

Studio and stage

Close

Clip-on

The 11 setups behind this: placement and quotes
  • Close Neumann KM 184
    close, 1-2 ft
    A KM184 sounded "AWESOME" on a didgeridoo played from a high stool (forum summary).1
  • Clip-on Shure PRO 35X
    clip-on, on the instrument
    Barry Sherman: I use a clip on shure pro35x.2
  • Close Sennheiser MD 421
    close, direct mic on the didge
    Rodolphe Gagnon: Sennheiser 421 for recording & live, nice round sound and great for live performance too!!2
  • Clip-on Audio-Technica ATM350
    clip-on, for slide didges (wired preferred)
    Rodolphe Gagnon: Also try ATM350 clip-on (preferably wired instead of wireless) for sliding didges.2
  • Close AKG D12
    close, placement not given
    David Finch: I have used a Shure SM58 ... Believe it or not an old AKG D12.2
  • Close Shure SM57
    close, starting point; see how it captures the sound
    moresound: go with a SM57 and see if you like how it's capturing the sound.3
  • Close AKG D112 MKII (later version of the AKG D112)
    close, near the bell opening, for the low end
    a kick drum mic like an AKG D112 MKII for the low end ... (stage) an AKG D112 MKII kick drum mic at the bell.4
  • Close AKG D40
    close, at the bell (single-mic option)
    If two mics are too many: a single AKG D40 at the bell.4
  • Close AKG C535
    close, on stage; also used to record the album Renaissance
    Gauthier: the faithful reproduction of my acoustic sound.6
  • Close Electro-Voice RE20 or Sennheiser MD 441
    close
    Dubravko Lapaine: for live use, it's hard to find better. ... Recommended by Stephen Kent for studio and live (paraphrase).6
  • Close Shure SM7B
    close, studio and solo concerts, paired with a C414
    Zalem: with the AKG C414, a dynamic/static duo that works wonders! Worth trying!6

Studio

Close

Contact

  • large-diaphragm condenser1 independent source

Room

  • AKG C4141 independent source
  • omni ambient mics1 independent source
  • Tandy PZM1 independent source

Main pair or array

  • Royer R-122V (variant of the Royer R-122)1 independent source

Spot

Distant

Named, no placement given

The 35 setups behind this: placement and quotes
  • Close M-Audio Solaris
    close, about 20 cm from the open end (solo studio)
    Howie Factor: I use an M-Audio Solaris through a valve pre-amp ... I usually place it about 20cm from the didgeridoo's open end.2
  • Close 2 × Rode NT55
    close (pair), placement not given
    Pamela Mortensen: Rodes NT55's worked really well for recording this new album ... nice warm but clear sound for didge.2
  • Contact large-diaphragm condenser
    room, room pickup paired with a direct mic
    Rodolphe Gagnon: experiment with big condensor mics too for room catch coupled with a direct mic on your didge.2
  • Close small-diaphragm condenser (Harvey Gerst's recommendation)
    bell end, about 12 in out, 6 in above, 6 in to one side
    Harvey Gerst: "I mike the end of the 'dig' around 12" out, about 6" above the end, and about 6" to one side."7
  • Close Studio Projects B1
    end of the didgeridoo
    Poster upgraded from an SM57 to a Studio Projects B1 condenser for didgeridoo (thread summary; weak endorsement).7
  • Close small-diaphragm condenser
    distant, a couple of feet back
    Jeff_D: I'd go for a small diaphragm condenser a couple feet back ... Might be able to use that live too.3
  • Close large-diaphragm condenser
    distant, backed off a few feet to capture the whole performer
    Supercreep: I'd use an LDC to grab as much bass response as I could ... back the mic off a few feet (paraphrase).3
  • Close Shure SM81 (or similar SDC cardioid)
    close, positioned according to the bass (proximity) wanted
    mshilarious: say the SM81-class or equivalent ... position the mic according to the bass response you want.3
  • Close Sennheiser MD 421
    close, slightly off axis because of the wind from the tube
    Shadow_7: I favor an SDC myself ... MD421? D6? (for a big didge); record slightly off axis (paraphrase).3
  • Close microphone (type not named)
    close, near the player's ears
    underface: start with a mic near the player's ears ... some of the best sounds of an instrument hide out (paraphrase).8
  • Room Tandy PZM
    room, mic the room
    thecontrolcentre: I'd mic the room ... used a Shure SM58 and a Tandy PZM, then picked the best sounding one (paraphrase).8
  • Close two mics (types not named)
    close, one at the side of the mouth and one at the end of the didgeridoo, not in the air stream
    Compyfox: one on the side of the mouth and one on the end; not at the sonic hole since the air flow would be blown into the mic (paraphrase).8
  • Close AKG D112 or Shure Beta 52A
    close, at the business end (bell)
    Muzik 4 Machines: used a D112 and a Beta 52 on the business end, plus an XY pair just over the player's head (paraphrase). ... Muzik 4 Machines: D112 and a Beta 52 on the business end (paraphrase); underface: +1 for getting a kick mic involved.8
  • Close 2 × XY pair (types not named)
    pair, XY just over the player's head, blended with direct
    an XY pair just over the player head for room sound, blended with the direct signal (paraphrase).8
  • Main pair or array Royer R-122V (variant of the Royer R-122)
    main, around 32-35 cm right in front of the didge
    For me it was usually around 35 cm, right in front of the didge. For me it was always ribbon mic, but LDC or SDC could also work. (Lake of Awareness: R122V at around 32cm.)9
  • Close 2 × Schoeps MK 2 (pair)
    pair, AB, around 57-65 cm from the end of the didgeridoo, half a metre apart (also tried NOS)
    Two more microphones, stereo pair, around 65cm distance, half a meter apart. For me those were SDC mics-Schoeps MK2.9
  • Close ribbon, LDC or SDC (bass mic)
    close, 5 cm or less from the opening (bass mic)
    Bass microphone- 5 cm, or less, close to the opening ... so that it doesn't disturb the sound.9
  • Close SDC or LDC (nose/mouth mic)
    close, a little higher than the nose so no direct air stream goes in
    a little higher than the nose so no direct air stream goes in it (nose/mouth mic, not very important).9
  • Room omni ambient mics
    room, one or two, placed in interesting rooms far from the source
    Ambient microphones- omni polar pattern, one or two, placed in interesting rooms ... far from the source.9
  • Spot Rode K2
    spot, for detail or mouth/nose sounds
    used for some detail or mouth/nose sounds capturing; the K2 alone could not bring in The Sound (paraphrase).10
  • Spot Neumann KM 184
    spot, detail or mouth/nose sounds
    KM 184 used for same/similar purpose (detail, mouth/nose) (paraphrase).10
  • Close Oktava MK-012
    close, close-up bass mic
    Oktava M12s ... used as a close up 'bass' mic (paraphrase).10
  • Close Royer R-121 / R-122
    close, bass mic
    Royer R122 (non-V): another great 'bass' mic.10
  • Room AKG C414
    room, omni, for room ambience
    capture some room ambience with a high-quality condenser such as an AKG C414 in Omni mode.4
  • Close AKG C414
    close, on a stand near the mouthpiece, for breath and harmonics
    You could also use a C414 on a stand in cardioid mode near the mouthpiece to capture breath and harmonics.4
  • Close AKG PCC160
    close, near the bell opening
    Near the bell opening, try a combination of boundary mics like an AKG PCC160, a kick drum mic like an AKG D112 MKII for the low end, and an AKG D40.4
  • Close Electro-Voice RE16
    close, a foot or so from the unblown end, which most players hold a few inches above the floor
    I've used RE16s and SM81s in this application with good results. However, this gets only an outline of the sound.11
  • Close Shure SM81
    close, a foot or so from the unblown end
    I've used RE16s and SM81s in this application with good results. However, this gets only an outline of the sound.11
  • Distant 2 × Neumann KM 84 (pair) or Oktava MK-012 (pair)
    pair, crossed XY, several feet in front of the player
    I prefer to mic a didjeridoo in classical fashion: with a pair of crossed cardioid condensers in XY configuration ... A pair of Neumann KM 84s or Oktava MK-012s (cardioid capsules) does a great job. ... A pair of Neumann KM 84s or Oktava MK-012s (cardioid capsules) does a great job.11
  • Close microphone (type not named)
    close, a couple of feet in front of the instrument, pointing towards the open end of the pipe, moved slightly to one side or the other
    Set up a mic a couple of feet in front of the instrument, pointing towards the open end of the pipe ... experiment by moving the mic slightly to one side or the other to see how the tone is affected.12
  • Named, no placement given AKG C214
    close, home studio
    William Thoren: suits a relatively bright sound (paraphrase).6
  • Close Audio-Technica AT4050
    close, studio
    Recommended by Stephen Kent for recording (paraphrase).6
  • Close AKG C414 XLII
    close, home/studio
    Gauthier: a very versatile microphone that I use every time I record my didgeridoo (also Dubravko, William, Zalem, Stephen Kent).6
  • Close Neumann U 87
    close, high-end studio
    Recommended by Stephen Kent (high end); Gauthier: perhaps it's better to invest in an excellent didgeridoo (paraphrase).6
  • Close Shure SM57
    close, directly on-axis with the bell rather than angled
    Reader comment (Sam): sounds clearer placed directly on-axis with the didgeridoo, not at an angle (about 30 degrees) (paraphrase).6

Advised against

Range

B1 to G313,1461.7 Hz – 196 Hz

the fundamental only; Wikipedia gives A2 to G3, UNSW's real instruments 60-80 Hz (about B1 to E2)

Where the sound goes

The bell radiates; the transfer from flow to radiated sound "rises at 6 dB/octave at low frequencies and is then flat above about 3 kHz" (UNSW, Joe Wolfe). The player's mouth adds formant bands near 1500 Hz and 2200 Hz. The second resonance is about an 11th above the fundamental (Wikipedia). One forum poster calls the 1.5 to 6 kHz region the hard part to keep bright (search summary).

Recording it

Control Booth thread (live, outdoors): put the bell on a box or chair and the mic low, "for a shorter one... higher". Mics named: Beta 52 for the low end, SM81, Beta 87A, KM 184 ("AWESOME" on a player on a high stool), Beta 98H/C clip-on on a gooseneck for a moving player, and a large-diaphragm condenser 1 to 2 ft away. Harvey Gerst (Home Recording): about 12 in out from the end, 6 in above, 6 in to one side; raise the mic 12 to 18 in and aim at the mouth for breath sound. Pointing a dynamic straight into the bell sounds dull and bassy (search summary). For a sample library, 8dio used close, medium and far positions on a eucalyptus log and a PVC pipe.

About the range

Fundamental typically A2 to G3 (Wikipedia infobox) but UNSW's table of real instruments shows 60 to 80 Hz, about B1 to E2. The sources disagree; long instruments sit below A2. The overblown note sits about an 11th above the fundamental (Wikipedia).

How loud

Sound pressure level measurements as published. Different kinds of figure (a playing level, a peak, a dose at the player's ear) can't be compared with each other, and neither can figures at different distances.

Playing level
up to 110 dBat 1 m secondary15

"up to 110 dB at 1 m" appears in a general web article (Soundcy) with no source for the figure; low confidence.

Sources

  1. Control Booth: Microphone Choice for a Cajon and Didgeridoo?forum · controlbooth.com
  2. Didgeridoo Breath: Recording didgeridoo, what microphone is best to use? (players' comments)forum · didgeridoobreath.com
  3. Home Recording Community: Didgiridoos (thread, Apr 2010)forum · homerecording.com
  4. Noisegate (Jason A, Feb 2019): How Do You Mic a Yidaki (Didgeridu)?magazine · noisegate.com.au
  5. Pro Sound Web (Teri Hogan, Oct 2016): Accordions & Didgeridoos: Mic Techniques For 'Exotic' Instruments, page 2engineer · prosoundweb.com
  6. Wakademy (Gauthier Aube, Feb 2024): 10 Microphones (Recommended by Pros) for Recording and Amplifying Your Didgeridooengineer · wakademy.online
  7. Home Recording Community: Condenser placement (didgeridoo)forum · homerecording.com
  8. KVR Audio forum: Recording didgeridoo?? (Sep 2009)forum · kvraudio.com
  9. Dubravko Lapaine: Recording didgeridoo for Kosmopterix, part 5 (Feb 2010)engineer · lapaine.com
  10. Dubravko Lapaine: Recording for Kosmopterix, part 4 (Sep 2009)engineer · lapaine.com
  11. Recording Magazine: Tough-To-Record Instruments From A to ZPaul Stamler · magazine · recordingmag.com
  12. Sound On Sound (Paul White, Aug 1995): How To Make Your Own Didgeridoomagazine · soundonsound.com
  13. Wikipedia: Didgeridooreference · en.wikipedia.org
  14. UNSW (J. Wolfe): The didjeridunewt.phys.unsw.edu.au
  15. Soundcy: how much does didgeridoo sound travelsoundcy.com