Instrument
Santur and hammered dulcimer
Trapezoid zither struck with light mallets (mezrab). The Persian santur has 18 bridges and four unison strings per note, about three diatonic octaves, 25 pitches; the Iraqi santur has 92 strings in 23 courses (Wikipedia).
Also called hammered dulcimer.
- Range
- E3–F6
- Sources
- 4 (4 independent)
Mics sources recommend
8 setups from 4 sources, 4 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
- beyerdynamic M 201 (pair)1 independent source
- Shure SM81 (pair)1 independent source
- flat (boundary) condenser; or mini mic taped to the top1 independent source
Bottom
- Shure SM81 or Neumann KM 841 independent source
Inside
- miniature condenser (pair)1 independent source
Main pair or array
- matched pair of small-diaphragm cardioid condensers (large-diaphragm also fine)1 independent source
The 6 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Close flat (boundary) condenser; or mini mic taped to the topabout 12 in above the top edge, aimed at the soundboard
Place a flat condenser mic about 12 inches above the top edge aiming at the soundboard. Tape a mini mic onto the top.
1 - Close 2 × beyerdynamic M 201 (pair)pair, crossed XY about 12 in above the front lip, aimed down at a point about 70% of the way in (hammered dulcimer)
For many years I preferred to mic hammered dulcimers with a crossed pair of beyerdynamic M 201 dynamic mics ... I place the mics about 12" above the front lip of the instrument, aimed downwards at a point about 70% of the way in.
2 - Close 2 × Shure SM81 (pair)pair, crossed XY about 12 in above the front lip, aimed down about 70% of the way in; panned wide for lead, narrower in ensemble (hammered dulcimer)
In recent years I've switched to Shure SM81s, which give a very similar sound but slightly cleaner.
2 - Bottom Shure SM81 or Neumann KM 84bottom, miking the bottom in a crowded situation or with a clattery player (hammered dulcimer); often too muddy
In a crowded situation or with an exceptionally clattery player, it may be useful to experiment with miking the bottom ... results too muddy for my taste (paraphrase).
2 - Inside 2 × miniature condenser (pair)inside, a pair inside the instrument (hammered dulcimer); loses the air around the body
A pair of miniature condenser mics located inside the instrument can also be useful ... but the sense of air around the body is lost (paraphrase).
2 - Main pair or array 2 × matched pair of small-diaphragm cardioid condensers (large-diaphragm also fine)stereo pair above the strings, spaced two-thirds of instrument width, about 500 mm up
Pair of small-diaphragm cardioid condensers above the instrument, spaced about two-thirds its width, around 500 mm above the strings.
3
On stage
Close
- small-diaphragm condenser (pair)1 independent source
Direct
- piezo pickup strip / stick-on pickup1 independent source
The 2 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Close 2 × small-diaphragm condenser (pair)pair, on boom stands about 30-45 cm (1-1.5 ft) above the instrument, angled down (hammered dulcimer, festival stage)
A stereo pair of small-diaphragm condensers is a popular choice to cover the dulcimer's wide range. These mics can be on boom stands, positioned about 30-45 cm (1-1.5 feet) above the instrument, angled down.
4 - Direct piezo pickup strip / stick-on pickupcontact, near the bridges, into a DI (hammered dulcimer)
Many hammered dulcimer players use piezo pickup strips or stick-on pickups near the bridges.
4
Advised against
- Close Shure SM57 / Electro-Voice RE200 (bright mics)close, above the strings (hammered dulcimer)
The worst choice is a bright mic like an SM57 or an RE200; you'll get more clang than notes.
2 - Close small condenser micsclose (the 'obvious' choice; hammered dulcimer)
This comes when the instrument is miked by what would seem like the most obvious choice: small condenser mics. They pick up far too much hammer noise on the initial strike, losing the tone and richness of the instrument.
2
Range
Persian santur, 3 x 9 courses: yellow (bass) bridges E3-F4, white bridges E4-F5, behind the bridges E5-F6, read from Wikipedia's range chart; each set of nine diatonic notes runs E to F, matching Wikipedia's text ('three sections of nine pitches', about three diatonic octaves). The Iraqi santur runs from yakah (G) to jawab jawab husayni (A).
Tuning: Tuned to diatonic scales using quarter tones for the dastgahs of Persian classical music (Wikipedia).6
Where the sound goes
The strings radiate across a wide top, so mics too close lose the balance between strings (SOS).
Recording it
SOS: a pair of small-diaphragm cardioid condensers above the instrument, spaced about two-thirds of its width, about 500 mm above the strings; large-diaphragm also fine; spaced omnis for overdubs; contact mic as a spill-safe extra. Careful of spill. Bartlett: flat (boundary) condenser about 12 in above the top edge, or a mini mic taped on the top.
About the range
About three diatonic octaves (Persian) (Wikipedia). Iraqi: from yakah (G) to jawab jawab husayni (A).
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.
| Player's exposure (dosimeter) | |
|---|---|
| 81.6 dB(A) | at the player's ear (dosimeter microphone 10 cm from the ear); Iranian professional musician (10+ years' experience) in solitary practice, 20-minute session in an acoustic room at Firoozgar hospital audiology department, Tehran; Extech 407727 meter/dosimeter7 |
| 82.22 dB(A) | at the player's ear (dosimeter microphone 10 cm from the ear); Iranian professional musician (10+ years' experience) in solitary practice, 20-minute session in an acoustic room at Firoozgar hospital audiology department, Tehran; Extech 407727 meter/dosimeter7 |
| 69.3–88.72 dB(A) | at the player's ear (dosimeter microphone 10 cm from the ear); Iranian professional musician (10+ years' experience) in solitary practice, 20-minute session in an acoustic room at Firoozgar hospital audiology department, Tehran; Extech 407727 meter/dosimeter7 |
| 70.44–94.5 dB(A) | at the player's ear (dosimeter microphone 10 cm from the ear); Iranian professional musician (10+ years' experience) in solitary practice, 20-minute session in an acoustic room at Firoozgar hospital audiology department, Tehran; Extech 407727 meter/dosimeter7 |
No figure.
Sources
- ProSoundWeb: A Guide to Microphone Techniques for Studio Recording, page 5
- Recording Magazine: Tough-To-Record Instruments From A to Z
- Sound On Sound Q&A: How do I record a hammered dulcimer?
- Ticket Fairy blog: Mic'ing the Unusual at Folk Festivals (kora section; unsourced blog)
- Wikimedia Commons: Santur Range.png (range chart used on Wikipedia's Santur article)
- Wikipedia: Santur
- Med J Islam Repub Iran: An Evaluation of Maximum Safe Practice Time of Iranian Musical Instruments to Protect Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Professionals
