Instrument
Uilleann pipes
The Irish bellows-blown bagpipe, played seated, with a chanter, three drones and three regulators (keyed closed pipes played with the wrist for chords and rhythm). Also called Irish pipes or union pipes.1
- Range
- D4–D6
- Sources
- 4 (4 independent)
Mics sources recommend
10 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
- Neumann KM 841 independent source
- Oktava MK-0121 independent source
- condenser or ribbon on the chanter (large for front holes, supercardioid for back D), plus separate mics for drones and regs1 independent source
- flat (boundary) condenser or mini mic, 8-12 in from the chanter; drones overhead1 independent source
Room
- omnidirectional or PZM microphone for solo pipes1 independent source
The 6 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Close condenser or ribbon on the chanter (large for front holes, supercardioid for back D), plus separate mics for drones and regsmulti-mic
A good condenser or ribbon; a bigger one for the front holes and a supercardioid for the back D; a separate one for the drones and one for the regs.
2 - Room omnidirectional or PZM microphone for solo pipesroom/solo
For solo work, an omnidirectional or PZM microphone may capture chanter, drones and regs very realistically without multiple mikes.
3 - Close flat (boundary) condenser or mini mic, 8-12 in from the chanter; drones overheadclose, chanter + drones
Mike the chanter about 8 to 12 inches from the fingers with a flat condenser or mini mic; mike the drone pipes overhead.
4 - Close 2 × Neumann KM 84pair, crossed, a couple of feet away
Record with a crossed pair of cardioids from a couple of feet away; I use KM 84s in XY position; ORTF exaggerates the player's movements.
5 - Close Neumann KM 84close, one on chanter, one on drones/regs, ~10 in
When leakage forces close-miking, use one mic on the drones and another on the chanter and regulators, each about 10 in from the holes.
5 - Close 2 × Oktava MK-012close or crossed pair
KM 84s (or MK-012s) are ideal for this purpose; their broad cardioid pattern picks up several pipes at once.
5
On stage
Close
- Shure SM581 independent source
Clip-on
- clip-on gooseneck mic on the baritone drone (drone/regs mic)1 independent source
The 3 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Close Shure SM58chanter, angled down opposite the A hole
The Shure SM58 works well for pub and festival gigs, especially for the chanter, angled slightly downwards opposite the A hole.
3 - Close Shure SM58drones, favouring bass drone, out of airflow
Usually just use another Shure SM58 positioned favouring the bass drone but out of the airflow.
3 - Clip-on clip-on gooseneck mic on the baritone drone (drone/regs mic)clip-on, drone
A drone/reg mic that clipped to the baritone drone, with a 3-4 in gooseneck; I could move around without the sound changing.
3
Studio and stage
Named, no placement given
- Shure SM571 independent source
The 1 setup behind this: placement and quotes
- Named, no placement given Shure SM57workhorse, live or basic
As a basic mike, you can't go wrong with the SM57/58. It's the workhorse.
3
Advised against
- Close large-diaphragm condensers, dynamicsclose
Large-diaphragm condensers are less successful as their off-axis colorations are too great, while most dynamic mics have inadequate transient response.
5
Range
D4 to D61294 Hz – 1.17 kHz
the chanter on a D set
- Drones, concert D set: Wikipedia: tenor drone at the chanter's bottom note (D4), baritone an octave lower, bass two octaves below the chanter's bottom note; D3 and D2 are my conversion. Regulators play C, B, A, G, F# (tenor), A, G, F#, D (baritone) and C, B, A, G (bass), octaves not given. Flat sets (Db, C, B, Bb) sound lower.1
The sound
A bellows under one arm fills a bag clamped under the other elbow, which squeezes air to double reeds (chanter) and the drone and regulator reeds. The chanter can be overblown to a second octave, unlike most bagpipes, and played staccato by sealing the bottom opening.1
Where the sound goes
Three groups of sources (chanter, drones, regulators); no measured radiation found. Forum players mic each group separately.2,3
Recording it
- Separate sources: a Chiff & Fipple player (recorded for two albums) uses a large condenser or ribbon on the chanter front holes plus a supercardioid for the back D, a separate mic on the drones (between bass and baritone) and one on the regs, positioned to avoid phase cancellation (bass disappearing is the sign), with the room padded; another suggests a mic per hand as only one hole is sometimes open.
- Paul Stamler: a crossed pair of cardioids a couple of feet away (KM 84s in XY, not ORTF, which exaggerates the player's movement), or one mic on the drones and another on the chanter and regulators, each about 10 in from the holes; KM 84 or MK-012; large-diaphragm condensers are less successful (off-axis coloration) and most dynamics lack the transient response.
- A pair of omnis at least six feet away is a way to hear the set "as a listener would" in a good room (search-result text, thread not opened). MTGuru: for solo playing an omni or PZM may capture chanter, drones and regs without several mics. Bartlett: a flat condenser or mini mic 8-12 in from the chanter fingers and drones overhead (for bagpipe).
- Mick O'Brien-style duet albums were described by a poster as three isolated mics (fiddle, chanter, drones plus regs), a forum inference.2,5,3,4,7
On stage
An SM58 on the chanter, angled slightly downward on a stand pointing opposite the A hole to catch the back D and bottom D, and another SM58 on the drones favouring the bass drone and out of the airflow. For noisy pubs, a small gooseneck clip mic (made for a sax bell) on the baritone drone as a drone/reg mic. MTGuru: SM57/SM58 are workhorses. Kaufman: point a cardioid at the middle of the pipes from about 8 in.3,8
Problems to watch
Phase cancellation between mics on the chanter, drones and regs; the player moving a mic-placed instrument; reflections in the room.2,5
About the range
The chanter spans two octaves from D4 on a standard D-pitched set. The three drones sit at different octaves; no frequencies sourced.1
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 | |
|---|---|
| 87–90 dB | at 0.3 m; one player's chanter, meter about 1 ft in front of the chanter; varies with the note, a hard low D loudest6 |
Wikipedia says they sound "sweeter and quieter than many other bagpipes", suited to indoors. A forum poster guesses about 85 dB at 1 m with no meter reading (not sourced).1
Sources
- Wikipedia, Uilleann pipes
- Chiff & Fipple forum: Micing Pipes for Recording (uilleann pipes, 2018)
- Chiff & Fipple forum: Microphones for uilleann pipes (2010)
- ProSoundWeb: A Guide to Microphone Techniques for Studio Recording, page 5
- Recording Magazine: Tough-To-Record Instruments From A to Z
- The Session: Actual decibel levels of Irish instruments (forum thread)
- Chiff & Fipple forum: professionally recording pipes, solo and duet (2012)
- Jeff Kaufman: Contra Dance Sound, Mic Placement