Shakuhachi
Japanese bamboo flute
- Range
- C4–D6
- Sources
- 33 independent: not from a mic maker
What it is
Japanese end-blown bamboo flute, five finger holes, minor pentatonic; the player blows across the notched rim (utaguchi) (Wikipedia). Pitch bends (meri, kari) are by angle.
Range
C4 to D64262 Hz – 1.17 kHz
VSL's library; the instrument's length sets the lowest note
Where the sound goes
Sound comes from the blowing end, the open holes and the bell. Forum advice is to point the mic at the middle of the pipe, slightly above the utaguchi and off to one side so the airstream misses it.
About the range
A 1.8 shakuhachi has D4 as its fundamental, a 2.4 has A3 (Wikipedia). VSL's library covers C4 to D6 on a C-D-F-G-A tuning.
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.
| Sound power | |
|---|---|
| 84–91 dB | sound power level Lw, no distance; shakuhachi (尺八), one player, a softer piece about 84 dB and a louder piece about 91 dB6 |
A Japanese sound power study measured one shakuhachi at about 84 dB for a softer piece and 91 dB for a louder one; no level at a distance found.
Recording it
Shakuhachi Society forum: Yu-Jin, 1 to 2 ft away, a bit above the utaguchi, pointing at the middle (suggests Rode NT4 X-Y); Jeff Cairns, a professional setup of a Sputnik tube mic about 70 cm from the bell at 10 degrees off-axis, a Royer 121 about 50 cm from the centre parallel to the pipe and a Behringer C4 about 20 cm above the head; Marek, a shotgun mic 10 cm from the utaguchi plus a distant mic 6 to 7 m away. Use 24-bit; the instrument "doesn't like MP3". Live: Countryman E6 headset (Cairns) or a DPA d:fine 4088 headset (Silk Road Ensemble). In noisy stages, move the mic closer and to one side; a lapel mic inside the bottom hole is another option (search summary).
Mics
- 7 setups from 3 sources, 3 of them independent of any mic maker.
- On top: the mics more than one source names for this instrument, in any role, the most named first. That is a count of sources, not our verdict.
- In the full list, each mic shows how many sources name it for that role, and how many of those come from a mic maker.
No mic is named by more than one source yet: each names its own.
All the mics sources name, by setting and role (6)
On stage
Clip-on
- Countryman E61 source
- DPA d:fine 40881 source
The 2 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Clip-on DPA d:fine 4088headset, boom on the upstage side of the head
DPA d:fine 4088 headset on the shakuhachi player lets him switch instruments and move freely (Silk Road Ensemble).
1 - Clip-on Countryman E6headset, near the blowing end
Jeff Cairns: "Many people use the Countryman E6 with great satisfaction" for live shakuhachi.
2
Studio
The 5 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Close 2 × Rode NT41-2 ft away, a little above the utaguchi, pointed at the middle of the pipe
Yu-Jin: stereo mic in X-Y, "1-2 ft. away, a bit above level of utaguchi and pointing at the middle".
3 - Close M-Audio Sputnikabout 70 cm from the bell, 10 degrees off-axis
Jeff Cairns: Sputnik tube mic about 70 cm from the bell at 10 degrees off-axis.
3 - Close Royer R-121about 50 cm from the centre of the pipe, parallel to it
Jeff Cairns: Royer ribbon about 50 cm from the centre, parallel to the instrument.
3 - Close 2 × Behringer C-4about 20 cm above the head
Jeff Cairns: Behringer C4 about 20 cm above the head.
3 - Close two shotgun mics: one 10 cm from the utaguchi, one 6-7 m awayclose plus distant
Marek: one shotgun mic 10 cm from the utaguchi, a second 6-7 m away for tone colour.
3
Sources
- Mix: Silk Road Ensemble Hits Road with DPA (engineer Jody Elff)
- Shakuhachi Society forum: How to pick up a Shakuhachi (acoustically)
- Shakuhachi Society forum: Home recording hardware
- VSL Synchron Shakuhachi
- Wikipedia: Shakuhachi
- Noise Control (騒音制御) 20(1): Shiga and Ezawa, 各種楽器の音響パワーレベル (Sound Power Levels of Musical Instruments), pp. 29-33