Uilleann pipes
Irish bagpipes
- Range
- D4–D6
- Sources
- 66 independent: not from a mic maker
What it is
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.7
Range
D4 to D67294 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.7
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.7
Where the sound goes
Three groups of sources (chanter, drones, regulators); no measured radiation found. Forum players mic each group separately.1,2
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.7
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 loudest8 |
Wikipedia says they sound "sweeter and quieter than many other bagpipes", suited to indoors. One player's meter read 87-90 dB about 1 ft (0.3 m) in front of the chanter, loudest on a hard low D (forum reading, weighting not stated).7
Recording it
- One ambient large condenser 2-3 m away (Rode NT1-A; an NT2-A 6-10 ft away and high for a CD), or small condensers close on each part (Rode M3, SM57); aim at the side of the chanter for the back D, with an AKG C414 or a stereo pair (The Session).
- 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.4,1,3,2,5,9
Mics
- 17 setups from 6 sources, 6 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.
- Oktava MK-012 2 sourcesClose
- Shure SM57 2 sourcesClose, named, no placement given
All the mics sources name, by setting and role (9)
Studio
Distant
- Rode NT1-A1 source
- Rode NT2-A1 source
The 9 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.
1 - 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.
2 - 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.
3 - 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.
3 - 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.
3 - Distant Rode NT1-Adistant, one ambient mic 2-3 m away
One ambient LDC 2-3 m away; an NT2-A 6-10 ft high for a CD; or small condensers close on each part (Rode M3, SM57) (paraphrase).
4 - Distant Rode NT2-Adistant, 6-10 ft, raised high
Used for a CD recording, 6-10 ft away and high (paraphrase).
4 - Close 2 × AKG C414close, at the side of the chanter so the back D comes through; maybe a stereo pair
Point at the side of the chanter for the back D; a Rode or an AKG 414 (paraphrase).
4 - Close Bagpipes advice 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.
5
On stage
Close
- Earthworks SR301 source
- Oktava MK-012 (matched pair)1 source
- Rode M31 source
- Shure SM571 source
- Shure SM581 source
Stereo pair
The 7 setups behind this: placement and quotes
- Close Earthworks SR30plan, two mics: one in front of the chanter, aimed from the bag side; one about a foot above the bass or tenor drone, pointing down
Mic the chanter from the bag side so the regulators don't swamp it and the back D doesn't disappear; the drone mic above avoids the "wah-wah" of moving drones (paraphrase).
6 - Close Shure SM57plan, a hypercardioid at the side of the chanter plus an SM57 slightly further out toward the back of the drones and regulators
Hypercardioid at the side of the chanter, SM57 toward the back of drones and regs (paraphrase).
6 - 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.
2 - 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.
2 - 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.
2 - Close 2 × Oktava MK-012 (matched pair)pair, live
A matched pair of Oktava MK-012 for live use (paraphrase).
4 - Close Rode M3close, one on each part (chanter, drones, regulators)
Small condensers close on each part, Rode M3 or SM57 (paraphrase).
4
Studio and stage
Named, no placement given
- Shure SM571 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.
2
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.
3
On stage
Brad Hurley, sound engineer for the Northeast Tionól concerts, uses two Earthworks SR30 cardioids: one in front of the chanter, aimed from the bag side so the regulators (right behind the chanter) don't swamp it and the back D doesn't vanish, and one about a foot above the bass or tenor drone, pointing down, which avoids the "wah-wah" of moving drones. Another engineer-piper puts a hypercardioid at the side of the chanter and an SM57 slightly further out toward the back of drones and regulators. A matched pair of Oktava MK-012 live. 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.6,4,2,10
Problems to watch
Phase cancellation between mics on the chanter, drones and regs; regulators overpowering a chanter mic placed in front, and the back D disappearing; a "wah-wah" from drones moving past a mic; the player moving a mic-placed instrument; reflections in the room.1,6,3
Sources
- Chiff & Fipple forum: Micing Pipes for Recording (uilleann pipes, 2018)
- Chiff & Fipple forum: Microphones for uilleann pipes (2010)
- Recording Magazine: Tough-To-Record Instruments From A to Z
- The Session forum: discussion 39547 (miking uilleann pipes, 2016; poster TJ)
- ProSoundWeb: A Guide to Microphone Techniques for Studio Recording, page 5
- Chiff & Fipple forum: Microphone placement for pipes (2015; Brad Hurley, sound engineer for the Northeast Tionól concerts)
- Wikipedia, Uilleann pipes
- 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