Many sound engineers find flutes hard to mic but they don’t need to be. You just need the right equipment. It is quite common to go to a concert and see a flautist standing in front of a vocal mic looking lovely and professional. Unfortunately nearly every time you encounter this the flute is seen but not properly heard. The reason why vocal mics aren’t particularly effective is that its too hard for the flautist to stay close enough to the microphone. Singers usually hold the microphone so close to their lips they are almost touching and if they do accidentally touch its not the end of the world. But, if the flute accidentally touches the mic to creates an unpleasantly loud tapping sound.

Another problem with vocal mics is that they don’t deal very well with wind. So the microphone has to be as close to the flutes mouthpieces as possible but also not in line with the column of air escaping from the instrument.

You can line the microphone up perfectly once during a sound check however after that the flautist isn’t allowed to move because the second they do you can’t hear them. This is an unrealistic expectation as all performers move when they play.

The solution is to use a specially designed flute microphone that clips easily onto the end of the instrument. There are a number of these microphones on the market. However, the one used by The Techie Flutist is the KK Silver Bullet Flute Mic.

K&K Sound Silver Bullet Flute Mic Available Here