amp & pick-up for wooden flute

seanny · Post by **seanny** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 8:35 am

I'm looking for a simple amp and pick-up combo for busking. Can anyone recommend me cheap equipment (brands/models) that will do the job?

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 9:44 am

My solution, for now, is to play a G flute.
It's heard at a considerable
distance. I'm not sure how well a
D flute is heard, but I think it's
heard alright, FWIW.

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 11:50 am

Dude, you gotta have a Marshall Stack for busking - it's the only way to go, everyone knows that. Make sure you get the one that goes to 11.

Loren

Gordon · Post by **Gordon** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 12:39 pm

Loren wrote:Dude, you gotta have a Marshall Stack for busking - it's the only way to go, everyone knows that. Make sure you get the one that goes to 11.

Loren

And the sustain! Don't touch it; it's still going...

But, seriously...
I don't think anyone sells a mic/amp combo. Some players prefer a mic on the flute, others a mic-stand mic, some a head-set mic (like some singers, particularly keyboardists, will use). Terry has some useful suggestions on his site; I always end up with the mic-on-stand, for a number of good and convenient reasons too numerous to go into now.

The amp, if you just want a stand alone amplifier (as opposed to a small PA, or one that'll blow your socks off) should be made for amplifying as cleanly as possible -- go for a keyboard amp or acoustic guitar amp, preferably solid-state (not tube) as these avoid distortion at high volumes, with plenty of head room before extraneous noise begins to interupt or corrupt your flute tone (as opposed to guitar amps, which covet distortion as the volume increases, the tubes getting "hotter" as they crank up, and some, in fact, will go to 11.)

Small PAs are good, too -- made to stay clean, and you can add three or many more (depending on model) players if you want. Some are quite portable, and not too expensive, depending on how loud you need to go.

Gordon

tin tin · Post by **tin tin** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 3:24 pm

I have successfully used an inexpensive Radio Shack tie-clip mic. http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?c ... =33%2D3013
An 1/8" to 1/4" female to female coupler and some electrical tape to attach it to the belt clip will allow you to plug into an amp using a 1/4" guitar cable.
I attach the mic to my headjoint with a velcro wire-tie, but there are other solutions, some as elegant as Terry McGee's solution http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/mic-clip.html or as primitive as using a twisty-tie.
Cheers,
Nigel Tufnel

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 5:11 pm

On a serious note: There are a ton of decent small amps available these days, check out your local mega music store (Guitar Center, Sam Ash, etc.), or an on-line dealer like Musiciansfriend.com.

Regarding mics, the info on Terry M's site is one (good) way, another is to go "James McNally" style - use a headphone mic, also available through your local large and impersonal music retailer :roll:

Loren

clark · Post by **clark** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 5:21 pm

I played with a friend recently who was using this system by Yorkville. A very impressive sound in a small package. I was particularly impressed by the small four channel mixer (M8)! Of course this does require a plug which is not often available when busking. There are a number of locations where I live that this is possible.

Clark

clark · Post by **clark** » Mon Mar 15, 2004 5:23 pm

Sorry I forgot to give the URL for this system. http://www.yorkville.com/search.asp

Clark

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Tue Mar 16, 2004 7:08 am

I figured out the miking part of things, with
a radio shack lapel mike. But I wanted a highly
mobile amplifier/speaker, battery operated.
Well, there was the pignose. It just didn't
seem right.

The good news is that flutes are audible,
more so than low whistles, and if one
moves up to more treble instruments,
one can be heard for blocks. Best

seanny · Post by **seanny** » Sat May 15, 2004 7:38 am

http://www.kksound.com/silverbullet-ebay.html

would anyone be able to offer an evaluation of the above?

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Sat May 15, 2004 8:15 am

seanny wrote:http://www.kksound.com/silverbullet-ebay.html

would anyone be able to offer an evaluation of the above?

I use something similar, by Yamaha (PS/7 discontinued...). I can't speak of the "Silver Bullet", but this configuration of gooseneck microphone works very well for me. I can be very loud even in rock bands without picking up feedback.

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Sat May 15, 2004 2:22 pm

I'm now busking with a D flute, unamplified.
I tend to play thing high. It's working very well,
Making bucks. FWIW.

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Sat May 15, 2004 2:28 pm

I used a headset a couple of weeks ago
and it worked fine. My impression is that the miking
part is the easy part.

How does one with batteries only amplify the sound?
As mentioned I've found only the pignose.

Steve Pribyl · Post by **Steve Pribyl** » Sat May 15, 2004 3:09 pm

seanny wrote:http://www.kksound.com/silverbullet-ebay.html

would anyone be able to offer an evaluation of the above?

I am using this for performance. I don't use the clamp on my flute, as I wanted to be able to use the mic for flute and whistles, so I attached the mic to a headband from a cell phone rig, and I use it like headset mic, thinking it would be more suited to instruments than a vocal mic. It comes with a small preamp that requirs a 9volt battery. I feed that into a small mixer and then ito the pa system. It works great!

msheldon · Post by **msheldon** » Sun May 16, 2004 1:58 pm

I've seen someone who uses a Fender "amp in a can" for violin. Hard to beat it for a compact, easily transportable package. It's heavy with the batteries, but hey, good batteries are heavy. I imagine it would work quite well with the proper microphone for a flute.