What is the best flute pickup available?

Question

What is the best flute pickup available on the market? I'm looking to perform and record at professional studio quality, with use of various extended techniques (such as beatboxing, similar to what Greg Pattillo does, singing into the flute, etc.). Any suggestions? Thanks!

Answer 1

I play bass and have played a number of different types.  The Barcus Berry is one that sticks to the instrument with a putty-like substance.  If you end up taking the pickup off, it's hard to get the same sound back.  I also found it catching a lot of the higher overtones and losing the low tones, making sound tinty.  I'm using an Underwood pickup and love it.  It fits in the bridge and gets a very good natural sound.

For what you are doing, you'll want to try them out a bit with the amplification you intend to use.  From what I've seen on the internet, they have some for flute that replace the endcap of the mouthpiece (sorry if I'm calling it wrong).  The others I've seen for flute, clip on the bottom of the flute.  You may find one works better for one technique while another works better for a different technique/style.

You may want to check with a recording expert for some recommendations.  He/she might have some clip-ons to try.

Sounds pretty cool.  Good luck.

PS. the mouthpiece cap one that I saw was a Barcus Berry.  It may be the best.  When I last tried the Barcus Berry, I was still in high school some 20 years ago.

Answer 2

The best flute pick-up you can buy and one that we have used is the Barcus-Berry...  It may be one of the more expensive ones as well.

Sending you a link for your convenience.  :))

http://barcusberry.com/product_html/5100...