Tula Microphone: A Review for Flutists
As a former music tech specialist, current online flute teacher, this topic holds a special place close to my heart. Where tech and classical music cross over tends to be almost like no-man’s land for many people. We want to have better at-home recording options, but most people don’t know what works well specifically for our instrument. So, I’m here to help.
About 3 months ago, I bought the Tula microphone. I was aware of it from my former employer, and impressed with it’s sound and capabilities, I decided to give it a try. I gave my guy, Riley from Sweetwater, a call and got it all setup to purchase. As it stands, for my purposes, I am a flute teacher (online and in-person), content creator, and wedding/event musician. Not only do I look for a microphone that can handle flute frequencies on a technical level - grasping the harmonics and character of a flute as it needs to be portrayed in my content as well as when I demonstrate to my students - I also require a microphone that works well with other full-range instruments, both soft and loud, as well as speaking voices. I need a microphone that is portable, quick to setup, and easy to use, because at the end of the day, I’m a busy lady and I don’t need setup to take tons of time! So, let’s get to reviewing the microphone.
The Microphone
The Tula microphone was designed by the founder of Soyuz microphones, so I immediately was impressed. We need a high-end sounding microphone that’s compatible with iOS and USB devices. Now, I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty of the design factor, but hearing it for the first time, I was shocked. Portable microphones never sound this good.
So, I dove a little deeper. Not only does the microphone work with computers and iOS devices, but it also has built-in recording storage, a high quality headphone amp, and a beautiful range to boot. Okay, I was sold. So, once I was ready to replace my old Zoom iOS microphone, I went for the upgrade.
Sound
The Tula has an incredible way of capturing the flute that so far no other iOS microphone has. It holds true to it’s character while also allowing harmonics to speak through. You can even record whisper tones with it, which is just plain hard to do on any iOS microphone. This makes it a great tool not just for recording flute or creating content, but also for online lessons. Being able to convey character through a microphone is wildly important, especially as we start to talk about tone colors. The Tula does a beautiful job of translating those tone colors. It can record in both cardioid and omnidirectional patterns, which makes it ideal for chamber group recordings. It even has build in noise-reduction to help get rid of (my) pesky laptop fan sounds without compromising the quality of my flute tone. This is perfect for online lessons, workshops, etc.
Portability
The Tula is so portable and easy to carry around that honestly I thought I lost it in my bag the other week! Ha. Mine came with a carry case that fits all the accessories (mic stand adapter, cables, etc.) and it folds right up into the case, no fuss. It’s easy to setup and tear down so recording is never a task. I can connect it right to my phone or laptop (or not!) and record with just a couple of button presses. No complicated software setups, no complicated mounting issues. It’s easy and portable and I love it. I’m so stoked to take this with me while I’m traveling and teaching - it will be so much easier than my at-home setup, which is a complicated network of mics, preamps, cables, and boom arms. This is a one-and-done kind of setup and I’m really very fond of it.
Storage and Battery Life
The Tula boasts 12 hours of mobile recording. While I haven’t had a chance to push those limits (12 hours is a LOT obviously), it seems to so far hold true to its claims with high quality recordings no matter what mode you’re in. I’ve also so far never managed to kill the battery. That said, I use it with my laptop quite a bit which I know gives it bus power, but I was very concerned about the need to charge it in my off time and have never run into an issue like that.
Accessories and Buttons
Herein lies the only complaints I have about this microphone, and they’re small, so please remember all of the amazing things I’ve said above before letting this deter you from this incredible microphone. I’ll be honest: the USB cable is lackluster at best. Myself and students of mine experienced problems with the microphone randomly disconnecting and cutting in and out. As soon as I swapped the cable out on mine, the issue was completely resolved. So, my opinion is to purchase an upgraded USBA-USBC cable when purchasing the mic. It’s a low cost and totally worth it. I also don’t love the button configuration. While I appreciate the buttons on both sides and how easy they are to access, they’re not well labelled, so it’s easy to mix up the gain controls and your headphone volume if you’re not paying close attention. Obviously this can cause some issues, so my recommendation would be to either find a way to label them yourself OR simply memorize the controls, which is what I’ve done.
Color Options and Finish
I am in love with the vintage look of this microphone. It’s very fun for someone like me, who obviously is into the weirder things in life, but I also feel like it appeals to the more traditional people, too. It comes in a variety of colors: cream, red, black, seafoam - all really vintage and fun, in my opinion. I’ve found that the seafood must be pretty popular because it seems to sell out a lot. Understandably because it is the finish I wanted. I settled for the cream, which I’m happy with, too. Black is a little too normal for someone like me that wears planet-covered overalls Lorax earrings on the regular. All in all, it feels like there’s an option for everyone.
Takeaways
While this microphone was really designed with podcasters and work-from-homers in mind, it really has stolen my heart. The character it picks up requires very little EQ on the back end and it just makes things sound good, which is so hard to do with a flute if you don’t have a high end preamp and microphone. So, the Tula takes a 9/10 for me. I am only docking a point for the cable, which is an easy fix, but overall, I’m stoked that I bought this microphone, and its effects reflect in my content, my teaching, and my recording regularly.
If you’re a flutist, and especially if you’re a flute teacher/content creator, you need to purchase this microphone.
I will note that while Sweetwater is, in my opinion, the best place to buy pro audio gear, I am not a Sweetwater affiliate, therefore if you would like to support me directly, you can purchase through my Amazon affiliation: https://amzn.to/45cMyOE
