Now, I know since I have done recording how sweet the flute sounds over an amp with some digital and analog reverb thrown in to FATTEN up the sound. Here is my question to those who have done this, do you find that you play with less expression or more expression, and when you "unplug" do you have troubles dealing with the lack of reverb and that wonderful fat sound that is suddenly missing?

I can play without it just fine, because I know my headphones are only a few feet away. I now play 90 percent of the time throw an amp, unless I am playing at a church or something, then the natural reverb is plenty for me. I find with headphones I hear every little nuance in my tone, and it makes me play better. Have others here seen this before, and any care to comment?

nowadays, when I record, I tend to use less vibrato and try not to push too hard..the mics are so sensitive these days...

Yes, I agree the microphones of the last 2 decades are so sensitive they pick up every little breath you take, the hiss of air across the flute, and you really have to back away from them to get the best sound. I play about 8 inches to over a foot away from the average stage microphone.

In my picture here on 8notes I am using an EV microphone and it is almost 15 years old, and very sensitive still. I have used Shure 57 and 5420 mikes, and I like them as well as they are VERY directional and I can find that spot where the sound is picked up and the hissing air from across the head joint is lost off to the side more or less. In a professional studio in Kansas City, I used dual condenser microphones 12 feet away in a sealed room, and got the most awesome clear flute sounds with no hissing breath sounds so common in other voice mikes. I don't know what others use, but this is what I have used when doing studio work.

I don't know the last ones I used as I am not a techie, but some of these new mics are pretty amazing, I very go to close, don't use too much vibrato, and just lay back and play easy and things work out...if you push, it will sound too intense

Yeah, if you push it, then you over-modulate the microphone and it comes out all distorted sounding like you over-mixed EQ'd the mid-high flute range. I hate when that happens, and I tend to play to strong anyway! ARGH! I almost always have to mix down the mid to high range slightly since I play TOO loud.