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Modern Jazz/Rock Ballad Place the mics in a 45 degree angle, one facing the keyboard and one facing the other end of the piano. The microphones can be from 6" to 3' apart, but if you spread them out you should decrease the angle. The mics should be about halfway between the strings and the lid (the lid should be all the way up), 6-12 inches inside the harp. This should give a very clear, yet warm sound.

Comments

MadMax Sun, 01/08/2006 - 06:09

stickers,

Essentially, it sounds like a variation on a spaced pair.

I would think that 45 wouldn't be enough of an angle to eliminate the phase issues when spaced 6" apart. (assuming you're taling about using omni's, right?)

Question: What are you putting 6" to 3' apart? Rear of the mic body, center of the capsule, front of the capsule, etc...

You mention decreasing the angle as you spread the mic's... rate of angle change?

Max

MadMax Mon, 01/09/2006 - 02:06

[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.tape.com…"]This[/]="http://www.tape.com…"]This[/] isn't THE difinitive solution to piano mic-ing, but a pretty good primer on mic techniques non-the-less.

Give it a look over and it should give you some pretty good idea as to whay I was asking.

Max

EDIT:

I just re-read my reply... I'm NOT trying to be a smartass, cute, or otherwise. Please don't take it that way at all. I'm always trying to improve my knowledge. If you've come across something I need to look into doing to make better recordings... I'm all over it.

Max

Cucco Tue, 01/10/2006 - 00:41

stickers wrote: Modern Jazz/Rock Ballad Place the mics in a 45 degree angle, one facing the keyboard and one facing the other end of the piano. The microphones can be from 6" to 3' apart, but if you spread them out you should decrease the angle. The mics should be about halfway between the strings and the lid (the lid should be all the way up), 6-12 inches inside the harp. This should give a very clear, yet warm sound.

It sounds as though this may have been written by someone from [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.melwood…"]HERE[/]="http://www.melwood…"]HERE[/] as creating a 45 degree angle inside the piano won't point one towards the keyboard and the other towards "the other end of the piano" (by which, I assume he means the tail...)

And, even if it did, this would still be a totally and completely retarded way to record a piano. :D (I am trying to be a smartass... :lol: )

No, but seriously - a spaced pair works well for piano, be it omnis or whatever. But what's being described here really is a recipe for disaster. This will be a phasing nightmare (as any piano recording can be.)

If you wanna put the mics in the instrument, you have to decide just how percussive of a sound that you want. A lot? Then place them roughly 18" up and pointing at the hammers. A little? Same distance, but point towards the sound board.

Bear in mind, this is for power rock or aggressive jazz kinda stuff.

I've had really good luck with (for jazz) the Audix SCX-25 piano kit and (for pop) placing a spaced pair even with the lip, one towards the hammers and the other towards the end of the curve pointed towards the tail, and of course (for classical) spaced omni pair with overheads or well placed blumlein.

The most important thing is to spend 5 minutes getting it right. I think once you try what the dude you quoted suggests, you'll vomit and then move the microphones...

BTW - MadMax - no need to apologize for being a smart ass. I don't think you came off as one and I'm sure Stickers didn't either (he's got a good sense of smell for smart asses around here. Besides, even if you were, chances are there's a bigger smart ass lurking right around the corner... :wink: )

J. (y)

MadMax Wed, 01/11/2006 - 17:06

Cucco wrote: It sounds as though this may have been written by someone from [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.melwood…"]HERE[/]="http://www.melwood…"]HERE[/] as creating a 45 degree angle inside the piano won't point one towards the keyboard and the other towards "the other end of the piano" (by which, I assume he means the tail...)

And, even if it did, this would still be a totally and completely retarded way to record a piano. :D (I am trying to be a smartass... :lol: )

Now THAT'S funny!

No, but seriously - a spaced pair works well for piano, be it omnis or whatever. But what's being described here really is a recipe for disaster. This will be a phasing nightmare (as any piano recording can be.)

That's what I thought... Don't get to track piano all that often, but I usually either do a spaced pair, or an XY for room ambiance.

BTW - MadMax - no need to apologize for being a smart ass. I don't think you came off as one and I'm sure Stickers didn't either (he's got a good sense of smell for smart asses around here. Besides, even if you were, chances are there's a bigger smart ass lurking right around the corner... :wink: )

J. (y)

Well, imagine that... another smart-ass just around the corner... hmmmm You ARE just around the corner from NC ain'tcha?!? :wink: :wink:

Max