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I'm using a pair of DPA 4099's to mic my current grand piano, and they've have been ok, but I have a Steinway D coming in soon. Since I'll already likely be renting some different vocal mics to compare, I'm wondering if folks here have any mic recommendations for a very very large and resonant sound. Budget is probably 3,000 or less for the pair. The Earthworks system as well as KM184s come in around that price.

Any observations on the above or alternate recommendations would be most appreciated.

Warren

Comments

paulears Tue, 09/29/2020 - 00:42

Indeed - a recent project involved a wonderful piano and decent pianist in Boston, USA and the singer in the UK. The nice piano was in a very unflattering room. In the end, she recorded the piece and sent me the MIDI file and I stuck it in a Steinway VSTi, and it sounded far more realistic than her real one.

Near me here we have a guy who buys old pianos, restores them and sells them, and he's taken pianos from many people's homes where they sound quite unpleasant, and with very little restoration apart from the external appearance, sold them to venues with good acoustics.

Boswell Wed, 09/30/2020 - 08:16

Performers can rarely tell what a recording will sound like. It's not a criticism - they are simply too close to the action.

Are you planning to put the Steinway D in the same place as the 6' now is? I worry about reflections off the rear wall, despite the lid directing the sound down the room.

Warren Peterson Wed, 09/30/2020 - 08:21

Boswell, post: 465650, member: 29034 wrote: Performers can rarely tell what a recording will sound like. It's not a criticism - they are simply too close to the action.

Are you planning to put the Steinway D in the same place as the 6' now is? I worry about reflections off the rear wall, despite the lid directing the sound down the room.

That has been the plan, in part due to filming considerations. FWIW I have windows and screen doors on the far end that can be kept open or partially open to reduce some of the reflection. I have tried that before and fortunately have not experienced ambient sound being picked up from the outside.

kmetal Wed, 09/30/2020 - 12:30

Warren Peterson, post: 465651, member: 52073 wrote: That has been the plan, in part due to filming considerations. FWIW I have windows and screen doors on the far end that can be kept open or partially open to reduce some of the reflection. I have tried that before and fortunately have not experienced ambient sound being picked up from the outside.

You may want to consider a theater curtian and/or some gobos to handle some of those reflections if you can't locate the piano in an optimum spot in the room.