146). The piano has the greatest range of any instrument, so it’s best to use a microphone that has a wide frequency response. Microphone Techniques – Recording Upright Piano . One mic over treble strings and one over bass strings at a distance of 1–2′. - place the mic closer to the mouth and further from the piano There are two methods I use, depending on the purpose of the piano in the song. This configuration comes with some unique benefits. For this positioning, you’ll use two condenser microphones to create a 90 degree angle. Just out of curiosity. With the kickboard removed (there is usually a metal latch holding it in place), one mic is placed at each end. An X-Y or ORTF pair placed above the pianist’s head. Although you can mic an upright piano with only a single microphone, most engineers prefer placing two microphones at similar depths on opposite sides of the piano. So if you’re in a space with less-than-ideal acoustics, the SM7B will serve you better than a more sensitive and detailed microphone — even an expensive one. Because of this, you may want to use a compressor or limiter on the signal before it hits your digital bitstream. I know that the coming year will find me figureing out how best to mic our piano for any live music things, and I want to be ahead of the game. Having the lid is open, closed, or taken completely off will affect the tone of the instrument. Pianos also present an additional problem of having the low notes originate on one end, and the high notes on the other. Here are some placement options for an upright piano: Over the open lid of the piano, place either a single mic, a spaced pair, or a coincident pair. Capturing keys. These can be either spaced with one at each end of the soundboard or together in an X-Y pattern. Before deep-diving into the difference between a headset with a mic with one jack and a headset with a mic with two jacks, let’s first discuss different types of headset jacks. With an upright piano, the best results come from using close mic techniques. X/Y microphone placement is one of the most common options for recording piano. Use only one mic, and after each take do a listen test and alter the balance using placement. 3 to 1 rule. This effect is exaggerated as the mic gets closer to the resonating back plate. This delivers a punchier sound, so it is often favored for rock and similar styles of music (see Fig. Make sure to aim it at the lid.…Speaking of the lid, try it at different heights, as the sound changes at each position.… (music playing)…If there is not enough ambiance, move the mic back and up to keep it at the same angle.… A mic with a neodymium magnet in the capsule will generally yield a bit more output than one with a 'standard' magnet. There are a couple of way of miking up a piano to be honest but here's the way I would use for just one mic. Keep the mic a little distance away, don't have it precariously close - place the mic farther from your voice closer to the piano. It is worth experimenting with the lid in different positions, but as with any instrument, if the performer has a preference, it can be worth catering to them to encourage the best performance possible. These can be either spaced with one at each end of the soundboard or together in an X-Y pattern. With the piano pulled away from the wall so the soundboard is facing the room, a pair of mics can be placed at a distance of 6–8″ (see Fig. With the piano pulled away from the wall so the soundboard is facing the room, a pair of mics can be placed at a distance of 6–8″ (see Fig. A pair of microphones spread out in the higher position produces a balanced tone that’s similar to … A stereo pair in an X-Y or ORTF pattern can be placed above the pianist’s head. Pull Apart Your Upright. If you are going to close mic and want lots of attack, use a parallel placement with one mike in far to catch the bass strings and one near to cover the treble. Ideally you would want the back open with the mic positioned above the piano pointing into the piano, perhaps a little towards the hammers if recording a grand. If the piano is the lead instrument and I really need touch and dynamic range in there, I'll open up the top of the piano and position the mic about a foot above the top of the piano (to minimize the sounds of the hammers and … Thanks for the mic recommendation. This position can, however, be problematic on an instrument with squeaky pedals. A stereo pair in an X-Y or ORTF pattern can be placed above the pianist’s head. Help Me Mic An Upright Piano Sign in to disable this ad I'm doing a recording of an upright piano in which the piano needs to play the role of a bass instrument. This position can, however, be problematic on an instrument with squeaky pedals. If only one mic is used, position it on the left side looking across the strings for even coverage that highlights the midrange. The First Approach: Acoustic Microphones For solo piano performances, or a singer being accompanied by only the piano, a mic can get the piano into the sound system with limited gain before feedback, but if anything else is going on onstage, it's not much help. The characteristics of the microphone that lend it to this particular recording application is that it does an exceptional job of rejecting the reflections of one’s recording environment. Condenser mics are usually the best choice for a clean, natural sound. With the kickboard removed (there is usually a metal latch holding it in place), one mic is placed at each end. This method will give you high gain before feedback because of the close distance to the frame. One thing that is suggested that you do is to pull apart the casing from your … Face the capsules down at 30-45 degrees and have the piano player, play one hand at a time and listen again with one ear turned toward the piano source first for the low strings and then for the high for mic placement. With the lid up, a mic or pair of mics can be placed just outside the lid facing either the strings (for brighter sound) or lid (for mellower, reflected sound) (see Fig. The Right Mic for the Right Piano During these many church visits where they are using an acoustic piano, I have seen such a wide variety of microphones and techniques used. Place one microphone in or near the high hole and another over the last octave of low strings (maybe the second to last octave). Geoff Boswell replies: In my humble opinion, if you have to mic an upright or grand same rule applies – LISTEN to it! The piano has the greatest range of any instrument, so it’s best to use a microphone that has a wide frequency response. InnoGear Desktop Microphone Stand, Upgraded Adjustable Table Mic Stand with Mic Clip and 5/8" Male to 3/8" Female Screw for Blue Yeti Snowball Spark & Other Microphone … Planning to get an upright piano for my studio. If we were to say that recording a piano is similar to a guitar, you might scoff, but … I placed 2 mics about 1.5 meters away from the piano, one on each end pointing towards the other end of the piano. I don't hear enough piano! With the piano pulled away from the wall so the soundboard is facing the room, a pair of mics can … 144). Condenser mics are usually the best choice for a clean, natural sound. 144). One option is to open the top lid and to remove the front panel of the piano. Paul: An alternative approach is to mic the soundboard from the front, by removing the front lower panel under the keyboard and placing one or two mics near the sound holes [as shown in the centre picture, below]. The choice between wide-diaphragm or pencil condensers is a matter of taste, but pencil condensers are a little more common. An X-Y pair placed 2–3″ over the point where the high and low strings cross. This is the microphone setup I used to record a recent live take on my song, "Am I There Yet?" So this makes things slightly more complicated. Admitted by the client many times, they didn’t know what they were doing and just experimented until they achieved the sound they desired to the best of their ability, with the equipment they had. Most headphones with a mic on the market comprise three types of audio jacks – 2.5 mm, 3.5 mm and 6.5 mm. Place a Directional mic aimed at the middle of the rounded part of the piano, about 6…feet away from the piano. I tried it out and that is exactly the sound I was looking for. It is an upright piano (not grand and not shaped like one - sounds damn close to one though!). Headsets With Mic With One/Two Jacks. Here are some placement options for an upright piano: For the grand piano, like the upright, condenser mics with a wide frequency response are a good choice, but the different shape and layout of the instrument requires that it be miked differently. Generally wherever it sounds best is best place to start with a mic. Two questions, what kind of mic would you use to record an upright piano, and where would i place the mic/mics. I also placed one mic in the center of the piano. I don't hear enough voice! 145). Having said all that there is a […] I'd like to have a stereo pair, but since I'm quite on a budget I was wondering if someone could help me with this decision. Unless you can take some of the panels off the instrument (of which more later), the only way to gain access to the strings is to open the lid at the top and mic the piano from above. You can also use two boundary mics — one over the lower register and one over the higher one. Here are some placement options for an upright piano: Over the open lid of the piano, place either a single mic, a spaced pair, or a coincident pair. Position 2 microphones from above (remembering to use 3-to-1 spacing), around 2-3 feet away. It's an upright piano, and we've just stuck one mic in the top of it, and it sounds like crap. Below are a few options for miking a grand piano: Over the open lid of the piano, place either a single mic, a spaced pair, or a coincident pair. I rarely use this position myself as I find you tend to get more pedal noises and foot tapping, but it is a useful one to try if the other positions aren't workable for whatever reason. Ive heard rumors of one band using 2 upright pianos for a gig. Pianos have a very large dynamic range and one hard pound can send your needles pegging (or your LEDs to the top). Just mount the boundary mic to the underside of the piano’s lid (consult your mic’s manual for details on mounting it) to get the best sound. The low strings are on the player's left and the high strings on the right, and you can use much the same kinds of mic techniques you'd use over the hammers of a grand to capture them. The results I've gotten from one mic on my upright I actually much prefer to 2+ mics. EV ND767a (new version is ND76), EV PL80a, Sennheiser e935, Miktek PM9, AKG D5, and EV Cobalt C09 are a few dynamics I have that I would recommend. The choice between wide-diaphragm or pencil condensers is a matter of taste, but pencil condensers are a little more common. I'm recording my upright in my bedroom, I've been told you can pick up a lot of the bass by micing the back of the piano but when i do that i mostly just get a … Conveniently, it’s the easiest to set up in a small space or to leave permanently set up. Alastair Gibson asks for ideas in how to mic a grand piano. The grilles of the microphones will be facing away from each other, with the bases of the microphones close together or touching. LyxPro HHMX-15 Cardioid Microphone. The mic in the center gives a nice clear sound and the … At the moment I only have an Aston Origin (condenser). This is the ideal mic for piano recording especially if your …
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