Accordion is one of the instruments I recorded mostly in my engineering career. I have even a few albums released by major labels .
Try this:
Keyboard side > At4050 cardioid
button/bass side > Beta 57 cardioid
You can also add the line out of the instrument just for a little blending
(A Neumann 87 can also do a nice job, even fuller than the at4050 for this application).
Also ya can check the GT55 for the bass side.)
Put the microphones so as to not pick to much key/button noise. A nice revised instrument is a must-lol
Make a few passages to look for dynamics; do not compress too much.
If you end up with 4 tracks, let us say, two groups of stereo lead accordion, separate them in the stereo.
Another technique: Some players prefer to play just the left hand and afterwards the right hand.
Adding hi-shelf over 5.3k will generally bring too much key noise.
Key frequencies: 2.9k, 4.7k, 5.3k, 800, 1.3k, 240, 120.
You can also highpass at 80hz for the AT4050 side ( key side), but do not cut on the bass/button side.
Add a little reverb room, maybe a vry low hall and a slight stereo chorus.
Try this. You will not get regretted!
If ya want you can PM and I send ya some prestes of eq, based on Waves Q4 .
Hope it helped ya.
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Eng. Alécio Costa
Recording Engineer/Musician/Singer
br.geocities.com/studiodigitalp
