Recording acoustic organ

hanuman · 16th August 2008

We are about to record parts of an acoustic organ in a studio.
What microphones are really great to do that with and what kind system and positioning? The recordings will be used as samples so the playback should allow positioning in various music styles.

NorseHorse · 16th August 2008

Is this a little reed organ? Like with foot pumps?

Is this a medium size "practice" or "room" organ that's like 12 feet tall?

Is this a massive organ that you built into the wall of your studio?

joelpatterson · 17th August 2008

I recorded one of those foot pump things once, set a ribbon (CAD trion 7000) about a foot away from the opening where the bellows are, it's covered with cloth? Came out really spooky and authentic... like you could appreciate how otherworldly it must have sounded to a pre-electronic audience in the 1800's, in a time before Pink Floyd or even Bob Mayo on the keyboards, Bob Mayo.

hanuman · 17th August 2008

Sorry for the late reply, but it consist of sets of pipes that represent instrument sounds.
Effectively the request is: How to record a pipe organ in a studio. What mic, what positioning (pretty interested in XY vs ORTF vs Jecklin) and distance......

hanuman · 17th August 2008

Joel, those footpump harmoniums sometimes have knee thingies that work like filters. Pushing them whilst playing emanates a vowel sound that (indeed frightning) almost seem to produce words. Anyway, thes pipes are connected to a pump. MIDI controlled though.

joelpatterson · 18th August 2008

It was creepy as hell! Good times...

Sounds like you've got a task that is going to take a few different approaches until you strike something that seems to work. I always think of "pipe organs" as working best when they're in a "shell" of some kind and the point of the sound is to leap out and swirl around in the room-- the player is either lambasting the congregation with slathering, thundering chords on one extreme or wispy, tinkly, whispering stuff on the other. At a local college I've seen these rolling plywood "scoop" contraptions they line up behind their orchestra, it makes a huge difference in the overall cohesion and "symmetry" of the sound broadcast out into the room. Huge, gigantic, lofty ceilings also seem like a characteristic "organ"-ism thing.

So there, a useless little rambling essay that didn't add much to the conversation.

16th August 2008	#1
hanuman Lives for gear Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 900 Thread Starter	Recording acoustic organ We are about to record parts of an acoustic organ in a studio. What microphones are really great to do that with and what kind system and positioning? The recordings will be used as samples so the playback should allow positioning in various music styles.

16th August 2008	#2
NorseHorse Lives for gear Joined: Jul 2008 Location: DC Posts: 2,095 2 Reviews written	Is this a little reed organ? Like with foot pumps? Is this a medium size "practice" or "room" organ that's like 12 feet tall? Is this a massive organ that you built into the wall of your studio? __________________ http://www.facebook.com/ArtsLaureate I-95, I-64, I-85

17th August 2008	#3
joelpatterson Lives for gear Joined: May 2005 Location: Albany, New York Posts: 9,509	I recorded one of those foot pump things once, set a ribbon (CAD trion 7000) about a foot away from the opening where the bellows are, it's covered with cloth? Came out really spooky and authentic... like you could appreciate how otherworldly it must have sounded to a pre-electronic audience in the 1800's, in a time before Pink Floyd or even Bob Mayo on the keyboards, Bob Mayo. __________________ Mountaintop Studios ~the peak of perfection~ Petersburgh NY 12138 mountaintop@taconic.net www.joelpatterson.us

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18th August 2008	#6
joelpatterson Lives for gear Joined: May 2005 Location: Albany, New York Posts: 9,509	It was creepy as hell! Good times... Sounds like you've got a task that is going to take a few different approaches until you strike something that seems to work. I always think of "pipe organs" as working best when they're in a "shell" of some kind and the point of the sound is to leap out and swirl around in the room-- the player is either lambasting the congregation with slathering, thundering chords on one extreme or wispy, tinkly, whispering stuff on the other. At a local college I've seen these rolling plywood "scoop" contraptions they line up behind their orchestra, it makes a huge difference in the overall cohesion and "symmetry" of the sound broadcast out into the room. Huge, gigantic, lofty ceilings also seem like a characteristic "organ"-ism thing. So there, a useless little rambling essay that didn't add much to the conversation.