Mic'ing a Grand Piano

[field]

Hi,

I have to record a grand piano for a solo jazz recording with additional electronic stuff and want to get a warm but direct sound without too much room ambience.
I have these mikrophones:
2 dpa 4006 TL (omnidirectional)
1 Brauner VM1
1 Schoeps M/S Set (cardioid and eight)
1 AKG 414

I would appreciate any advice, where to place which microphon combination.
thanks a lot

field
from Berlin germany

[field]

thank you.
Unfortunatly I don´t know the room yet. I propaply have to improvise on that issue.
which distance will be good for the dpa´s. Is th brauner good for additional sound with the dpa´s even it´s mono?

[Audiop]

I'd be curious to try the Brauner or AKG s a fig-8 40-100cm above and in front of the piano with the DPA as flanks 15-30cm out on each side.


/Peter

[field]

Thanks a lot. I will try your advices....

[John Willett]

With that set of mics, I think I would start out by using a pair of the DPA omnis. The extra octave that an omni has at the bottom end brings out the warmth of the piano.

It's amazing how thin directional mics sound in comparison.

If you want to keep the room out, try mic'ing up from underneath the piano. I have done this a couple of times with boundary mics and it does sound good (not for a classical recital, but for jazz and where there are other instruments involved, it should be fine).

I hope this helps.

[huub]

Originally Posted by moracspace

DPAs 16" above strings,XY pattern,check phase.

The Dpa's are omni..

[NorseHorse]

"Omni". You can still use coincident omnis in XY because the omnis become less and less omni as frequency goes up. Not common though...

[Petrus]

DPA has exact guides for miking grand piano with their mics. I would defenetly first try the DPA:s.

DPA Microphones Go to application guides and grand piano.

DPA also has a free SACD about grand piano with sound samples recorded at the same time with different mic arrangements. You can find the order form at the Microphone University -> miking a Grand Piano.

[Jim vanBergen]

Use the 4006s. Go closer to the hammers than you might think, get the mics cued up on the cans, then listen as you pull back the mic position. Find "the spot". If you think you need a more directional center, try the Schoeps.

There are several threads on piano miking, have you done a search?

JvB

[boojum]

^^^^ This is what I would have guessed. Guess in my case as I am quite new. I would do the DPA's as suggested above. And I would read the DPA sheets on this, too. Also, I would set the Schoeps MS up as if it were the only setup, record with both and see what I liked after, maybe even a mix. It is always nice to have the extra tracks and the cost of recording is the same.

[huub]

Does this sound stereo at all? i guess so then..

[David Spearritt]

I continue to be amused by piano micing technique discussions detailing close distances to the instrument, ie less than 1m, when nothing is also qualified about repertoire or dynamics. Close distances only sound OK when the music is low volume playing, like most jazz and pop, which never gets above mp.

For romantic and later period classical piano repertoire which actually demonstrates the "forte" in "pianoforte", such distances and micing config are completely ludicrous.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by David Spearritt

I continue to be amused by piano micing technique discussions detailing close distances to the instrument, ie less than 1m, when nothing is also qualified about repertoire or dynamics. Close distances only sound OK when the music is low volume playing, like most jazz and pop, which never gets above mp.

For romantic and later period classical piano repertoire which actually demonstrates the "forte" in "pianoforte", such distances and micing config are completely ludicrous.

I agree, but the original post distinctly said:-

I have to record a grand piano for a solo jazz recording with additional electronic stuff and want to get a warm but direct sound without too much room ambience.

So the advice has been given according to this desire.

[David Spearritt]

Thanks John. Apologies. Read it three times and didn't see it.

[Sqye]

Originally Posted by David Spearritt

Thanks John. Apologies. Read it three times and didn't see it.

.

well, you could have just switched your argument to point out the fact that
you're a "maverick", and then we would have believed you, anyway...

.