Looking for some feedback from other remoters

[Liquid Shadow]

Here are two pieces from a piano recital that I recorded recently. My mixing/mastering room isn't treated (although it's on the list of things to do) so I would like a 2nd opinion and some feedback. Thanks guys.

[boojum]

It is a nice recording and good tone but the piano sounds a bit distant to me. This might be a matter of taste. I would like the mics closer and more fo a stereo effect on the instrument. This is my amateur opinion.

[Liquid Shadow]

Thanks for the feedback boojum. I used a 3-mic array about 9 feet from the piano, with no added reverb. I think what I might do next time is take the LDC out of the array and mic the soundboard from underneath, and mix it in with the stereo pair.

[boojum]

What kind of stereo pair? ORTF, AB, XY, MS??

[Liquid Shadow]

A SDC DIN pair with a LDC in the middle.

[joelpatterson]

Any opinion from me about piano is pre-biased at the factory toward wanting a vivid, each-note-ringing-out, sweeping-from-left-to-right, totally-lost-in-a-timeless-ethereal-world kind of sound.

So I'd have to agree with boojum here, and don't be afraid to bring the mics in closer-- you don't have to go to the extreme, unhealthy protocol I do, but I imagine a sheet of Saran wrap that stretches from the edge of the open lid to the edge of the box, and place my stereo pair right nudging up against that imaginary plane.

Again, this is my warped point of view....

[Corran]

Yep, too distant to me too. If you were only 9 ft. away it must have been a pretty verby hall?

[Liquid Shadow]

Thanks guys. Yeah the whole is a bit reverby. A side question, I want to use my Jecklin Disk soon, how far do you guys think I should put the disk away from the piano?

[chris319]

Think about what a Jecklin disk is: a physical barrier between two mics. Now think, with a piano, what will be to the left of the barrier and what will be to the right? With an orchestra this makes sense, but a piano?

Why three mics? I could see having one mic on one side of the harp and another on the opposite side.

[WVUtubadude]

Placement is something you really have to experiment with. Some rooms I work in require me to be almost on top of the piano, while others allow some distance while still giving a really nice sound.

By the way, I liked the recordings. The mics could have stood to be a bit closer, but I would have no problem with that being the final product.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by chris319

Think about what a Jecklin disk is: a physical barrier between two mics. Now think, with a piano, what will be to the left of the barrier and what will be to the right? With an orchestra this makes sense, but a piano?

Yes - but when you listen with your ears your head is a barrier between them.

A Jecklin (or Schneider) disk is designed to be a replacement for your head.

PS - I'm posting from my iPhone and have not had a chance to listen yet. I'll try and listen later.




Sent from my iPhone using Gearslutz

[NorseHorse]

As others have said, get closer.

Your imaging is very narrow. If you have the LDC in the mix, I'd like to hear it taken out and a new sample posted.

[Liquid Shadow]

Originally Posted by NorseHorse

As others have said, get closer.

Your imaging is very narrow. If you have the LDC in the mix, I'd like to hear it taken out and a new sample posted.

As per your request Mr. NorseHorse

[NorseHorse]

Nice! thumbsup

With the LDC out, the distance actually works much better, and the imaging is pretty smooth from L to R.

[Liquid Shadow]

Thanks!

I guess I'll go back to normal DIN then. Although I want to experiment with miking the soundboard from underneath the piano with my LDC, and mix that in with the stereo pair. How would I set up the stereo field with that? Put the LDC in the center?

[boojum]

Much better. The omni mono feed was confusing the sound.

[Liquid Shadow]

The LDC was actually cardioid.