Hi,

I've been tasked with recording a solo piano series for the fall which will be recorded on a 7 foot Yamaha in a fairly live church. Depending on where things are it, will be in an empty church or in front of a small audience.

My budget is around $500 for a pair, but I could go somewhat higher if there's a substantial difference.

Ideally, I would like something with some warmth and richness to mellow out the bright characteristics of the piano. So far I've been looking at small-diaphragm condenser mics, (Beyer MC930, Line Audio CM4 SE8, etc) but should I look into other options considering my desired sound or am I on the right track?

Please share any recommendations on microphone types or specific models.

Thanks and best wishes to all.

The line audio CM4s should do nicely. If the space is very nice, you might consider the OM1s. Your main concern should be the space, and the best placement therein. Good luck, and it is nice to see someone is getting some gigs... I am going stir crazy.

Thanks for your input! It looks like I could get a pair of Beyerdynamics MC930 for around $600 and or a MBHO/Haun 603/KA200 for around $800. Do you think that either of those would be a substantial upgrade over the Line Audio CM4 or would the difference perhaps be negligible given that it's for a livestream and some of the quality to might be sacrificed during transmission? Thanks again.

I have both the mbho and the cm3s (precursor to the cm4s, clearly). I advise you to get the cm4s. Lovely mics, neutral and probably everything you need.

Only if you have plans to upgrade patterns, build a mic stable or get into professional recording would I recommend the MBHO. I do like them better than the cm3 and many other mics; just below my dpa4011s.

Also. Is that a price for two? That's a good deal.

Yes, for a pair. I decided to go big and bought the pair of MBHOs. I found a few recording samples and loved the sound. Thanks to both of you for your input.

Great! I think that's a good choice.

Congratulations!

Its a bit ago, your thread, but I am an MBHO fan too. Great that you catched the MBHOs for just 800. Got 7 mics and 9 capsules, 5 x MBP603 and 2 old MBP 640, when they were sold as "Peerless MBC 640". Nice system. The omnis are great too, and I am looking forward to buy some KA300 capsules, which is a large cardioid, standing in between the omni and the cardioid. So much microphone for a small price. For organ recordings, the KA100 DK would be an idea. These got a high frequencies lift, so you can record with distance while not loosing high frequencies.