Suggestions for recording and upright piano

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silvercn
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2015/01/28 23:37:04 (permalink)

Suggestions for recording and upright piano

Hi - I would like some suggestions on good/preferred way to record an upright piano - have not tackled this yet but a chance is coming up.
 
Thanks !
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    Karyn
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    Re: Suggestions for recording and upright piano 2015/01/29 07:04:50 (permalink)
    The usual method would be to treat it like a standard piano that has been stood upright.
     
    Remove the front, point a couple of nice condensers at the hi and low ends.  Maybe put one around the back pointing at the soundboard.  Don't have the front mics too close.

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    bitflipper
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    Re: Suggestions for recording and upright piano 2015/01/29 11:36:06 (permalink)
    Miking an upright is similar to miking an acoustical guitar, in that every surface of the instrument emanates sound, so there are many positions that can be used and each will yield a different character. As with acoustic guitars, you'll want to move the mike around and experiment. As with acoustic guitars, it all depends on the instrument, the room it's in, and its role in the mix.
     
    The most common method is to open the top and position 1 or 2 mikes a few inches above, much like a grand piano. The further the piano is from a wall, the higher you can place the microphones. For rock 'n roll, closer is generally better. I've had interesting results actually inserting the microphones right down into the opening. You do get a lot of mechanical noise that way, but I did it once with thumbtacks in the hammers and that was awesome.  
     
    I've seen others place mikes behind the piano aimed at the soundboard, but that was a little too muffled for my taste. You might try two mikes above and one in the rear, aimed toward the low notes, especially if the piano is a featured instrument and you don't plan on high-passing it.
     
    I've used contact mikes, which are convenient and very nice for live use but kinda honky-sounding for recording.
     
    I have also recorded an upright from a distance, with mikes up high pointed down over the player's shoulders. That's great if you are recording the piano in isolation in a nice-sounding room, but doesn't work too well in a dense rock mix.
     
    In short, move the mikes, listen and repeat until a smile is induced.


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