Mic recommendations for recording string orchestra and (separately) grand piano

T

troutmask

New member
Hi,

I'm in the pre-production stages for a project which will involve recording a 14-piece string orchestra (8 violins, 4 violas and 2 celli), as well as separately tracking a grand piano, and I'd like to buy a pair of condenser microphones to augment my current pair of Shure KSM32 mics.

My thought, as of right now, is to record the violin and viola sections as a whole, using a pair of microphones in a stereo array, and to isolate the two celli (probably with baffles) with a single microphone on each (probably using the KSM32 mics for that). I'm still not sure exactly how I'll approach miking the grand piano (I wish I could find a Piano Barre, since I've read about them elsewhere and since the Earthworks Pianomic kit is a bit out of my price range), but I'm guessing a smaller-capsule pair of microphones would be easier to set up in a piano than the KSM32s would be.

I did see these mentioned in another thread:
AKG C 2000 B | Sweetwater.com
But I'd like to see (and hear, if possible) some other mics that people have used.

I'd like to keep my budget for both microphones under $1000, if possible (as far under that price as reasonable, heh...I'm a bit of a spendthrift), although I will consider wiggle room above that.

Thanks
 
With that low budget I would get a pair of Røde NT55 which come with both cardioid and omni heads.

I would use the cardioid heads in ORTF for the orchestra and the omni heads when you record the piano.
 
I recently did a show featuring a baby grand. The owner/player INSISTED that I did not mic from the top, he wanted the mic underneath. I used a single AKG 391B directly under the center of the sound board, I was quite impressed with the results. I did not expect it to work so well.
 
I'd use a pair of small diaphragm condensers on the orchestra and on the piano. The same pair could be used on both if they were recorded separately. The C2000B's would work fine for either application. So would the Rode NT55's suggested above. Given your somewhat larger budget, I would consider a pair of Shure SM81's. For a budget pair of matched SD's, I like Studio Projects C-4. I do believe that with the soon-to-be-discontinued C2000B's being blown out for cheap at Sweetwater, a pair of them right now is a no-brainer. For the kind of stuff you are recording, they'll be invaluable. The housings are a little large for coincident (X-Y) recording, but I think you'll find they work great in spaced, ORTF, and especially NOS configuration. I'd put a pair of C2000B's on the strings, and the SM81's on the piano, and all four mics could be had on your stated budget.
 
Tomm Williams said:
I recently did a show featuring a baby grand. The owner/player INSISTED that I did not mic from the top, he wanted the mic underneath. I used a single AKG 391B directly under the center of the sound board, I was quite impressed with the results. I did not expect it to work so well.
Click to expand...

For live work, miking from underneath can work very well. I have had great results using a pair of boundary microphones underneath the piano.
 
Personally I'd go with ribbon mics for this application. You could get a pair for under 1,000. The AEA 84's would be ideal, but over budget for sure
 
...And I was just about to settle on a matched pair of Rode NT55s (the switchable positions was the selling point)

First, thanks to everyone for the recommendations thus far.

Jordan, since you brought up ribbon mics, are there any matched pairs in the $1000 price range that would be suitable for these applications?
 
troutmask said:
...And I was just about to settle on a matched pair of Rode NT55s (the switchable positions was the selling point)

First, thanks to everyone for the recommendations thus far.

Jordan, since you brought up ribbon mics, are there any matched pairs in the $1000 price range that would be suitable for these applications?
Click to expand...

In that case get the Røde NT55 matched pair and also get a Sontronics Apollo - this is an affordable XY (or MS) stereo ribbon mic.

But I would not use the ribbons on the piano as that really needs omnis (an omni gores much lower than a directional mic.).
 
That Sontronics looks intriguing, but alas, I think that's going to be a little out of my price range at this time.

Okay, I think I'm pretty much settled on a matched pair of Rode NT55 mics as well as a couple of the C 2000 B mics (looks like they're out of stock with Sweetwater right now, although they're apparently getting more of them in stock). I have one last question about placement, though.

I'm thinking of using the NT55s at the front of the string orchestra using one of these (since Mr. Willett mentioned ORTF, this is supposed to be possible with this adapter, although I was personally thinking about X-Y with omni heads):
Shure A27M | Sweetwater.com
And using the AKGs as a spaced pair on either end of the back side of the string players, probably directed toward one another, with the three microphone stands (each AKG as well as the pair of NT55s) placed in an equilateral triangular array. Is this sort of approach a bad idea?
 
you could get some cheap APEX 205's, some replacement transformers from SamarAudioDesign and some 1.8 ribbon. Replace the ribbons and transformers, and you'd have some lovely ribbons for this. each mic would cost you about $400 all told, but you gotta be handy and DIY-capable.
 
For $100 bucks the apex 115 is the best on the market...It's a hand held, low frequency mic. It's the best I've found yet for the price.
 
troutmask said:
I'm thinking of using the NT55s at the front of the string orchestra using one of these (since Mr. Willett mentioned ORTF, this is supposed to be possible with this adapter, although I was personally thinking about X-Y with omni heads):
Shure A27M | Sweetwater.com
And using the AKGs as a spaced pair on either end of the back side of the string players, probably directed toward one another, with the three microphone stands (each AKG as well as the pair of NT55s) placed in an equilateral triangular array. Is this sort of approach a bad idea?
Click to expand...

Don't use XY with omni heads as you will get, pretty well, a mono recording.

For the orchestra I would go ORTF (better than XY IMHO) with cardioid heads.

If you use omni heads you need to space the mics - a Jecklin Disk can work well with a choir or orchestra.

Personally for an orchestra I would go ORTF with cardioids and for a solo piano I would use 20cm spaced omnis about 2m from the piano.

For orchestra and piano together at the same time I would use either ORTF with the cardioids or the omnis in a Jecklin Disk.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top