My approach would be to have more than one mic and use a mixer if you have one. Just about anyone has more experience than I with mics, but I would start with the basics until I learned more about what I wanted. To me, that means one or two
Sure SM57 dynamic mics.
Pop the top midway (or all the way); sneak in one mic on a boom to about halfway across the harp and towards the front, oriented down and to the front. Place second mic to the right and about four feet away from the piano.
Here's where the room becomes important. If the instrument is in a corner or near a wall, experiment with angling the second mic not toward the piano, but toward a reflective surface away from it, to get bounced or more ambient sound.
If you have a mixer, then you can change the relative presence of ths signals; they will have different characteristics and that alone will allow you to tailor the sound. You may also find that a little EQ (not a lot) on one or both will tend to minimize the banging of the pedals, but that may never really go away, particularly if the piano is new. The dampers can be distracting not when they hit the strings, but when they are released! The problem is most acute when you're playing softly, as those "contaminants" remain about the same volume regardless of the playing itself. So, what the hell - play hard!
My guess is that experimentation will be the way to go; the oddities of the room, the piano, the mic, and even the playing style can affect the setup. Fool around with it.
[This message has been edited by Treeline (edited 04-13-2000).]
