AKG C3000B or Rode NT5 for grand piano?

S

sniixer

New member
We are soon to record a solo-grand piano concert here in Norway, and for this we have the possibility of loaning different microphones:
a matched pair of Rode NT5
a pair of AKG C3000B
a matched pair of AKG C451B

What should I choose? We are recording a Steinway D-grand-piano (1986) in an art galleri, with stone walls and quite a lot of reverb. (They say its a good room for aucustic concerts.)

Also, we may have to hide the microphones because the artist doesnt want them to be too visible. (but i hope we can place them somewhere in front of the piano.) Does anybody have experience with placing microphones under the piano?

I would really like to make a good recording, because the piano-player is a bit famous here in Norway and he seldom plays solo-concerts, and I would be happy for any advice you have.
I'm working in the local Student Radio, and if everything goes well we can play the recording on the radio...
 
You have access to a pair of 451s and you're asking people to choose between the C3000s and the NT5s? :confused:

Can we assume you hate the C451s with a passion? :rolleyes:
 
Thanks for the quick responses!!

No, I dont hate the C451B/ST, I am quite fascinated by them, and I hope to use them in stereo-recording of concerts. Hovewer, I have looked in the box that comes with the C3000B, and it has a "application guide for microphones". Here it states that the C3000B is "recommended" for for grand piano, while the C451B is not. So I guess this "guide" is not very thrustworthy.
 
Yes, we could try the mics out, the concert is not before february 5th. I have the phone-number to the guy who owns the grand-piano. But if I test the microphones, I am wondering what to look for, and what makes a good microphone for grand-piano...

Actually I'm not a very experienced in this field, I have been taping concerts with low-budget equipment for about 2 years, but now I'd like to get better recordings. Again, thanks.
 
I've used the C3000B quite a bit, except not on piano. I doubt very much you'll get the kind of transient response you're looking for. But you never know, it bring a nice colour to it. Get there nice 'n early and hang them all up.

edit: Just saw your last post. Micing a piano requires a lot of experience IMO, it's a complex instrument with a complex soundfield. I would keep your approach nice and simple, listen to the guy playing, pick your sweet spot, and set up the cards in ortf. Hard to really screw it up like that - oh and make sure you have a back up recording device off the board :)
 
sniixer said:
We are soon to record a solo-grand piano concert here in Norway, and for this we have the possibility of loaning different microphones:
a matched pair of Rode NT5
a pair of AKG C3000B
a matched pair of AKG C451B

What should I choose? We are recording a Steinway D-grand-piano (1986) in an art galleri, with stone walls and quite a lot of reverb. (They say its a good room for aucustic concerts.)

Also, we may have to hide the microphones because the artist doesnt want them to be too visible...
Click to expand...

Hmm, seems like you have a problem here. It seems that it is a classical concert. If so, recording from underneath the piano is not an option. Usually, classical piano recordings are made with more distant miking (4-8', depending on a room), with mics placed in front of an open wing. You will need to spend quite some time for miking. I would exclude Rode and (especially) C3000 from the list. It seems that for this situation the best would work a pair of omnies hung from ceiling, if it is possible. In this case you'd get a lot of audience noise, but at least the sound of piano will be "listenable". If the mics absolutely should be hidden, another option I can think of is a pair of PZMs (pressure zone mics).
 
sniixer said:
Thanks for the replies. Does anybody know about the omni-microphone: Audio-Technica 3032?
http://www.audio-technica.com/prodpro/profiles/AT3032.html

These seem to be cheap priced with good spesifications.
If I somehow got a pair of these, would they be preferable to the AKG C451B for the grand piano?

I hope I dont have to hide the microphones
Click to expand...

I am not familiar with this mic. The specifications don't tell you a damn thing as for how it sounds. I would not get anything without auditioning it first for specific application.
I tried SP C4 with omni capsules on piano and liked it.
 
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