How to audition a piano mic? Also: "matched" pairs?

G

Grotius

New member
I'm shopping for a pair of condenser microphones with which to record classical music on my seven foot grand piano. (Some mics on my shopping list include the AT4033, AT822, Oktava MC012, MXL2003, MXL603, Rode NT2 or NT1000, plus the KM183, KM184, and TLM103. I play "quiet" classical (Chopin, Debussy), so low self-noise is important to me.) Anyway, my questions:

1. I have not found a local store that has a 7-foot grand sitting around for mic auditions. Nor will any of my local stores let me take a microphone home to try with my own piano. In fact, the only store I've found that seems willing to let the audition at all is the local Guitar Center. (A chain that doesn't seem to get rave reviews around this forum; is it that bad?) Now, I do play a little guitar, but mostly I plan to record piano. How should I go about auditioning some of the above microphones? Should I just go with mail-order? Or should I invest in a xylophone or something and bring it to the store with me? :-)

2. I want to buy two identical mics to record in stereo. Some, but not all, of the above microphones come in "matched" stereo pairs. Sometimes the matched pairs (e.g., TLM103s) are more expensive than just 2 of the individual mics. How important is it to buy a "matched" pair?

Thanks,

Grotius.
 
1) Buy your mics from a store with a return policy on purchases. They're probably not going to let you just take one home, but if you buy it, and they have a return policy...If you don't like what you hear when you get them home, take them back, and tell them that the mic just didn't work well in your environment. Be careful of mail order-some of them won't let you return mics (because of the "slobbering lead singer" syndrome), so find out before you whip out the plastic. Most reputable music stores won't have a problem with you trying mics at home then bringing them back if they don't work for your particular need, as long you're not expecting them to just "loan" you the mic-remember, most of these guys have gone through this before, and realize that the sound you get in your studio (or living room, or bathroom, etc.) is going to be different that what you hear in their demo room. It's just part of the business.

2) I got so carried away answering the first question that I forgot your second one...:-)
 
That's a tough question. I don't suppose there would be too many dealers out there that would let you take a bunch of microphones home to audition them for a day. And it would have to be a pretty liberal return policy that would let you buy them all and take back the ones you don't like.

Ahh . . . but there is always ebay. :) Here's your solution:

Buy one of each of the above mics . . . audition them . . . and decide which one you like best.

Buy another one of the winner, and sell the losers on ebay.

You could even make some money in the process. If you buy all the mics from the same retailer, you should be able to get them to cut you a deal. And if you sell them as new, you should be able to get very close to their full retail value.

Getting a "matched" pair is a lot more important when using an XY config . . . something that isn't really that common when micing a grand piano, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.
 
Grotius said:
2. I want to buy two identical mics to record in stereo. Some, but not all, of the above microphones come in "matched" stereo pairs. Sometimes the matched pairs (e.g., TLM103s) are more expensive than just 2 of the individual mics. How important is it to buy a "matched" pair?
Click to expand...
If you spend over $3K each on mics - it makes sense to start worrying about "matched pairs" -- especially if you're using those mics with their equal in terms of other gear (pres, monitors, console....)

But worrying about "matched pairs" on $300-$500 mics is like worrying whether an analog Portastudio has a high-frequency roll-off at 15KHz or 16KHz..........

Bruce
 
http://www.mercenary.com has a very liberal return policy. They want you to try it out in your environment to make sure it works for you. If you return it, you're only out shipping. They only brand they carry on your list is Neumann. Good luck!
 
Thanks for your help, everyone. I did find a store that is a little more flexible about returns, so I will give that place a try.

Cheers, Grotius.
 
Sometimes I can help!

:cool:
Of all the Mics you mentioned, in that set, I have the TLM 103's and I use them to record a 7' Grand Piano.
Here is a sample of the result:
http://artists3.iuma.com/site-bin/streammp3.m3u?190193
Some other mike pairs I've tried on 7' Grand Piano include:
Shure SM81
Marshall V67G
And, Just for fun the ecm8000
I've also used a pair of Shure SM7's
A B.L.U.E Mouse
and an RCA 77DX
Hands down, far and away, above ALL the rest, the best sound I have achieved on 7' Grand Piano has come from using the TLM 103's.
FWIW
~Michael~
 
Hi Michael,

Your piano recording sounds *very* nice; well done! What kind of stereo configuration did you use? How close to the piano?

I will be looking at the TLM103 (and the other mics on my list) today. Neumann is currently offering a free pair of headphones with the TLM103. Tempting...

Grotius.
 
I'd also suggest the Elation KM201 mics as a matched pair for your piano. Although less well known than the others on your list, these are beautiful mics (albeit small diaphragm). I've used them on a grand piano and actually preferred these to the TLM103.
 
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