Microphone for piano

S

Slyve

New member
Hello,

I'm searching for a couple of mics to record my piano.
I have an upright piano, but I will record grand pianos, sometimes.
I already have a couple of Rodes NT5. I'm not very happy of it. the results is to metalic for me.
I thought about the Beyerdynamics MC-930. I heard very good things about it. Some people compare it to Neumann KM84 or KM184. And some people think the beyerdynamics are better than the Neumann.
I thought also about the DPA's, but it is too expensive for me.
What do you think about the Beyerdynamics MC-930? Will it be a lot better than my actual Rodes ?
Is it a good idea to combine it with a Zoom H4N behind to have the general acoustic of the room ?

Thank you in advance !
 
That metallic sound could simply be the classic mechanism blockage that uprights have. Most record dreadfully compared to grands because the hammer and action are exactly where the strings sound nicest - so the sound always seems to have this edge to it. In fact, even the decent VSTi samplers have this tone built in. I suspect the Rotes are actually just being good mics, and capturing it. Personally, I've got a liking for AKG - a pair of 451's are a bit cheaper than the Beyers, and 414s (my favourites quite a bit more). I've got the old 451s with interchangeable capsules, but apart from the extended HF, the new fixed capsules sound very similar and also have rolloffs which mine don't.
 
A metallic sound may have nothing to do with the mikes, but could be phasing as a consequence of recording, i.e. a feedback loop of some sort.
 
Rob : I tested the AKG 414. I don't like them very much. I don't find them very precise. A bit too warm, maybe. But I know these microphones are very good for their diversity.
I don't know the 451.

Gecko : How to avoid that ?
 
Slyve said:
Gecko : How to avoid that ?
Click to expand...

It depends on how your DAW works. I don't recall what you are using (or if you even said you were using).

What can happen is that you record a signal, and as you record, what you are monitoring is also being recorded, so you get two signal combined, but slightly out of phase with each other.

Fixing it means looking at you signal path at either the hardware end or at the software end. Often the cause is within Windows settings somewhere.

It could also happen if you have recorded two identical track, and one has been nudged slightly out of line with the other, and they are both played together panned centre.

However, this is only speculation on my part, based on my having never experienced a metallic sound with any of my Rodes.

So, it would be worthwhile trying out a different mike to see if it does the same.
 
Slyve - 414s are my first go to mic for being versatile and I've always considered them rather bright! The Beyer and Neumanns you mention are a little 'mellower' I've always thought. Interesting you find the opposite, but it's a personal choice. Syncing up a zoom can never be worse - always nice to have more capture to try to blend.
 
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