best way to record a piano?

[shinemdm]

I have very limited stuff to do this....an acoustic piano w/ a lid that cannot be opened, a Shure Sm48 mic, a Fostex MR8, and Cakewalk Music Creator to mix/edit it later.

My question is....using solely these things....what's the best way to record a piano?

 

[timmerman]

Hi Shinemdm,

Regarding your question for recording techn. for the piano, well, although I have never recorded an acousic piano but I have recorded a lot of acoustic gtr., I guess you would just start with sticking the mike through your recorder and start recording. Experiment with placement, though you said that the lit cannot be opened, so you have to work with the room. Perhaps you can use more mikes, if not just try a lot of different placements, also put the piano in a different room, and see where you can get the best sound. You can test the acoustics of the room by just snapping your fingers. I would first try to get a good sound and do all your editing regarding EQ or reverb afterward,

Have fun and good luck,

Eddie de Timmerman

 

[deepwater]

You can do a search and find alot of info about that. Here is something I copied and saved from another forum for my referance.

"Here's what works for me, most of the time:

Using 2 mics, (in this case it was a pair of TLM 103's)
One mike was set about 15" behind the pin block and about 8" above the strings around 1-1/3 octaves below middle C. The other was about 9" behind the pin block and about 4" above the strings around 1-1/3 octaves above middle C. The mic faces were angled in about 12 degrees toward each other. The lid was in the full up position."

 

[In Tune Audio]

You didn't mention if it was a grand or upright piano.

If its an upright, take the bottom panel off, and place your mics at the bottom of the piano. Then your not dealing with room problems. But you will want to experiment with the best placement. When recording upright, I usually prefer to mic there anyway. Uprights, no matter how good are fairly tinting and bright, and by putting the mic at the bottom, you don't get as much of the fundamental, which is where the tint is, but you get more resonance off the soundboard.


If you get the lid open, how does the piano get tuned?!?!?!?!? No matter what piano, what gear, or who is playing, if the piano is not tuned and voiced properly, it will sound like crap.

 

[Michael Jones]

If you get the lid open, how does the piano get tuned?!?!?!?!? No matter what piano, what gear, or who is playing, if the piano is not tuned and voiced properly, it will sound like crap.

Yep!
I have a big ol' grand that I record a lot, and if I'm going to do serious recording, I have it tuned beforehand.

 

[shinemdm]

Sorry I didn't mention, it's an upright. And yes, it is a very bright piano. I've never taken the bottom lid off before but I'll try.

 

[Michael Jones]

Make sure the back is out away from the wall.

There's some good info here on miking an upright.

http://www.saecollege.de/reference_material/pages/Piano.htm

That should get you in the ball park, from there, you'll need to experiment.

 

[deepwater]

Nice website. Thats how I have to learn - color pics.