halfred
New member
for under a $1000 for recording acoustic concert grand piano in room with not so great acoustisc (13 x 20 x 8.5 )
Does anyone have any recommendations for a stereo pair of medium diaphram mics
rmaier
New member
Why medium? (Just curious)
halfred
New member
Well I have a pair of pulsars which I just recently found out are 3/4" diaphram. In ORTF they sound great---I'm after a 'lush" sort of sound. So I am experimenting with them, and Rode NT1A's. Thought I'd try a LDC to hear the difference. The sound is even fuller although a little too much so and not detailed enough from a distance of 5'. Seems like I need to go out from the bend of the piano (Stienway B in my living room) that much to not get the mechanical sounds of the piano. Still not done experimenting and actually I haven't heard what it would sound like with SDC's---just have a hunch that medium diaphram might be a goo comprimise and that I might want to upgrade the Pulsars to something better---just sort of poking around in the dark here----learning as I go---haven't tried omnis yet either although I been told quite a few times that if I don't close mic with omnis, not to use them unless you have a great sounding room which I'm not really sure exactly what that means---yet.
Shadow_7
New member
beyer MC-930
or the 910's (omni)
About that price and common for piano. But they might be more on the small end.
Elements in that medium to large range can have some quite dramitic frequency response curves. They sound great and really in your face, but there's normally something odd about the results. i.e. That pianists right hand is so much louder than the left. I don't remember it being that way live. It's okay for vocalists, where you can use them based on whether they favor a female or male voice. But you can't always use one mic on both. For piano 88 keys and 7+ octaves those larger elements might prove a bit problematic.
or the 910's (omni)
About that price and common for piano. But they might be more on the small end.
Elements in that medium to large range can have some quite dramitic frequency response curves. They sound great and really in your face, but there's normally something odd about the results. i.e. That pianists right hand is so much louder than the left. I don't remember it being that way live. It's okay for vocalists, where you can use them based on whether they favor a female or male voice. But you can't always use one mic on both. For piano 88 keys and 7+ octaves those larger elements might prove a bit problematic.
darrin_h2000
Banned
KSM32 mics are used alot nowdays
halfred
New member
Yeah, thanks, I heard a recording with the Beyers and they sound great and I've read about them. I'm considering them. Whatever mic I settle on, I'll have to sell off the one's I won't use. I see what you mean about the results not quite working out with the larger diaphrams. The treble does seem to stand out too much, and I have read-- use SDC's for more eveness up and down the registers. Guess that's why most classical pianists use them. I'll have to try it. Now my crappy microtrack is on the blink and m-audio says send it in for repair---feel like chucking it in the trash where it belongs. I'll just have to wait a few weeks until I'm ready to buy my new recorder.
halfred
New member
Thanks I'll look into it.
B
Big Kenny
New member
at 4033
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
pohaku
New member
Groove Tubes GT44, GT40 (or older Alesis AM40). An MD tube mic (3/4") that works really, really well on acoustic instruments, although I have never tried micing up a piano with them. They run @ $250 each used. I believe that the Sterling Audio ST-44 is the same mic and they sell new for $299.
darrin_h2000
Banned
I kinda forgot that one...and Ive seen them at arround $175 each...they are a fine choice...IDK how they compare to the KSM32...but being in the 40 series they should be better than the 3035 which are terrific mid size condenser mics too.
antichef
pornk rock
I've got a pair of 4033 - but like a lot of us, I have zero experience recording a piano. And they're the only pair of medium diaphragm mics that I've got. I would definitely try them out if I was going to try to record a piano (does that help? 
) - they're nice on acoustic instruments.
) - they're nice on acoustic instruments.
T
tmix
Well-known member
I have a pair of CAD E-100s that work well on Acoustic Guitar and percussion.
I have never tried a piano though, but they are very neutral for mid-sized diaphrams.
I have never tried a piano though, but they are very neutral for mid-sized diaphrams.
Shadow_7
New member
I had an AT4033a. A really nice mic. But really weak in that tenor/baritone voice. Bass is killer, Alto is killer, Soprano pretty good. Probably not great for piano because of that dip in the EQ response. I sold my 4033 to fund my MR-1000. The 4033a is supposedly cardioid, but from what I can remember, it was more omni than my omni's. Enough so that it took me a while to figure which end was the front. As it was my first XLR type mic. Off axis response was pretty even.
KSM44 or C414 might do piano, but they're probably beyond budget. And still might be quirky.
I'm leaning towards the MKH80xx series. 8040 cardioid, 8020 omni. They address a few of the issues. Detail, low end, noise floor, flat response. Not perfect, and way past that budget. But nice IMO... Or at least a lot of the samples of them are nice.
You might try some ribbons. A pair of FatHead II's might do well for your uses. A bit needy / frail / loads of clean gain / .... because they're ribbons. But a lot of the samples on those are nice.
KSM44 or C414 might do piano, but they're probably beyond budget. And still might be quirky.
I'm leaning towards the MKH80xx series. 8040 cardioid, 8020 omni. They address a few of the issues. Detail, low end, noise floor, flat response. Not perfect, and way past that budget. But nice IMO... Or at least a lot of the samples of them are nice.
You might try some ribbons. A pair of FatHead II's might do well for your uses. A bit needy / frail / loads of clean gain / .... because they're ribbons. But a lot of the samples on those are nice.
halfred
New member
Thanks for all the ideas. I think I'll be having an audio engineer add reverb and hall reflections later so I'm thinking maybe I should go with a small diaphram cardioid mic to get a clean accurate recording, and have it juiced up later. Pariticularly since I have to distance mic in a crappy room. The piano itself sounds awesome, and so does the player (-: So much to think about and so little time----
darrin_h2000
Banned
The 4033 and the KSM32 are both accurate but smooth so I only really like them vocally in front of the type of singer that can make a song work without the backing music...but they excell on instruments that resonance is depended upon to help amplify them...so if it is good on the guitar...violin and other strings...it is also good on piano.
Jeff_D
New member
I'd try to do something about that. You may get far better results with the mics you already have by doing to some simple acoustic treatment in your room.
If I were in your shoes, I'd rather spend a few hundred on acoustic treatment than dropping a grand on another set of mics.
halfred
New member
what type of acoustic treatment? It's a living room 13 x 20 x 8.5H--furnished, part carpet (under piano) and part w\hardwood floor, past piano in connecting kitcen----I can sell the recentl purchased barely used mics I have if I need to, to fund another pair of mics---
darrin_h2000
Banned
Alot of people just put a moving blanket over the piano to defeat the room since its easier to do this than move a desired piano to a studio or build a studio arround it...lol.
antichef
pornk rock
Now that we've opened up to small diaphragm condensers, if you have some time, I would recommend you pick up a pair of MXL 603 mics (used is fine, as long as they haven't been mutilated by a soldering-iron-hack like me) and send them to "Marik" here on the board for a capsule remachining and electronics overhaul (which could include conversion to use a transformer, although at some point it may go out of budget), and make sure to tell him you want to use the mics for piano, and probably describe the piano, the room, the player, and whatever other information he needs.
He may tell you I'm stoned, and that you should use ribbons, but it'll be a good contact to make, in any event.
He may tell you I'm stoned, and that you should use ribbons, but it'll be a good contact to make, in any event.
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halfred
New member
thanks for the tip---I'll contact Marik---