Help Me Mic An Upright Piano

[Kasey]

I'm doing a recording of an upright piano in which the piano needs to play the role of a bass instrument. I've been told you can pick up a lot of the bass by micing the back of the piano but when i do that i mostly just get a lot of low mids that sound pretty bad. I have an AT4040 to close mic and two small diaphragm condensors i've been using as stereo room mics. or maybe i should be using the mics in different ways. I need a good bass sound out of the piano without a bunch of low-mids. can anyone help me out?

which mics to use and where to stick em'

thank you

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

If the piano is against the wall or parallel to the wall, pull the piano away from the wall on one side until there about a 20° angle between the wall and the back of the piano. This will help eliminate some standing waves you might be getting that can muddy the sound in the low mids.

The two standard ways for mixing the piano is to open the top and hang a mic or two over the ends of the opening, or to remove the soundboard (the front face of the piano underneath the keyboard and above the pedals and mic the harp directly just like miking a baby grand.

I prefer the second method usually, though you might want to try them both. The SDCs may possibly be a bit bright for your need, but I'd try them anyway. I might even be tempted to try a Senheiser 421 or an even just a 57 to get more of a stride piano feel to it.

G.

 

[mshilarious]

remove the soundboard (the front face of the piano underneath the keyboard and above the pedals and mic the harp directly just like miking a baby grand.

One of these days I'm going to route soundholes in that panel on my piano to make it safe & easy

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

One of these days I'm going to route soundholes in that panel on my piano to make it safe & easy

Just make sure you take it off first...or use a reeeally short bit .

G.

 

[mshilarious]

Just make sure you take it off first...or use a reeeally short bit .

G.

Obviously you have never seen me do woodworking . . . it ain't a pretty sight

 

[Kasey]

i can't remove the board, unfortunately. It's not my piano. I'll try the overhead mics but is that going to give me the strong bass i need? should i still try to mic behind the piano or is there a better place to mic for bass?

 

[mshilarious]

i can't remove the board, unfortunately. It's not my piano.

No, really, you can. It pops right off, just tug gently at the top (right underneath the keyboard). It is designed for easy access for a piano tuner. Then it pops right back in.

Also I should add: keep in mind a piano, especially an upright, doesn't have a deep bass like say a five-string bass guitar has. Sure, it has the same notes in the same octave, but they are mostly overtones, weak on the fundamental. So what you are looking for is clear overtones on the bass notes for a well-defined bass register. If you lose those, you get that lo-mid sound you are trying to avoid.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

i can't remove the board, unfortunately. It's not my piano. I'll try the overhead mics but is that going to give me the strong bass i need? should i still try to mic behind the piano or is there a better place to mic for bass?

Depending on the make and model of piano, sometimes the kickboard (I mistakenly referred to this as the soundboard earlier, which is different) is purposely made to be easily removed and put back.EDIT: D'OH, Mshilarious already beat me to that.

If not, the best I can say is to experiment a bit before you hit the record button. You can try miking the top like explained. You can also try miking the back. A third option is, if you have the angled wall/piano setup like I described earlier, is to try miking the open end of the angle. Another idea, but one that I haven't tried so I make no promises, would be to drop a piezo boundary mic inside the piano with it's back against the kickboard. Though that might be tough to pull off.

G.

 

[Brackish]

On a grand the soundboard is the bottom of the piano
but on an upright the soundboard is below the keys?
I was thinking the soundboard of an upright was the
back side that is often up against a wall.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

On a grand the soundboard is the bottom of the piano
but on an upright the soundboard is below the keys?
I was thinking the soundboard of an upright was the
back side that is often up against a wall.

You're right, it is. That's why I corrected myself . The removable front panel under the keys is the kickboard, not the soundboard as I originally mistakenly called it. Open that up to access the harp/strings. Behind the strings is the soundboard and the back of the piano.

G.

 

[Kasey]

i recorded it. i decided to open up the top and take off the soundboard. I put my at4040 down at the soundboard and my two small diaphragms in an XY pattern pointing in from above. it turned out wonderfully. i also tilted the piano with a 20 degree angle, i think that helped.

umm other things i did... i didnt have any room mics so it probably didnt come in to play too much, but i was recording in a carpeted room so i laid down large sheets of wood across the floor, on top of the carpet.

anyways it turned out great, thank you guys.