How to stop piano 'leaking' in vocal audio?

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Reburon

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So as a birthday present I was bought 2 mics(1 Samson Meteor condenser, and a Shure SM57 dynamic mic). I planned to use the dynamic to be behind the piano, and the condenser to be just in front of my face, to sing whilst playing.

Using Audition, I wanted to test the Meteor and the quality is great. However, whilst recording and playing and singing the piano had a tendency to cause clipping in the recording, which ruined the recording(I know you can go through a number of processes to help reduce the clipping, but I don't want it to happen in the first place). I understand it's a condenser(I may have made a slight mistake when it came to buying) and will pick up background noise, but I'm running out of ideas to stop the clipping.

If there was some way to block the back of the mic so it only(or mostly) picks up my voice?

I know its a big ask, but I can't send the stuff back or anything, so I just need an idea on what to do.

To summarise:

I want to record songs with 2 mics - A Samson Meteor condenser for vocals and a Shure SM57 dynamic for the piano/other acoustic instruments.
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While singing AND playing, the Meteor picks up a lot of piano and causes clipping sometimes.
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I want to stop the clipping, and have as little piano from the Meteor as possible.
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Can you block the 'unused' sides of the Meteor(with a thick fabric or something) to reduce the amount of piano it picks up?
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All of this is in a living room. Laminate floor. I know hard surfaces cause vibrations to bounce, and it could be a culprit. But there's nothing I can do, other than put down some blankets and rugs on the floor.

NOTE:
I haven't' got the cable for the Shure yet(it's on order), so anything you'd like me to do, I can't do until I get the cable.
Also, I'm an idiot with this stuff, don't use all this vocabulary that I don't understand, thanks.


Thank you, any replies are appreciated.
 
There's no way to totally eliminate bleed in this case. I'll let others offer advice on how to minimise it.

But to answer your question about clipping, the answer is pretty simple. You're recording too hot. Turn your recording levels down. There's no reason to go anywhere near clipping.
 
With those types of mics, the polar pattern is nearly dead right behind it (180°), but almost as sensitive on the sides (90° and 270°) as it is in front. You're not going to stop the bleed.

Record your piano and vocal with different takes.
 
I'd switch the mics too. Use the condenser on the piano and the dynamic on the vocals. Pretty sure that'll sound better.
 
Reburon said:
While singing AND playing, the Meteor picks up a lot of piano and causes clipping sometimes.
-
Click to expand...

Bleed is one thing but if it's 'causing' clipping, your gain is too high.
As said, you'll never eliminate bleed, but in order to reduce it I'd swap the mics.

Get that dynamic mic as close to your face as possible and turn the gain down. Sing loud. I don't mean scream, but make sure you project.
It's all about what ratios the mic perceives. Whisper at 12" distance and the piano will be louder, to the vocal mic.
Project at 1" distance and the voice will dominate that mic.
Just watch those plosives. Foam ball/pop fliter wouldn't hurt.

With the condenser, try to get it out of your line of sight.
You said round the back of the piano, so go with that. You're using the piano as a baffle. ;)

That'd be a hell of a start, but take it on board.....There will always be some amount of bleed.
 
Well when the XLR to 6.35mm inch cable, and the 6.35mm to 3.5mm jack adapter gets here, I'll go ahead and swap them. Looking at the shape of the SM57, I think it's the only way of reducing the bleed, and not having to buy anything else.

As for the clipping I guess I can experiment with the gain until it's at an acceptable state.

I think I'll also, instead of miking the piano from the back, mike it by putting it inside the lid from the front.

It seems the answers were more obvious than I thought was. Thanks for the tips though :)
 
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The only "acceptable state" for clipping is complete absence. Turn the gain down until your piano is peaking at -12 to -6dB. Gain is NOT volume. You can mix it back up to an appropriate level later.

And like someone else said... learn to play without singing and sing without playing and record them separately if you want to have no bleed at all.
 
I realize the mics you have are the mics you have but I think you have the wrong mics for the job. First, I wouldn't use a 57 for piano. I'd use a condenser for that under the lid somewhere. And for vocals, I'd want a condenser there but with a figure 8 pattern to help minimize some of your leakage.
 
I was reading some old articles on jazz greats and the room and bleed was part of the magic, its getting it right that's tricky. great rooms, great mic selection and placement. a condenser on the piano and room, maybe try a sm7 on your vocal which is known for helping remove the room and one of those isolation mic things might help. I would think there wouldn't be much vocal bleeding into the piano track so overdub/vocal only into a separate track after your done would offer the isolation.
 
Some bleed ain't always a bad thing. As said above the only way to prevent it is to overdub vocals.
 
Reburon said:
Well when the XLR to 6.35mm inch cable, and the 6.35mm to 3.5mm jack adapter gets here, I'll go ahead and swap them.
Click to expand...

What are you plugging this into, I hope it's not the computer in jack, this may explain the clipping.

Alan.
 
What way are you pointing that bad boy?[/QUOTE]

With the null pointed at the piano and the back lobe angled up. Far from perfect and much would depend on the room.
 
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