Listen to MXL V67 on Grand Piano

  • Thread starter Thread starter mastac
  • Start date Start date
Alright

Alright - I have a wav file on the web now - it's an 24/88.2 wav file - about 135 MB. Hopefully my web hosting folks will be able to handle this - I've been a good customer though! If you want to put it through your monitors, here it is:

www.holydj.com/c/lucas/ChristmasMedley.wav

Let me know if you have any trouble with that wav file - there may be a little bit of popping - let me know if that there is.

Anyways, anyone know how to minimize damper pedal noises? I did have the thought before though that it wouldn't be a bad idea to have the pedal noise in to let the listener know that they are listening to a real piano - but I think I'd rather go without it.

A lot of what I hear about the lacking bass is what my roommate did notice a lil bit. For a lot of the songs that will be in a mix of other instruments, the sound we have may be a good thing - but for some of the more piano focused song, we may have to do something about that. Now that I think about it Cosmic, I definitely want to at least try backing the mics off the piano quite a bit - that may be the problem - the mics were pretty close the the piano when we recorded it.

Noisedude - As for the influences, Ben Folds is actually one of his big ones! We hope to get our first project finished by the end of February, which will be a mix of pop, euro-rock (coldplay kinda thing), hip-hop, and a lil classical and jazz. We're trying to merge all of our flavors into one. Don't be surprised if I post up some more in the future for some other bumps we may run into (and maybe you'll get to hear what's a lil more of what is his full capability)!

Thanks again a whole, whole lot everyone who has posted so far - your advice and complements have been madd encouraging to both of us trying to do this.

Craig
 
The room is too dead which is what makes it sound sequenced, but I can hear the dampeners hitting the strings when he lifts up on the sustain pedal, and I did hear some sympathetic string vibration when it was down. It's either real piano or a damn damn damn damn good sample.

I played a gig last night where the hall had a Yamaha C7, just tuned. I'd take it over any Steinway I've ever heard. Yamaha pianos are perfection.
 
mastac said:
Noisedude - As for the influences, Ben Folds is actually one of his big ones! We hope to get our first project finished by the end of February, which will be a mix of pop, euro-rock (coldplay kinda thing), hip-hop, and a lil classical and jazz. We're trying to merge all of our flavors into one. Don't be surprised if I post up some more in the future for some other bumps we may run into (and maybe you'll get to hear what's a lil more of what is his full capability)!
Click to expand...
That's cool! It would be very cool to hear some of that. My piano playing is coming back up to speed after a couple of years off so am bashing the piano-led stuff right now ... some Gershwin and, obviously, Ben Folds are my CDs of the week.
 
leddy said:
Yamaha pianos are perfection.
Click to expand...
Comparing a Yamaha to a Steinway is like comparing a Ferrari to a Maseratti.
Personal taste will ultimately be the deciding factor.
For me, Yamaha's are simply too bright.
And of course, a lot of the deciding factor depends on the style of music being played too.
 
Michael Jones said:
Comparing a Yamaha to a Steinway is like comparing a Ferrari to a Maseratti.
Personal taste will ultimately be the deciding factor.
For me, Yamaha's are simply too bright.
And of course, a lot of the deciding factor depends on the style of music being played too.
Click to expand...

This is true. The better Yamahas do not seem too bright, IMO, but obviously each piano and environment is different.
 
Man, I am still listening to that clip!

This is a great thread, btw. It's not too often we discuss mic'ing pianos.
 
Very nice, man. I'm not listening on the best system in the world (EPI mains, JBL sub) but im hearing a very good recording here. Some of the low end cushion, I too agree, isn't quite there but I think alot of this has to do with the room. And, honestly I think if you back the mics off in that room you will end up with more "box" than bass. You should really be in a bigger room for open mcing. You could try a third condenser farther away (preferably in a corner) for the low end, however, there is only so much you can do with the room. Your friend is a wizard, I must add. Very skilled player. Your recording represents the instrument well, however, and captured the performance stupendously.
 
Great stuff! If you're trying it again try it with the 410 pres instead - I'd be interested to see if the lowend is vanishing in the MMP-2.

Edit: What codec are you using? - Just thinking that maybe your lowend is disapppearing there. Try posting a bit of it as a wav or flac file for comparison.
 
I'll have to give that a try...

Yeah next time I head down I will try to go direct into the FW410 mic pres and see how that goes. Unfortunately, it may not be for a pretty long while (like early January) - I have finals this week coming up, Christmas break, and then I'll be back up on campus in the first week in January. January will be the month where we get pretty much all of the recording done.

Paddyponchero - I have a wav file posted up - my last post on the first page of this thread. It's recorded in 24/88.2. Let me know what you think about that. I can say that monitoring in our little cubicle is a lil difficult since I am in the room with the piano. I have pretty decent headphones - I A/B with Sony MDR-V6 (modified with velour earpads yeah!) and Sony MDR-EX71 closed in-ear headphones. Times like these I wish I had a sound proof control room with my monitors.

My roommate Lucas told me that right next to the room we recorded in, there is a Steinway grande piano. The area we recorded is like a hallway with about 10-15 little rooms with pianos - mostly Yamaha uprights, and I guess two grands, the Yamaha and Steinway. I never heard the Steinway - Lucas said he preferred the sound from the Yamaha - but I think we may give it a test drive. I'm wouldn't be surprised that for some applications the Steinway may work out a lil better, although his style will probably usually call for the Yamaha. Look at all this stuff I'm learning about pianos - I never knew that Yamahas were bright! Now I know.

I am real happy that everyone is enjoying the music clip - both me and Lucas sort of regret after hearing the positive feedback that he was holding back his ability quite a bit! The kid can really fly on the piano, it's unbelievable - remember the name Lucas Cusimano, maybe you'll hear it again someday! But anyways, our main goal was to get some music out that will bless people - and if we are on that path, then we are gettin to where we want to be.

Sometime later, probably in early January, I will post up another piano sample, with some modifications from experiments that you all have recommended. If anyone has anymore ideas, feel free to post it up.

Craig
 
mastac said:
Sometime later, probably in early January, I will post up another piano sample, with some modifications from experiments that you all have recommended. If anyone has anymore ideas, feel free to post it up.

Craig
Click to expand...
Man, that'd be great! I'd love to hear more of what you two are doing.
Grand piano's are just beasts to mike well. Each piano, room, environment, voicing, tuning.... everything, is going to have an impact on it.

I have a 7'-2" Boston that I love! It's REAL warm and.... woody sounding. Doesn't work well for recording some types of music, but works great on other types.
It took me forever to get a real good recording from it.
 
Michael Jones said:
Man, that'd be great! I'd love to hear more of what you two are doing.
Grand piano's are just beasts to mike well. Each piano, room, environment, voicing, tuning.... everything, is going to have an impact on it.

I have a 7'-2" Boston that I love! It's REAL warm and.... woody sounding. Doesn't work well for recording some types of music, but works great on other types.
It took me forever to get a real good recording from it.
Click to expand...
No doubt - I'll definitely post up some new material for everyone to evaluate.

I did get a chance to hear your albums - I am subscribed to Audiogalaxy Raphsody and have access to nine of your albums! Your music is most def. soothing! Relaxes me in these last days of finals! Anyways, it's good to get some tips from someone who's been in the game as long as you have.

Craig
 
the recording sounds great... but i just dont feel like i'm there... with the piano. if thats not the intention, then thats fine. i would set up a room mic or something, something to give it more 'presence'. maybe just a touch of reverb too... nothing much at all though. the low end seems very tight... almost too tight, but that could just be the piano. good job though!! :D
 
Where would I go about getting some of MJ's music quite cheaply (even though he's loaded piracy is wrong :D) so I too can be soothed? I'm running out of Lamb, Revive and Sigur Ros to chill me out!!
 
I don't know how I missed this thread, but a searched turned it up. Hey mastac, not only is the pianist a very good player, but I own a V67G and I have to work at finding any cons on it. Sure, it didn't cost me $1,500 or even $150, but man I love that mic.

It does not sound like synth to me, I love it.
 
Last edited:
Awesome piano playing and awesome piece. I can definitely hear the Ben Folds influence.

I'm not sure about the quality of the piano. The recording is good enough, but it's all just so super bright. I think this is a combination of the Yamaha and the fact that the low-end resonance seems to be completely missing in action.
I tend to prefer brighter piano sounds when they're part of a full pop mix, but a much darker, rounder sound when the piano stands on its own.

For kicks, here's a completely opposite piano sound: a Ben Folds cover I did with a friend, just using a MIDI keryboard to trigger Steinberg's The Grand. This VSTi is great for that darker, fuller sound I was talking about. I've used it for some classical piano-only recordings before and, with a little tweaking, it's practically indistinguishable from a real darker grand piano to all but the best ears.



BTW, your roomate is a huge showoff. But he gets away with it pretty darn well :)
 
I think that in a larger mix you'd totally get away with that piano sound. I'd look at the gain staging with your mic though ... :)
 
Sure that isn't Ben Folds singing... well, if it's not, it sure sounds like him.

By the way, I haven't heard that song, but I really like it. Which album is it from?
 
Rockin' the Suburbs

That song is from Rockin' the Suburbs, Ben Folds' solo album. It's a great album if you haven't heard it yet. Pick it up!
 
I definitely will do, if that song is in any way indicative of the quality of the CD!!
 
Rockin the Suburbs is an excellent album. Not as much silly music as Whatever and Ever Amen, but there's only one or two weak tracks on it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top