Mastering Piano

[tddrummer]

I've recorded a very good piano player Sunday and I want the recording to reflect her playing (obviously), but I'm having a few problems.

1. If the sound gets a bit loud it seems to overbear my speakers, its not clipping but it has almost the same effect on my ears. I think this is being caused by her sustain pedal, when all of the notes build up. I want to get rid of this but still keep the dramatic effect when she gets to a deeper part of the songs. How do I achieve this. (i've experimented w/ EQ...and it hasnt helped, but mybe i'm doing that wrong?)

2. She has a few fumbles on notes and on time. This is another issue with the sustain pedal, because all of the previously hit notes bleed into the mistake, and make it hard to , unnoticably, replace. Luckly I've recorded about 4 tracks and i can edit the best with the other tracks, by cutting out sections, but i was wondering if by some luck there was a better way of doing things.

This is the first time I've really mastered something to be scrutinized so I'm kinda freaking out, any opinion would be helpful

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

To get the basics out of the way first.... this is NOT mastering. This is MIXING.

Now, as to the first problem, I'd try to stay away from EQ altogether unless it's a very gentle nudge to correct deficiencies in the microphones (with the exception listed below). Let the piano sound like piano.

If the problem is playback dynamics - i.e. the piano buildup would sound OK if it wasn't overdriving the speakers - I'd use fader automation to keep the overall volume in line.

If, however, the problem is from the recording itself, either because she over-sustained the piano itself or because the mic got overdriven. probably the best you could try to do is to surgically remove some problem frequencies via a parametric sweep. Keep the Q narrow and punch holes in the overall response where there are bad resonances. If you're not sure what a parametric sweep is, read about it here.

As for the second problem, what you have planned (editing in alternate takes) is probably the best chance you have. Be careful of matching the takes together well, though - i.e. make sure the tempos and feel between takes are the same and that the edit points are seamless, otherwise the editing can wind up sounding worse than leaving the smaller mistakes in there.

G.

 

[Waffleness]

Good info above ^

What kind of piano is it? Upright or Grand? What mic's did you use.

I had to mic a grand a year ago, used an RE20 for the low, 421 for midrange over one of the 'sound holes' (I think they are called) and a SDC (probably an e614) over the high end of the scale, again over another 'sound hole'. It turned out alright, but it was live sound so I wasn't tracking anything.