opinions on compressing keyboards and electric piano while recording

[weatherbill]

I have a guy coming in the studio here in a couple of weeks to do some keys and piano, but have never recorded keys using a compressor before.
I'm not sure if I need to, beings the keys and electric piano are pretty controlled no matter how hard you hit the keys?
Am I wrong on that???

If you do use a compressor, then what are your compressor settings for recording electric piano and keyboard ??

 

[mshilarious]

I wouldn't compress a keyboard on input. Heck, I'd generally just record the MIDI . . .

 

[PowerCouple]

Well... i would not use it either. The keys may have a maximum volume you can set & control, plus...the dynamics are huge on a piano...let it be that way...

Peace...

PC

 

[Aren]

Don't.

Dynamics are a big part of keyboard playing, and the pianist would not appreciate you killing them . Just have him play as loud as he's going to play, and allow 2dB or so of head room.

Oren

 

[Shailat]

It all depends on the context.

A piano in a rhythm section might benefit from compression.
The busier the mix the more a chance of compressing the piano.
You don't want in a busy mix loads of level fluctuations changes.
A solo piano is rarely compressed.....

I'll sometimes use compression on Rhodes type sound to alter the attack.

 

[geekgurl]

I have a Nord Electro and used one of the Rhodes sounds recently on a recording ... I was having trouble setting it in the mix so I tired adding a little compression on it ... and in that song's context, it seemed to be the solution. I'd say, qualifying that I am a rank amateur at recording, that you'd be safest to avoid compressing the signal on the way into the recording medium ... leave that decision for afterwards and use it if you have to. This assumes you can get a good signal level while avoiding clipping while recording. I haven't found this to be a problem with keys.