Recording Acoustic Piano/Grand vs. Upright

S

Sleddog72

New member
HI...

Don't know where this goes. But this is "other" for sure...I want to make a room strictly for piano recording. Now, obviously I would love to shave a buck here and there. If I heard a recorded track of an upright piano vs. a grand piano would there be a remarkable difference...let me go further...I can't afford a grand....possibly a baby....but the difference between that and an upright is huge....but would i really be disappointed in the recording sound of an upright? anyone ever recorded acoustic piano? any tips? suggestions?
 
i've mic'ed my upright and gotten great sounds out of it. but i prefer upright to grand just because it fits my music better. i'm using it in a rock mix.

there is definitely a distinct difference between the sound of upright and grand (although i've never recorded a grand). if you need that grand piano sound then you might not get it out of an upright.
 
actually yeah that helps...i ws a master class and i heard a student on a grand and also a different time on an upright...there is a difference in a live ambience...i didnt think it would catch on the mics though. ok this is great thanks very much...and ill check into that other thing posted.
 
Depends on context. In a rock mix, a upright would possibly be fine.

For classical, acoustic, or some pop, you'd probably want a grand.
 
I find it's simply easier to mic a grand. You have to work harder with an upright. One thing you can try is to remove the front panel under the keys, and set up a spaced pair behind the pianist. Shure has some pictures of this in the guide on their site. Another good spot for a rock/honky-tonk sound is from behind the piano. In either case, get the piano away from the wall, out into the room.

You can try opening the top, but I wouldn't place a mic there, I've always been disappointed with that approach.
 
Sleddog,
mshiularious is pretty much on the spot.
I've mic'd both types for performance & for recording.
They sound different obviously.
For a start the grand can be opened & is LOUDER when this is done & because of its construction a lot of volume will come out of an opened upright top too but can be very muddy.
In my experience, & like speakers, an upright closer to a wall will have emphasised bass but will become cleraer as it's moved away.
You could end up using as much space locating an upright correctly as placing a grand.
Grands, parlours & baby grands are relatively easy to mic - you can adjust mic position to great effect too.
Uprights have a narrower window to mic the strings in.
Usually there's a difference in soundboard size & string length as well that have an effect on sound.
A parlour grand is a good compromise in size & sound.
What the player is comfortable with counts for a LOT in the end.
They call uprights Honky Tonks for a reason too!
Cheers
rayC
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top