Upright Piano + What microphones

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djkprojects

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Hello all,

I'm planning to record an upright piano at home and am looking for a pair of mikes that would be suitable for this. The upright is standing in a small 16 x 13 feet room (half way by the longer wall)

The equipment I have is:

- laptop
- Focurite Saffire Pro 24 DSP audio interface with 48V Phantom Power supply (XLR connectors)
- two microphone stands and cables

The maximum I want to spend on the pair would be £300.

I've heard some recordings made using Rode NT5 pair but wasn't quite satisfied with the quality.

Can you please advise? Thanks

Regards
 
Hello Steenamaroo,

On one of the forums somebody has posted same piece recorded on a Steinway grand using NT5, Apollo and schoeps cmts 501 and to my ears NT5 sounded kind of narrow compared to others which put me off this pair. Also, users' comments suggested that this pair was the worst in the comparison.

I did look at SM81 before I posted here and i did like them but they are ±£300 just for one mic :( A bit expensive considering that I will only be recording the piano occasionally.

By the way most of the recordings will be coming from the piano rolls, not a pianist playing.

Thank you


EDIT: Been just looking at the suggested oktava mk012 and they're quite convincing though I can't find any piano samples online ? Anyone able to share a sample or a link ? Thanks a lot
 
Ok, it seems safe to assume it was a reasonable reflection of the mics then?
I just asked because people often have a dislike for mics, but really what they don't like is the instrument, placement or environment.


i have used the nt5s and sm81s extensively, and the 81s are definitely my preference.
I got my pair for £300 on ebay, but maybe prices have changed since then? Worth checking anyway.

I've used the oktavas and have lusted after a pair since, but again, I only really look at used prices.

FWIW, I find the 81s to be quite natural. They're a good reflection of what's really happening, rather than a flattering (or not so) version.
 
Though I usually don't buy second hand stuff I don't really care in this case (if I can save some money) as long as the microphones are not worn or damaged. I bought second-hand SM57 and am really pleased with it :)

If I could get a pair of SM81 for £300 then I wouldn't even hesitate - anyone wants to sell theirs? :P

I agree with you on SM81 - i heard some piano recordings using these and was really impressed.

What about Oktavas you mentioned - how do they compare to Shures ?

Thanks
 
You're in £s here, so I guess you're in the UK?
£300 a pair seems to be about the rate for used sm81s on ebay. I just had a look at a few completed listings.

I found the oktavas to be really really nice, but I only ever got to use them in a pretty nice environment, so I'm sure that played a part too.

As far as I know they were designed for acoustic performances. Orchestras, choirs etc.

You can get a pair of mk012-01s out of Germany for £300, but I've no idea what the -01 means. You'd have to research that.
 
Yes, I'm in the UK

Unfortunately there is nothing on ebay at the moment and not sure how often they come up for sale. I like the Oktavas though can't find any piano samples.

One question - does "matched pair" have any special meaning or is it just a pair of identical mikes ? One would assume that they come as pair and are somehow designed to work with each other giving different results from when using two identical singles ? Is that the case ?

Thanks
 
Found this: rauschenbergstudio.com - some nice mike tests using same tune and different instruments

Though it's tested on a grand (which obviously are easier to record) it at least gives some ideas.
 
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