Published on december 14, 2016 august 18, 2018 by chris corfield. Piano miking techniques 25042011 0 comments posted by signature sound were going to discuss two different techniques for miking a piano. Flat response microphones are usually desirable to reproduce instruments such as acoustic guitars or pianos, especially with high quality sound systems. In this 1st article of a 3 part series on recording acoustic piano, ill explain a few techniques and tricks that can help you successfully record a great sounding grand piano. While a grand piano is designed to be heard from a few feet or more away, isolating the piano sound requires getting close. With regards acoustic pianos, the ideal choices are quite different to other instruments. An exceptional achievement, lyxpro has created a set of microphones that deliver the nuance and accuracy of the best, biggest brands in the field, but at a competitive price.
Since sound is a pressure disturbance, we need a pressure gauge of some sort since sound exerts a pressure, we can use it to drive an electrical generator since sound is a wave, we can measure simultaneously at two or more. Contents background to boundary microphones 1 how the boundary microphone works 2 the pcc microphone 3 boundary microphone techniques for recording 4 boundary microphone techniques for sound reinforcement 8. An excellent book examining the pros and cons of different microphone techniques is the new stereo soundbook by ron streicher and f. Oreilly members get unlimited access to live online training experiences, plus.
Tips for recording an acoustic piano part i pro audio files. Learn how to select the correct microphone and polar pattern for each instrument, with hundreds of revealing listening examples for drums, acoustic and electric guitar, piano, keyboards, and more. Microphone techniques the selection and placement of microphones have a major influence on the audio quality of a sound reinforcement system. Understanding and respecting microphone positioning capabilities enhances the opportunity to maximize vocal potential.
An omnidirectional microphone picks up sound equally in all directions this is achieved by opening the diaphragm at the front and completely. The piano has the greatest range of any instrument, so its best to use a microphone that has a wide frequency response. Stereo microphone techniques are used mainly to record classicalmusic ensembles. Section one microphone techniques here is a very basic, general procedure to keep in mind when miking something that makes sound. In truth, there are countless techniques for wireless piano microphone placement to record the acoustic piano.
Musical instruments also, maybe someone could link me to a piano recording they did with a mike, so i can compare it to my camera recording in terms of clarity and quality etc. Others expect a recorded piano sound to at least resemble to sound of a real piano. For simplicity sake, well use the most basic type of stereo microphone techniques, the xy pattern. We hope this piano primer starts you in an openminded.
There are a surprising number of techniques for recording groupsfrom small ensembles to large choirs and orchestrasusing a pair of microphones or in some cases three microphones. This can be achieved through aural training, musical dictation and mental practice see p. Kevin bowe of ipr demonstrates how to mic a piano and the different factors to consider such as microphone placement and different piano microphones. The microphone as the performance savvy come to realize is not simply a device used to amplify the voice. Good vocal microphone technique is all about getting the best vocal sound using the tools available to you. Each kit is described with various microphone placement pro posals.
Positioning your microphones inside the piano can help achieve a bright pop sound. This week, were looking at vocal microphone technique. Aug 01, 2012 full sail university advanced session recording course director darren schneider demonstrates basic microphone techniques for recording piano inside the campuss flagship recording studio. Place a mono or stereo microphone about two feet above the strings fig. Following this, some fundamentals of microphones, instruments, and acoustics are presented. Miking a grand piano with dpa microphones pdf yumpu. It is also free of feedback issues since it attaches to the underside of the piano s sound board.
Microphone techniques for live sound reinforcement shure. This spot is the apex of the rounded end of the pianos body, so you will capture the pianos richest and smoothest sound, and little of its attack. Unless youre looking for a peaky, bar room, honkytonk sound, a sm57 is about the last choice anyone would pick for recording a grand piano. Stereo miking techniques can replicate the itds and iids that occur naturally. Piano recording techniques with clint murphy clint murphy takes a look at several piano recording techniques clint murphy was at rimshot studios recording some production videos with mike exeter and decided that as we had a lovely bechstein grand piano in a lovely room with someone that could play michael bunce we recorded this short feature. Something of a halfway house between the spaced and coincident methods is another family of nearcoincident techniques. Effective microphone techniques resulted in some of the most iconic music ever committed to tape. Mount microphone on underside of lid over lower treble strings. You can use a variety of techniques to capture your instruments wide range of tones. Good microphone for recording piano on a budget recording. Microphone techniques for introduction microphone techniques the selection and placement of microphones have a major influence on the audio quality of a sound reinforcement system. For greater isolation, lower the microphone within six to eight inches of the strings. Again, the techniques for grand and upright pianos will vary slightly. This microphone worked on the churchs piano better than any other microphone.
These techniques are, for the most part, suitable for making both live and studio recordings. View and download crown pzm10 application manual online. Miking a piano with miniature microphones with the smk4061 stereo microphone kit a number of useful piano setups can be achieved. The above pic of the woody allan jazz band of which i am a fan is an excellent example of the. Piano leverages the builtin speaker, microphone, and bluetooth that voicepowered iot devices often already have. The three main types of microphones according to their principles. Experiment with lid height and placement to hammers for desired sound. Full sail university advanced session recording course director darren schneider demonstrates basic microphone techniques for recording piano inside the campuss flagship recording studio. We recently covered microphone placement in slightly more detail, so check out that post for more information on the different types of microphone and their relative pros and cons. Oct 05, 2010 in a world of sampled instruments and midi sequencing, recording an acoustic grand piano is not always an easy task. How to mic and record a grand piano dpa microphones.
Oct 31, 2012 the piano has the greatest range of any instrument, so its best to use a microphone that has a wide frequency response. The ortf stereo technique provides the recording with a wider stereo image than. Each kit is described with various microphone placement proposals. Analysis and parametric synthesis of the piano sound.
Microphone techniques the selection and placement of microphones have a. Recording techniques for upright piano sound on sound. Some people are satisfied with a piano sound that barely lets you recognize the note being played. For upright pianos, try removing the top lid and front panel to expose the strings. These professional techniques offer critical insights for those just getting started in the recording process, and a trustworthy reference guide for. Microphones microphones are transducers that convert acoustical energy into electrical energy. Page 7 2 cardioidpattern condenser microphones sm81, pg81, ksm109 microphone stands shure a27m an accessory that allows you to mount two microphones on one stand. A clip microphone allows flexible and close placement without needing to fight with stands. Since stereo microphone techniques are used to capture an acoustic. They both are extremely complex from the physical point of view. Our top choice of microphone to add to your piano recording equipment is the lyxpro sdpc2 stereo condenser stick microphone set. In this thesis, the aim is to analyze the piano sound and study the modeling of the instrument.
Stereo personal monitoring system with se112 sound isolating earphones, rack mount, 14 wave antenna, power supply, zippered bag, and 2 aa batteries. Since sound is a pressure disturbance, we need a pressure gauge of some sort since sound exerts a pressure, we can use it to drive an electrical generator since sound is a wave, we can measure simultaneously at two or more different positions to figure out the direction the wave is going. Panning directing the signals left and right adds width and directionality. Proximitybased user authentication on voicepowered. Consider phil spectors signature wall of sound, which relied heavily on appropriate microphone techniques, or led zeppelins iconic recording of john bonhams drums on when the levee breaks, recorded with a stereo microphone on the second floor stairway at headley grange studio. One way to record a piano is to attempt to capture its sound within a suitable room acoustic, as naturally as possible using ambient microphone techniques. Microphone techniques for recording university of waterloo. English physicist, robert hooke connected two cups together using a wire. Even the method with which the elegant instrument is played will influence the choice of miking technique.
In a world of sampled instruments and midi sequencing, recording an acoustic grand piano is not always an easy task. The pcc microphone 3 boundary microphone techniques for recording 4 boundary microphone techniques for sound reinforcement 8 pzm boundaries 9 the sass pzm stereo microphone 17 how to use the sass microphone 20 21 fig. These techniques are, for the most part, suitable for. Recording techniques 7th edition and recording music on location, 2nd edition. Microphone techniques for live sound reinforcement english. These days this approach is primarily used for classical music recordings, where the intent is effectively to recreate a best seat in the auditorium sound for the listener at home. The pressure zone is the region next to the boundary where the direct and reflected waves are inphase or nearly so. Probably the most popular microphone technique for grand piano involves positioning a pair of smalldiaphragm omnidirectional mics directly over the strings, just past the hammers. Rarely do pop musicians become interested in specialised microphone techniques for creation of spatial sound scaping. Here are the perceptual results of common stereo miking techniques. Will a shure sm57 work to mic a grand piano gearslutz. Tips for recording an acoustic piano part i pro audio.
Having said that, the room in which the piano sits will obviously still have an impact on the recording so you should try, at the very least, not to record in the tiny little practice cupboards within which upright pianos often lurk. This setup also provides good isolation, which you can improve by lowering the piano lid. Microphone techniques online course berklee online. My objective here is to present general principles of piano technique. Moreover, the word piano covers actually two separate instruments, the grand piano and the upright piano. One other thing to bear in mind is that, while spaced stereo techniques can help blend the sound of a grand in a subjectively pleasant way, i find that the phase. Xy microphone placement is one of the most common options for recording piano. You can then experiment with two condenser microphones, placed slightly above. There are advantages and disadvantages to consider as an audio engineer when placing microphones. Mount microphone vertically on the inside of the piano frame, near the apex of the pianos curved wall. Approach a piano, finding these placement points is like a mystery. How to mic and record a grand piano guidelines for piano. Moving low mic away from keyboard six inches provides truer reproduction. Developing the inner ear is therefore an indispensable element in piano technique.
Use strings brass and woodwinds piano microphone techniques for stereo recording stereo recording using two microphones adds realism by capturing sound similar to the way that humans hear. While were focusing specifically on stereo techniques that use matched pairs of microphones, any of these approaches can be adapted for one microphone as well. Pianomiking techniques for worship services sweetwater. Its a good rule when you are placing overheads, recording piano or. How to mic a piano a simple guide to microphone placement. The piano is one of the most widely used instrument in the western music. Piano playing is a very complex mental and motor skill. When used on low impedance, the mic volume has to be increased a bit, but the high sound quality is. Gls audio 25 foot mic cable patch cords xlr male to xlr female black microphone cables 25 balanced mic snake cord single. It is also free of feedback issues since it attaches to the underside of the pianos sound board. The 4099p stereo microphone system is the obvious choice for this application. Many hours are wasted at the piano by adopting an attitude of blind faith and mindless drudgery. Condenser mics are usually the best choice for a clean, natural sound. For reinforcement of musical instruments, there are several main objectives of microphone techniques.
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