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Back to recording
tips
The piano can be recorded in a variety
of ways, with different miking methods yielding markedly
different results. Classical recordings often benefit from
some degree of room ambiance, achieved by placing the microphones
outside of, or at a distance from, the piano. Pop and rock
recordings often call for closer miking of the piano’s
soundboard to give a tighter, more immediate response. Placing
mics over the hammers yields an even brighter, more percussive
recording. Removing the piano lid allows for miking the soundboard
with no lid ‘bounce’, while opening the lid at
full stick and placing mics just outside of the lid can give
a fuller bodied, more natural sounding recording. The piano
is a wonderfully complex instrument and the possibilities
for recording it are endless!
Engineers around the world are using Royer ribbons to record
piano, from classical and scoring to rock and country. We’ve
been fortunate to attend a number of sessions where engineers
have let us photograph their miking techniques and we share
them with you here. As always, these are good starting points,
but experimentation is the key to getting the sound you’re
looking for.
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This is a wonderful technique for recording classical piano.
Position an SF-24 active stereo ribbon mic just outside of
the open lid of the piano, leaned forward toward the soundboard.
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Producer/Engineer
Chuck Ainlay’s SF-12 positioned at the outer edge of
Chuck Leavell’s piano. |
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You
can also try pulling the mic back further to bring in more
of the natural ambience of the room. In this picture, engineer
Giovanni Di Simone was beta testing a prototype SF-24V (tube)
stereo ribbon microphone for us - it's on the stand next
to a stock SF-24 at a live concert.
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Japanese
artist Hiromi being recorded by Telarc Engineer Michael Bishop.
Michael used an SF-24 and two condenser microphones on the
piano. The mics are placed outside of the piano, just far
back enough to not be under the lid.
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Meat
Loaf – Bat Out of Hell 3 Recording Session
This multiple mic technique is one of the most useful methods
for recording rock/pop piano. Here we have a spaced pair of
R-122s alongside a pair of Neumann U-67s, although any quality
condenser microphone should yield decent results with this
method.. |
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Two
R-122s – Spaced Pair
Live piano during a Henry Mancini Orchestra performance.
Open the piano lid to full stick and place one microphone about 12 inches above
the hammers, half way between the lowest key and middle C. Place the second microphone
at the same height, between the highest key and middle C. This technique gives
a brighter, tighter sound which is usually preferable for rock, country, and
pop.
You might also try panning the mics hard left and right. |
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Two
R-121s - Blumlein
Blink-182 Recording Session
Place a stereo pair of R-series mics in Blumlein (one mic above
the other at 90 degrees apart) directly in the middle of the
sound board over the hammers for a tight, percussive sound.
You can also try this position with a stereo Royer SF-12 or
SF-24. |
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