Advanced Micing Techniques Capstone Part 2: Piano

Things get a little more complicated when it comes to capturing a grand piano though mainly because it is a “contraption consisting of up to 7000 discrete parts” (Rosenberg).  It is particularly important to take time before recording a piano and walk around it, listening for sweet spots, areas where the sound is either well balanced or compliments how you plan to mix the piano later.  One of these sweet spots is “at the tail, just about where the back leg is, or often just outside the case” (Rosenberg).  In this spot, the sound of the piano is surprising well balanced.  Blending that microphone in with a more traditionally spaced pair slightly back behind the hammers can lead to a wonderful recording full of spectral balance and stereo width.  Over the course of a couple months, I had the opportunity to record grand piano performances in several different microphone positions.  Beginning with my favorite recording of Alan Mandel’s performance, I used the previously described technique:

Piano Recording 1:Alan Mandel February 12th 2016

Microphones and Positions: Two Neumann KM-84 spaced behind the hammers

One AKG C-414-EB on the tail with the piano at full-stick.

Piano Recording 2: AMPL Performance January 27^th 2016

Microphones and Positions: FLEA 48 Tube Mic over exposed hammers of piano at half-stick; two DPA 4061 condensor microphones on ribs of the grand piano

Piano Recording 3: AMPL Performance February 3^rd 2016

Microphones and Positions: One Neumann KM84 pointed across the hammers and one AKG C-414-EB at the tail of the grand piano at half-stick

Piano Recording 4: AMPL Performance March 2^nd 2016

Microphones and Positions: Two AKG C-414-XLii microphones sitting on either side of the music stand as a spaced pair; piano at half-stick

Piano Recording 5: AMPL Yulia Gordman  Performance March 16^th  2016

Microphones and Positions: A pair of KM84 mics over the hammers, one C-414-EB in the hip and one C-414-EB on the tail; piano at full stick

No Photos taken

Piano Recording 6: AMPL Performance March 23^rd  2016

Microphones and Positions: Two KM84 mics with one in the hip and one of the tail; piano at half-stick

No photos taken

Observations: One of the limitations I faced with the AMPL recordings is that the musicians primary focus was on performance, not recording.  Therefore, I often had to record the piano at half-stick, which completely inhibits the classic way of recording a piano with two condenser microphones over (and slightly back) the hammers.  By experimenting with microphone placement all around the opening of the piano lid, several places deemed worthy of recording; the hip and tail come to mind the first, and combining two internal microphones gave me even more flexibility while mixing.  However, I would not recommend the dual microphone placement on either side of the music stand.  It is highly distracting to the performer, and the sound is devoid of clarity and low frequencies.  From a Fathead approach, one is essentially rotating the head around the piano to find the best combination of microphones to capture all the different desired timbres.  After these recordings, I now like to keep one ear to the tail of the piano and then blend in a spaced pair over the hammers for more clarity or an extra mic or two in the hip for body and low end.