jimbyjoe Posted November 12, 2001 Share Posted November 12, 2001 g'day (sorry, feeling a bit more aussie than usual), what sort of acoustic piano (if any) do you have at your house/studio? what do you find is the most effective way to mic it to record? to start it off, i have a yamaha mp80 upright. but it's not ordinary piano - it's a "silent series". you press the middle pedal down and it stops the hammers from hitting the strings, then you put headphones on and it comes through them. i orignally got it so i could practice classical any time of the day, but it has an added bonus - it has midi out so you can use it as a weighted midi controller. comes in handy. does anyone else have one of these or the equivelent kawai? pray for peace. "Consider how much coffee you're drinking - it's probably not enough." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted November 12, 2001 Share Posted November 12, 2001 Got me a K. Kawai grand. I mic it with GT AM40 instrument mics, both over the sound board about two feet apart, pointed in slightly different directions (hard to describe) with the lid only half open and the music stand down, and then use a large diaphragm condenser mic back about 10 feet for ambience. I love it to bits. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steveedan Posted November 12, 2001 Share Posted November 12, 2001 I own a Baldwin Acrosonic Spinette Piano. It is Antique yellow, so I keep it covered with lots of song books, like The complete Pat Metheny and various Steely Dan books. This piano has great action and has a nice bright sound. I used to record it by removing the panel on the bottom front of the piano where the pedals are, and I would use 2 mikes, just as Sir Bryce mentioned, add a tiny bit of reverb, and have a blast. This was done in my living room and very low tech. Still, it was fun. I can't substantiate this, but the person I bought the piano from said that it used to be owned by Lucille Ball and was used on her TV shows. Not that it matters, but the trivial fact is entertaining to me. I would never sell this piano, even if I get a Steinway grand. I would have two pianos. And all would be well in my world. Steveedan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted November 12, 2001 Share Posted November 12, 2001 I have a 1927 Steinway M (5'7"), in satin ebony. It's in our living room and doesn't get recorded. We've owned it for 10 years and I still can't believe what a great piano we have. I get great satisfaction from my three kids, and now my wife, all taking piano lessons on it. It belonged the Yale Glee Club (I bought it from someone in SE Connecticut) and had been meticulously rebuilt by A&C Pianocraft in NYC. Still has the original ivory key tops which feel great. Tremedous bass for a smaller grand. [ 11-13-2001: Message edited by: mzeger ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Azzarello Posted November 13, 2001 Share Posted November 13, 2001 Originally posted by jimbyjoe: g'day (sorry, feeling a bit more aussie than usual), what sort of acoustic piano (if any) do you have at your house/studio? what do you find is the most effective way to mic it to record? 1 Yr. Old Yamaha C3. I love it. No silent, no Diskclavier (though I was tempted). Still haven't settled on mics for it, but played around with some borrowed ones and it records well with condensors. I'll probably settle sme AKG C1000S's as the cost/use ratio is about right. BTW - Spent a night in Brisbane (on our honeymoon) as a stopover between Cairn's and O\'Reilly\'s Rainforest . Nice city, though we did name our daughter Sydney, not Brisbane . Pat http://www.patazzarello.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOS Posted November 14, 2001 Share Posted November 14, 2001 I own a Bosendorfer Imperial, but I'm thinking about trading it in for a Fazioli 308. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbyjoe Posted November 14, 2001 Author Share Posted November 14, 2001 patazz - those c3's are a beautiful piano aren't they. i did all of my classical diplomas on one at the exam centre. i love yamahas. i've only once played a steinway but it was an experience. i've never felt something so solid in the bass. actually i don't think there is a word to describe it. so you stayed a night in brisvegas on your honeymoon hey? so did i. in the novatel (it was our first night of course - we happened to go to port douglas and sydney afterwards). and according to our being in sydney whilst the fires were on, that means you would've been there in, hmm....late 1994? mike (DOS) - does your bosendorfer have the lift up panel at the bass end of the keyboard where you lift it up and there's an extra 9 notes?? pray for peace, k "Consider how much coffee you're drinking - it's probably not enough." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubbajazz Posted November 14, 2001 Share Posted November 14, 2001 Steinway 6'4" 1926, another A&C rebuild - bought from the little old lady who had it for 60 yrs, and passed it on to her 75 yr old daughter. Sometimes, you hit the jackpot. I love the tone and feel - still original hammers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sign Posted November 15, 2001 Share Posted November 15, 2001 Zimmermann Grand 1961. Best way to record a (grand)piano? Very good question , depends on what sound you're after. A pair of Neumann M149's will do a good job. If you don't have Neumann $$$, and you want a decent sound, a pair of RS PZM's inside the piano will do a pretty good job also. The alchemy of the masters moving molecules of air, we capture by moving particles of iron, so that the poetry of the ancients will echo into the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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