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Tips On Miking The Piano In The Recording Studio

By Bruce Hathaway

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Published: 10Mar2011
Word count: 589
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Miking the piano in the recording studio can be a difficult process. The piano is a complicated musical instrument due to the large number of strings which are used to create the different notes. Another issue is the fact that all pianos sound different. One technique works perfectly with one model and then fails on a different one.

You can achieve the best results by using a basic pair of of microphones so the sound is in stereo. The the piano operates in a way where the bass is always on the left side and the treble is on the right. Using phase coherent stereo techniques are essential. It may be difficult to have the sounds rendered as realistic if the microphones are out of phase. In such cases certain frequencies will be muted.

Phase problems often occur because there are so many different sounds inside the body. You will need to tune your ear whether you prefer to use a multi mike and pan or true stereo. You will have plenty of sounds which need phasing out so use your ears to listen for the best results. You will have to play with the mic to find the best sound that you want to achieve. You might need to alter the phase on one or more of them if you lose a lot of bass around the mid-section.

Start by listening in mono to see if there are any phase problems. When you are happy, listen to how it sounds in stereo. If you're satisfied with both the mono and stereo sound you know you are on the right track. At this stage try flipping the phasing a couple of times; eventually you will find the best results for the piano. You can also check the phasing by using an oscilloscope although one should really go by sounds rather than the scope. YOU know whether it sounds or not even if the waves look disorganized.

If you have more than one instrument in the studio it may cause you problems. Make sure the drums are well away from the mics for the piano as it can cause a lot of difficulties with the sound. Be flexible and try positioning the instruments and with some isolation "walls" in several locations to find out which areas work best.

Listen right behind the player's head to help you discover the best places to position the microphones. A piano often sounds best where the player is seated and this is also a great place to start. The stereo sounds balanced and so an XY pair of diaphragm condensers positioned above the players head can create some fantastic tones. Have it pointing down about twelve inches above the head for a great sound.

If you are hoping to capture the player singing at the same time then have an omni mic positioned slightly closer. You might unavoidably pick up some natural sounds such as the body of the instrument making creaks as it is played. These are often unavoidable and some models will suffer more with this issue than others. When you are trying to capture the sound of this wonderful instrument the best way to judge is by using your ears. Do not worry too much about how you position everything, as long as it sounds good to you, it should also sound good when recording.

Bruce is a renowned recordist, film composer and producer. Through his experience Bruce is and expert on microphones for home recording, studio recording and stage performance. Check out his site where you'll find information and great deals on microphones. You can also visit the site for his projects at Excello Recording in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

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