A grand piano offers a beautiful mix of soft and loud sounds, rich tones, and deep echoes. Its 88 responsive keys, long strings, large soundboard, and pedals help you control volume, tone, and sustain with ease.
This acoustic, stringed instrument comes in three sizes: the baby grand at 4 feet 11 inches (1.5m), the parlor or boudoir grand ranging from 5 feet 7 inches to 7 feet 3 inches (1.7 – 2.2m), and the concert grand, the largest, at 7 feet 3 inches to 9 feet 10 inches (2.2 – 3m). Longer strings mean richer sound and less harshness. The concert grand offers an exceptional sustaining tone, making it the top choice for concerts.
Key Takeaways About Miking Grand Pianos
- Dynamic Range: A grand piano offers a wide range of dynamics, from soft to loud, with its 88 touch-responsive keys, long strings, and large sounding board.
- Size Matters: Grand pianos come in baby grand, parlor, and concert grand sizes; longer strings create richer sounds and better resonance.
- Microphone Choices: Different microphones offer varied benefits. Condenser cardioid mics, boundary mics, and contact mics each serve specific recording needs.
- Room Acoustics: The room’s acoustics significantly impact sound quality. Concert halls are ideal, but assessing and adjusting for other spaces is crucial.
- Genre and Setup: The genre of music and whether playing solo or with a band affects mic placement and choice. Genre-specific setups optimize sound capture.
To capture the full versatility and natural timbre of a grand piano, you need more than just a pianist’s skills. Consider the room’s acoustics, recording equipment quality, the type of microphone used, mic positioning, whether playing solo or with a band, and the music genre.
Things You Should Know Before Miking Grand Piano for Live Recording
Recording sounds from a grand piano can be challenging. Choosing the right mics is crucial. The grand piano’s frequency range spans 27.5 Hz (A0) to 4,186 Hz (C8). Dynamics change based on how forcefully you strike the keys. A gentle strike produces a soft sound with fewer higher harmonics. A heavy strike results in a louder, brighter sound with many higher harmonics. Softer notes may sound dull, while louder ones appear brighter.
As dynamics shift, piano tone quality varies. The bass section has 50-60 harmonics (5,000 Hz), the middle section has 20-30 harmonics (7,000 Hz), and the treble section has under 10 harmonics (10,000 Hz). The highest notes have just one harmonic. This makes bass notes full and rich, while treble notes sound thin and weak.
Types of Microphones Used for Miking Grand Piano Live
Microphones differ in their sensitivity to sounds from various directions around their central axis.
1) Condenser Cardioid Microphone
Perfect for studio recording, it captures a wide frequency range and handles both short, high-level peaks and loud sounds well. The cardioid mic focuses on sounds from the front, while rejecting side and rear noises with its heart-shaped sensitivity pattern.
With the lid of the grand piano open, place two condenser cardioid mics 11 inches above the strings, pointing downwards. Ensure they are far apart to maintain proper phase alignment. Close to the hammer action, the sound brightens; moving away reduces the brightness. For a smooth and rich sound, use one large-diaphragm cardioid mic inside the rounded end of the piano’s body. For a natural solo sound, position two small cardioid condenser mics three feet from the piano and five feet above the floor.
2) Boundary Microphone
This small omnidirectional condenser microphone has its diaphragm parallel to the surface, so it picks up vibrations from sounds reflecting off the mounting surface. It records audio equally from all directions. This boundary mic captures sounds from multiple sources, even in echo-filled rooms.
You can place the mics inside the grand piano under the lid. Use two mics to balance the bass and treble strings. Ensure they’re secure so they don’t fall onto the strings with the lid closed. Add a layer of foam to avoid picking up mechanical sounds from the hammer action.
3) Contact Microphone
This mic senses and picks up vibrations directly from the surface through contact, detecting low-level sounds. Its contact plate attaches to the vibrating part of the musical instrument, secured with double adhesive tapes. Background noise isn’t an issue, as it records only the attached instrument. It’s almost insensitive to air vibrations, making it perfect for recording in difficult environments. Note that it lacks the reverberation that other mics have.
Amplifying sound with this is simple. But if the pedals or key hammer action are noisy, they might get picked up.
Guidelines on Miking & Recording Live Grand Piano Playing
Microphone Positioning & Placement
Understanding the structure of a grand piano is key to properly placing microphones for amplification or recording. Knowing each mic’s strengths helps you position them inside or outside the piano for optimal results. Closing the lid helps isolate the sound.
Playing the piano and placing the mics at different distances helps you find the sound you want. Record and note mic positions for accurate evaluation.
Each mic and piano vary. Walk around the piano with the lid open while it’s playing. Listen with one ear covered to find the best spot for miking the grand piano. Record from that spot and test the audio quality to verify it.
Room Acoustics
Room acoustics significantly affect the quality of recorded grand piano sounds. Acoustics refers to how sound behaves in a closed space. Key elements include the sound source, receiver, room structure, and wall and floor materials. Each room has unique acoustics.
Concert halls are ideal for a grand piano because they enrich the sound. They have a reverberation time of 0.9 to 1.3 seconds at 500 Hz. If you’re playing elsewhere, check the acoustics to determine sound quality and mic type needed.
Playing the Grand Piano Solo or Playing with a Band
When playing a piano solo, using the right mic and placing it correctly makes it easier to get things right. With multiple instruments, recording becomes more challenging. Other sounds can bleed into the piano mic. Closing the piano lid with the mic inside can help isolate its sound. Also, consider how unidirectional mics can help with piano miking.
Genres of Music
You should think about the type of music you’ll play on the grand piano when recording, as each genre might need a different setup. Miking techniques also vary for achieving the best audio quality.
Classical music benefits from two omnidirectional mics placed in front of the instrument for a natural ambiance. For pop or jazz, position the mics closer or even inside the piano, with one near the bass side and the other near the treble side. Changing the mic positions and distances will affect the captured timbre and ambient sounds.
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