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Recording Piano- PDF available on request
Recording Grand Piano The grand piano is the most acoustically complex instrument to record, with its great dynamic range and wide musical range. From classical, jazz to pop music it lends itself very well to recording. There are numerous miking and processing techniques you may utilize depending on the desired effect you are looking for. Grand pianos vary in size from 7'-9'6" with the larger pianos sounding bigger due to the size of the resonating sound board. Achieving the precise tonal characteristics can be challenging yet will prove to be very satisfying for all parties concerned. One thing to acknowledge is that the same grand piano with the same miking set-up will most likely sound very different with another player even if they are playing the same musical piece. How a player strikes the keys and uses the sustain pedal are just some of the personal performing characteristics that define many different styles and sounds. With hard hammers and close miking you may get transients that meters are too slow to read and you'll have to use your ears to identify them. The mechanics of the piano can inhibit a good pick-up with the extraneous noises from the pedal, hammers and resonating buzzes. The acoustic ambient characteristics associated with the recording environment also influence the sound you are striving for. With pop piano (Norah Jones, Elton John), we tend to prefer a close pick-up. This allows for good clarity, minimal ambient influences. As we move into jazz-pop (Norah Jones, Dianna Krall) we discover that the grand piano sound starts to play a bigger role in a production and needs to be treated accordingly and isolation from the live singing is a factor. With Jazz instrumentalists (Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett) the use of the piano harmonically and sonically are greater and miking set-ups are more challenging and need to be very accurate. Last but not least is classical piano where certain rules are applied for achieving an excellent pick-up that requires the ambient acoustics to play a major role in the overall sound. Pop Piano Pop piano is a situation where the piano plays a contributing role in the production by defining the chord changes. It needs to be able to be heard amongst various other instruments yet not overpowering or attracting too much focus especially if the artist is not known as a piano player. Close miking is the preferred way to go which allows for clarity and isolation. I first ask the player where in the range on the piano they will be playing. A well disciplined player will play between 3-4 octaves, shying away from playing too many bass octaves with the left hand; respecting the bass player, avoid getting in the way of the lead vocals both harmonically and rhythmically and using the sustain pedal only when needed. Too much sustain pedal makes the piano sound too reverberant and muddy. For mics I prefer pencil condensers for there ability to pick up an accurate mid-range and high-end. Because the diaphragms are small in mass, they tend to react faster than large Diaphragm condensers and therefore pick up higher frequencies more efficiently. I don't really need a lot of low end from the piano for with a good arrangement a bass player will cover the fundamentals of the chord changes. If the player is playing a lot around or slightly below middle "C" and not to dynamically I'll use large diaphragm condensers to capture the low end.. I'll position the 2 mics approx 8"-12" above the strings and approx 12'-18" apart. I'll try to position them over the same harmonic points of the strings and slightly angle them at 45*. If the mics are positioned on axis (0*), some of the notes will sound brighter than other notes due to the cardiod pick-up patterns of the mics. I'll also watch that the mics are not too far apart to avoid getting "the hole in the middle" sound. If the mics are too close to the strings the balance of the different notes both musically and sonically will be affected and I'll not get much of an even resonance from the soundboard. I'll try to leave the lid open but if isolation is required I'll slightly lower the mic position and lower the lid to the half way position and use some type of blanketing. With EQ, pop piano requires harmonic clarity. The music of the piano needs to come through clearly. I might add a little mid range 3khz-5khz and/or a little top end 10khz shelving (Wide "Q"). For some situations I'll just use a top end shelving curve and lower the activating frequency point anywhere down to 3khz. You need to remember that if you boost the mids and the highs you will get more clarity but eventually start to separate the brightness from the music of the piano. "Watch-out". When we listen to a grand piano we tend to prefer to hear the left hand or low part in the left speaker and the right hand high part in the right speaker. When EQ is required it must be done to both tracks equally. As to not create individual sonic characteristics between the low end (left hand) and the high end (right hand). For example; if the piano needs to be brighter at 10khz, then boost the left and right channel the same amount. If you treat each channel differently in the sonic ranges the ear will tend to focus on the speaker with the brighter sound source. Applying the same EQ to both channels keeps the sonic characteristics the same and helps to retain good stereo imaging. If you need to EQ in the low-mids (music range) to create some separation, do it subtly if the EQ points are somewhat different. With low end add a little if you need to get warmth but be aware of clouding the production. Avoid bottom end boosting and if anything roll off the bottom end if the piano sounds boomy. If the player hits the occasional chord too loud you might need to limit random transients to prevent distortion and/or the piano audibly jumping out in level. The best way to do this is to treat the transients in a sonic transparent fashion. That is to have some dynamic control without affecting the sound of the piano. The goal is to manage the transient problem without noticing its effect. With transients you need to limit only the upper part of the transient by using a very fast attack time; 1msec-10msec and fast release time; 10msec-20msec(link the channels together). The idea is to get in and out as quickly as possible, to manage the transient without affecting the intended dynamics. If the piano does not define the chord changes enough and the attack sounds soft you can make it sound punchier and livelier by compression. The idea here is to get the attack of the sound to come through more. You do this by using a med-slow attack time 50msec-200msec, and a slow release time 250msec or greater. This compresses the sustain part of the chord playing which gives you the sensation that the piano was played more aggressively. I would suggest to limit if necessary first, then EQ (high-end) and then compress. A ratio of 3:1 to 6:1 should get you started. Bruce Hornsby uses this technique for getting his piano sound. At certain times you might want to get a sustain sound from the piano. This is achieved by high CR ratios, fast attack times and very slow release times. A good example of this can be found at the end of The Beatles song "A Day In The Life". Here the release times on the compressor were modified to release very, very slowly. Jazz Pop Piano These days' female jazz/pop singers and pianists dominate the charts. Norah Jones and Dianna Krall are 2 of the best. Here we acknowledge that the lead vocal is the most important element but is immediately followed by the grand piano. Everything else plays a supportive role. One thing in common is that these types of artists are highly skilled pianist and will use the entire piano both musically and dynamically. These types of artists almost always record their lead vocals at the same time which makes capturing the best performance with the ultimate sound can prove to be very challenging and trade offs are some times required. When performing I will place a piece of 4' x 4' piece of foam, a foot thick right on top of where the sheet music tray sits. I actually remove the tray for it usually produces sympathetic noises. This gives me great isolation between the vocal mic and the piano mics. Because there playing at times maximizing the full range of the piano I'll use large diaphragm condensers for their ability to capture low end. I'll place them about 12"-16" above the strings so I can get more of the sound board resonance and 16"-24" apart for the range of playing will be wider. Because the higher strings on a piano do not have dampers they will sustain. If the top end mic is not positioned to capture this range it will sound distant and reverb like. Basically a little higher and wider pick-up than pop piano. I will leave the lid fully open for I don't want to choke the sound. If I need more low end from the piano I'll introduce a third mic over the lower range in an effort to capture the sonic fullness of the piano. I will add this mic in to both left and right channels and use it more for sonic purposes than musical purposes. I will always rely on the full stereo imaging coming from the other 2 mics. If I have to roll off the mid to high frequency range of the 3rd mic to achieve accurate stereo imaging I'll do it. With EQ you will need to make sure the top end of the piano does not interfere with the presence of the lead vocal. If the piano is to bright you will invariably have to bring down its overall level. When you do this you also lower the music element of the piano. All of a sudden your vocalist sounds barren for they are musically out their exposed on their own and even though the piano can be heard clearly it will not contain enough of the harmonic information from the low mid-range to support the lead vocal, Even though the levels of the piano and vocalist are close they are quite detached musically. "Be Aware" With Compression/limiting and EQ I tend to use it minimally. As with all piano EQ and dynamic control what you do to 1 channel you do exactly to the other. Jazz Piano With traditional Jazz pianists like Oscar Peterson and Keith Jarrett you will get performances that are highly complex in dynamics and musical content. These types of Pianists are always improvising on the spot where they are literally are all over the vast range of the keyboard with incredible speed with dramatic dynamic changes. These random changes in performing are happening all the time and you need to prepare yourself to capture this type of performing. Experiment with mics positions and different condenser mics. Of all pianists, jazz players are the most articulate when it comes to meeting their needs. They "speak our technical language" I usually use pencil condensers like the B&K 4000 series. They can handle a lot of level without distorting and can translate the percussive nature of jazz playing. As I said previously small diaphragm condensers capture very fast transients more accurately than large diaphragm. I'll often place the 2 mics slightly higher in the range and factor in a 3rd low end mic assigned to both left and right. If the room has good ambient characteristics I'll pull the mics further back and get an overall sound from the piano. With Jazz it's nice to get the articulation and the resonance of the piano. For dynamic control I'll get the player to play very loud and I'll still back off the level to allow for more headroom. With traditional jazz playing you do not want to be in a position to have to reset levels to prevent distortion. If any EQ is required it's usually in the high end just too add a little shimmer to the sound. With dynamic control, it will be used rarely for the dynamics are often exaggerated to high-lite the performance. If any limiting is required it will be for getting more level on a CD, but only if it is not that noticeable. Classical Piano In recording classical piano factoring in a good recording ambience is very important to the overall sound. Recordings by the greatest classical pianist were mostly done in good concert halls and large studios. The conventional and traditional way to record piano is to set up 2-3 large diaphragm condensers at different angles approx 8ft-12ft away facing the piano. The mics are angled similar to the angle of the piano lid opening and are usually set up high (6ft-12ft). Large Diaphragm condensers are used to capture the low end of the piano and are often used in an omni pattern to allow the acoustics of the space to be used and mics used in an omni have a flatter frequency response than mics in cardiod patterns. The distance between the mics and the piano dictates the ratio between the direct sound and the ambient sound. The goal of this type of recording is to place the piano and the mics in a strategic place for optimum clarity and room ambience. However I find this type of pick up limiting to a point. If the tempo changes dramatically from adagio (slow) to allegro (fast) the piano sound can vary. IF you found a mic position that suited an overall good pick up, you might discover that the piano sounds detached and dry with the slower moving pieces and quite muddy at faster tempo's. What is perceived to be happening is that this type of pick up has dead spots in it, where once the ambience completely decays you hear dead air between the notes. The opposite happens when the tempo picks up and is quick. The piano begins to sound muddy and reverberant, for the decay is hanging over too much into the next note. This can be very apparent in there are sudden dynamic changes where the piano goes from a loud dynamic and quick tempo to a softer dynamic and slower tempo in a short period of time. The piano sound appears to have too much reverb in amplitude and decay time. Other than taking the time to find suitable mic positions and piano placement and risking losing a good basic mic position and piano placement most often the people involved will settle for a basic good all round position. Hmmmmm? I was very fortunate to work with Glenn Gould the greatest classical pianist of the 20th century who was very much into sound innovation. With his recordings I would find a good position for the placement of the piano, usually in the center of the room away from any close walls. Next I would place 3 large diaphragm condensers approx 8ft-12ft from the piano in cardiod pick up patterns. With this placement I would strive for a sound that would be clear and balanced if the music was at a quick tempo (Allegro). Next I would place a stereo mic or 2 matching condensers between 12ft-18ft from the piano in omni to capture a medium reverb time that would include 1st and early reflections. Next I would set up another stereo mic or 2 matched condensers approx 20ft-30ft from the piano for a reverb effect. This would allow for smooth decay times if the tempo was slow (adagio) and avoid any dead air. With this type of pick up I have maximum control over the recording situation. With 3 different mic setups at various distances I can change the piano sound from a clear distinct sound to a very warm and reverberant sound without changing the mic positions and having to constantly go back into the studio to alter mic and piano positions. With Glenn I would preview and mark the score where changes would be required if I was recording to a 2 track final mix or record to a multi-track and have control when I was mixing. Microphones B&K 4000 series, Neumann M149, 87, U-67, U-47, Akg stereo C-24 Excellent transient response, quiet, flat frequency response Pre-amps Gml, Millenia, Neve, --any high quality pre that is quiet and good transient response EQ Neve, Gml, API, Manly; --4 band, quiet, no colouration effect; more edge around 3khz-5khz bell curve wide "Q"; presence 10khz and up shelving; low end fullness 80hz-150hz Limiting Very little, not perceivable when inserted, fast attack and fast release times Compression Usually for pop; level control, creating more attack to the sound Med attack-medium release Sustain Fast attack, very slow release Copyright 2004 kevin doyle |
#2
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On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 13:27:04 +0100, Chel van Gennip
wrote: In most cases the acoustics of the room are very important. If you are close miking, you should be aware of the high levels the microphone has to handle. For classical piano I prefer small diaphragms above large ones. Depending on the noise in the hall cardioids can have advantages. I'll throw this out to both of you, hell to all of you. I am going to record an album of classical music on grand piano this afternoon. It is in the living room of the artist. He is a magnificent player, but past his prime (in his late eighties). The room has a low ceiling and there is a slight background hum of traffic. The plan is to use a matched pair of Josephson's 4 series close mic'ed, direct to a Millennium Media HV3 and then direct to dat. I also threw a pair of AT4050's in the bag, but seems I must close mic in this scenario so I doubt I'll use them. I realize I will have to set the level for the potential loudest level so I don't get any overs. Short of that any tips are appreciated. I've done a fair bit of recording but rarely "serious music" . I planned to use the waves convolutions reverb to add back in the hall where this "should: be recorded. Paul |
#3
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Paul Gitlitz wrote:
On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 13:27:04 +0100, Chel van Gennip wrote: In most cases the acoustics of the room are very important. If you are close miking, you should be aware of the high levels the microphone has to handle. For classical piano I prefer small diaphragms above large ones. Depending on the noise in the hall cardioids can have advantages. I'll throw this out to both of you, hell to all of you. I am going to record an album of classical music on grand piano this afternoon. It is in the living room of the artist. He is a magnificent player, but past his prime (in his late eighties). The room has a low ceiling and there is a slight background hum of traffic. The plan is to use a matched pair of Josephson's 4 series close mic'ed, direct to a Millennium Media HV3 and then direct to dat. I also threw a pair of AT4050's in the bag, but seems I must close mic in this scenario so I doubt I'll use them. I realize I will have to set the level for the potential loudest level so I don't get any overs. Short of that any tips are appreciated. I've done a fair bit of recording but rarely "serious music" . I planned to use the waves convolutions reverb to add back in the hall where this "should: be recorded. Paul He's magnificent? Well then you are in for a treat. Why not record an aging gifted player in his home on his piano---and allow it to sound that way. He is not playing in a concert hall. Why try to make it sound like that? What is unique is that you get to record him in his personal zone. Why would try to take that away from the listener? That isn't to say that you shouldn't unplug the fridge, or find out if he is comfortable playing late at night or sunday morning when there is less traffic. Have fun! Rob R. |
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