There is no single correct way to mic up a piano. You can use a variety of techniques to capture your instrument’s wide range of tones. Probably the most popular microphone technique for grand piano involves positioning a pair of small-diaphragm omnidirectional mics directly over the strings, just past the hammers.

How do you mic a closed piano?

There is no single correct way to mic up a piano. You can use a variety of techniques to capture your instrument’s wide range of tones. Probably the most popular microphone technique for grand piano involves positioning a pair of small-diaphragm omnidirectional mics directly over the strings, just past the hammers.

What does closed mic mean?

Close-miking
Close-miking is the term we use when we place a microphone close to the sound source, for instance, a musical instrument. However, there is more to it than that. Often, the distance between the microphone and the sound source is shorter than the normal listening distance of that source.

How do I mic a piano?

If you are using a single microphone, position the microphone approximately 8 inches from the piano hammers (to reduce mechanical noise) and 8 – 11 inches above the strings – centered over the piano’s mid point. Pan position should be centered and the piano’s lid should be at full stick.

How do you close a mic?

Your mic should be as close to your mouth as possible in order to only pick up the sound of you voice, and not the other sounds of the room. A good rule of thumb is to have the mic positioned about 6-12 inches away from your mouth.

What kind of mic is used for piano?

When you’re recording a piano, condenser mics are the best choice. This is because of the sound quality and range they provide. Dynamic mics are more robust and better at performing in noisy situations, but condenser mics are more subtle and can pick up a much greater tone range.

How do I set up Ortf?

Conclusion. ORTF mic technique uses a near-coincident pair of cardioid microphones. The capsules should be spaced 17 cm apart at a 110° angle. ORTF provides a realistic-sounding stereo image with decent mono compatibility; that means your instrument won’t disappear completely in mono.

How do you set up blumlein?

The Blumlein Pair technique utilizes two microphones with a bidirectional (figure-of-eight) pickup pattern and positions them on top of – and 90 degrees off axis from – one another. Positioning the microphone elements as close together as possible will help phase coherence.

How close do you need to be to a dynamic mic?

Dynamic mics = You should be closer. If you have a dynamic mic, you will want to position yourself between 2 and 6 inches from the mic. Dynamic mics are less sensitive in picking up extracurricular sounds and are engineered to target the primary audio input.

How far can a mic be recorded?

Your best position will be somewhere between 2 and 12 inches from the face of your microphone. You should also place a pop screen filter about 1 to 2 inches from the mic and apply additional measures in your recording space and mix, as needed, based on your choice of distance.

Why are condenser mics good for piano?

On the other hand, the condenser mics are the most appropriate mics for recording piano sound because it provides great frequency capture covering almost all the sound frequencies given off by the piano.

How to MIC a grand piano?

HOW TO MIC A GRAND PIANO 1 An ORTF stereo set-up approximately 12 inches (30 cm) over the strings at the mid frame. The microphones are pointed… 2 Two parallel cardioid microphones spaced less than 24 inches (60 cm) apart and positioned over the mid hammers… More

How far should a microphone be from the piano?

For example, if the closer microphone is 6 inches away from the piano, the further microphone should be 18 inches away from the piano. This rule enables you to place the mics in different positions without getting out of phase.

What is the best condenser microphone for piano?

The MXL Mics 770 Cardioid Condenser Microphone is a multi-purpose condenser microphone at a great price point. Its patented design makes it a top choice for amplifying and recording the piano, as well as vocals, string instruments, and percussion instruments. This mic features a balanced bass response with high end clarity for a precise sound.

How to record piano with two mics?

By recording in a mono mix, 1 mic over the treble string side, and 1 mic over the bass string side the sound from both mics can easily control the separated piano tones. A great mic that can be used in this application is Sennheiser Pro Audio Condenser Microphone (MKH 8050) available through Amazon.