Summary: This turned out to be a brief but interesting conversation about various approaches to miking a grand piano.
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From: Greg Muhr (Portland, OR)
Subject: Re: Miking A Grand Piano
I was just wondering if any body had any suggestions for miking a full size grand piano? I have tried a few different ways but i am not real happy with the sound yet. I have also heard about a mike that attaches to the sounding board of the piano i think the brand was Cducer has any body had any expirience with this mike.Any suggestions would be helpful.
Greg Muhr
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From: Ray A. Rayburn (Boulder, CO)
Subject: Re: Miking A Grand Piano
Greg -
You did not say if you were looking to record the piano
or amplify it live.
The techniques used are very different!
For recording you want to mic the piano from far enough
away to get a
natural blend to the sound. The piano is such a large sound source
that
close micing never sounds like a piano in real life. I will often
use a
spaced pair of omni condenser mics 3 to 8 feet from the raised
lid (long
stick) of the piano spaced about 4 feet apart. Many other techniques
are
posible giving slightly different sound qualities.
For ampilfying a piano live, how you mike depends on how
much gain you
need. In extreme cases like piano with a rock band, it may be
required to
use contact (vibration) pickups like the C-ducer you mentioned.
Just don't
expect the sound to be very natural! For more moderate amplification
requirements, close micing with some good quality cardioid mics
will give a
better balance between sound quality and gain before feedback.
Place the
lid on the short stick and use a pair of mics right at the open
edge.
Position them to get an acceptable evenness of sound pickup for
all notes
high to low. Another technique is to tape a pair of PZM's to the
underside
of the lid, with the lid either closed or on a short stick.
Hope this helps.
Ray Rayburn
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From: Gary Welker <gwsc@vail.net>
Subject: Re: Miking A Grand Piano
I use a Barcus-Berry 4000xl pickup. It attaches to the
sound board
from the top, uses phantom or 9 volt battery power, provides as
much
level as you want and sound great. It costs about $200. I have
not
used a C-Ducer.
Gary Welker
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From: Blake A. Engel (Chicago, IL)
Subject: Re: Miking A Grand Piano
How to mic a piano...
I must laugh, because a few years ago I built a microphone
from RS
parts--used four elements mounted in old film canisters that were
then
friction-fit into a 1x4 board that spaned the piano left to right.
The four elements outputs were summed through a resistor
network and the
whole thing was powered by a single 9V battery.
The first week we used it people commented on how good
the piano
sounded--we had never hear that before! Lots of crisp high end,
the low
end was clear and not boomy, lots of gain before feedback--lid
up or
down.
Anyway, it was interesting...Just a silly story--and I'm
actually
considering doing it again for another church!
-Blake
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From: Mike A. Anderson (Wichita, KS)
Subject: Re: Miking A Grand Piano
Greg,
After several mic and pickup arrangements, I am currently
using (with much
satisfaction) two Crown PZM's mounted under the lid with adhesive
Velcro.
Two advantages to the Velcro: a> Easily removable should you
need to
temporarily do so. b> The Velcro seems to provide a degree
of acoustic
isolation - the PZM's "hear" primarily what's below
them and not so much of
the lid.
Their on a 9 foot concert grand. I have them both about
18" down the
strings from the hammers, evenly spaced across the width of the
instrument.
With this piano, these positions have provided a nice balance
of
procussiveness and warm tone. Normally the lid is on the short
stick.
When the lid's closed the bottom gets a little out of hand; I
simply punch
in the channel HPF's and we're happy again.
Obviously, ANY method will require experimentation due
to each piano's
personality. I found PZM placement variations to greatly effect
results.
I have ample gain for our worship services and Christmas/Easter
productions, but when David Meece, Dino, etc. come a visiting
the lid goes
all the way up and other methods are employed..........gain! gain!
gain!
Mike Anderson
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wichita
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From: Barry Birdwell (Nashville, TN)
Subject: Re: Miking A Grand Piano
<"I have also heard about a mike that attaches to the sounding board of the piano i think the brand was Cducer has any body had any expirience with this mike.">
The microphone you are speaking of is made by C-Tape. It
is indeed called
a C-ducer. It utilizes two "tape" contact style microphones
when placed
properly, takes the sound directly off of the piano sound board.
I have specified these microphones exclusively for pianos
and they work
well.
Your local sound contractor should be aware of these units
and I would
suggest working a deal to try them on a rental plan.
Barry Birdwell
Birdwell Acoustics, Inc.
Nashville, Tennessee
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From: Bob Enlow (Norwalk, OH)
Subject: Re: Miking A Grand Piano
Greg,
I used the Cducer once a number of years ago on a grand in an
AG church.
They were very pleased with it.
Also, the SM91 is an excellentr piano mic when properly
placed on the lid
with a mate..
I have used that setup for Cynthia Clawson and Dino, and
they had never run
into it before, but both were very pleased with the sound.
Bob Enlow
RESOUND Co.
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From: Jay T. Foster (Birmingham, AL)
Subject: Re: Miking A Grand Piano
Before I came to Shades Mountain... 2 (two) Shure SM-81's
were being used.
I put 1 (one) Crown CM-700 and it made a world of difference.
Blessings !
Jay T. Foster
Director of Technical Services
Shades Mountain Baptist Church
Birmingham, AL