I want to record piano. What mic should I be looking for?
Just as with most acoustic stringed instruments, the bulk of the sound is produced by the sounding board to which the strings are attached. In guitars and violins, it’s the top of the instrument; in pianos, it’s the sounding board. You don’t mic the picks, the bows, or the hammers – they produce very little sound. There are several considerations when placing mics for piano recording. Foremost, will the instrument be recorded by itself, or with other instruments playing at the same time? Those two situations require different mic techniques. Is it a grand piano or an upright piano? Each requires different mic techniques. Finally, where will the recording take place? That may also require different mic techniques. If the purpose of the recording is accuracy, and you’re micing a solo concert grand piano, then you’ll need some good, small diaphragm condenser mics, placed some distance from the piano, usually around 6 to 8 feet away. You can use a x-y setup for cardioids, or a wider spaced
