There are 3 main types of piano: Electric, Grand and Upright. An electric piano is easy to record, you'll have to connect it via USB or XLR or MIDI cables(depending on the piano). So here are some ideas on how to mic up your Grand and Upright piano.
GRAND PIANO
X/Y
This technique uses two cardioid condenser mics pointing down towards the piano strings at a 90 degree angle. At this angle the mics won't have phase issues but covers a more natural sound. However, this technique might require movement and experimentation when placing the mics, find a position that sounds good for you.
Spaced Pair
Spaced Pair technique requires two mics pointing down toward the piano strings. The mics are to be a distance apart from each other (around 60cm). This technique produces a wide sound and covers range high-end and low-end frequencies.
Blumlein
This technique requires two bi-directional(picks up from the front and rear of the mic)microphones that are on top of one another and practically touch. The top mic focuses on the low-end of the piano whereas the bottom mic is focusing on the high end. The Blumlein technique produces the most natural sound of all these techniques.
Here’s a music video that is shot recording a Grand Piano. This is somewhat a complex set up, it looks as if they are using the X/Y and Spaced Pair technique at the same time. I thought this was a good example to show how one might record in a studio.
UPRIGHT PIANO
Next up is the Upright Piano.
Technique 1
This first technique involves placing two condenser cardioid mics above the piano facing down into it. The microphones should be a distance apart (around 60cm) and not facing or crossing paths, this is to avoid phase issues. This is a fairly easy technique to pull off as it doesn’t require you to move the piano, all you need to do is open the top. The good thing about this technique is that you can play with the height and width of the set up. So this technique captures the mid-range frequencies the most, causing it to not sound as natural.
Technique 2
This next technique is more versatile and more natural sounding. It involves removing the front panel of an upright piano and on either side of the piano, place two condenser cardioid mics facing the strings. Something to watch out for when testing the set up is keys noises that might get captured, this is because the mics are close to keys.
Technique 3
Next, is a technique that produces a lot more bass and is natural and powerful sounding. It requires two microphones near the bottom of the piano to capture more low-end frequencies. However, this technique can sound muddy and can capture pedal movement, this is something to look out for.
Technique 4
Lastly, this technique requires 4 microphones: 2 near the piano and 2 working as room mics pointing towards the piano. It’s recommended to use ribbon and omnidirectional mics to capture the room sound. With the addition of the room mics this technique gives a more fuller sound, close to what you actually hear when recording. A tip: if you move your piano away from the wall it means sound can travel better. However, this technique will not be effective if playing in a very small room.
An IRL example:
I was asked by a close friend of mine if I could help record piano on a studio day. So our technician and I debated for a moment before deciding on Technique 2, since we were using an Upright piano.
First, we remove the front panel from the piano, exposing all the strings. Next, we set up two AKG C414 Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphones at either end of the piano(pictures below), placing them quite close to the strings and away from the actual keys of the piano. We knew by having the mics at either end meant we’d be picking up the high and low-ends of the piano, giving my friend a coverage of frequencies. If she didn’t like this we could have moved the microphones to how she wanted it.
After some test recordings we were set to record. Overall, I was impressed by the sound that we were capturing, it was crystal clear and very raw sounding. I think this was because having the panel exposed we were able to capture a more balanced sound.
This is what we did that day(not the final product, just raw recordings):
Bibliography:
2017. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8OXF9VvJIc> [Accessed 14 May 2020].
Practical Music Production. n.d. Recording Piano | Discover How With This Simple Guide. [online] Available at: <https://www.practical-music-production.com/recording-piano/> [Accessed 14 May 2020].
Schneider, D., 2012. [online] YouTube. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XlN3kc1Hx0> [Accessed 14 May 2020].