A good quality recording of a piano performance can be a tricky thing to achieve if the recording space is not acoustically treated or if the piano itself is not in good condition. In this article we’ll go over a few tips on how to record piano without noise in order to get the best possible recording. The first thing to consider is the piano itself. If the piano has a lot of mechanical noise coming from it, such as keys sticking or hammers that are out of alignment, then it’s going to be very difficult to get a good recording. The best way to avoid this is to have the piano tuned and serviced before you start recording. Once the piano is in good condition, you’ll need to choose an appropriate recording space. If possible, find a room that has hardwood floors and high ceilings. This will help to reduce the amount of ambient noise in the room. If you can’t find a suitable room, you can try using a foam baffle to absorb sound. Once you have the piano and the recording space sorted out, the next step is to set up your recording equipment. If you’re using a digital recorder, make sure that you set it to record in mono. This will help to reduce any background noise that might be picked up by the recorder. If you’re using an analog recorder, you’ll need to make sure that the input level is set correctly. If the input level is too low, you’ll end up with a lot of hiss on your recording. If the input level is too high, you risk clipping the signal and ruining your recording. Once you’ve got your recorder set up, it’s time to start recording. Make sure that you play the piano at a reasonable volume so that the recording level isn’t too low. You should also try to play in a consistent manner so that the recording is as even as possible. Once you’ve got a few minutes of recording, you can then start to edit the recording. If there are any sections that are particularly noisy, you can use a noise reduction plugin to help clean up the recording. Once you’re happy with the recording, you can then export it as an audio file and share it with your friends or family.
A nine-foot-long grand piano is the most complex instrument you’ll ever have to play. The process of recording a grand piano can be complex, and there are no single best practices. A well-rounded engineer will be able to adapt to meet the needs of every session. The Schoeps CMC 6/MK 2 small-diaphragm microphones with cardioid capsules must be set 15 inches apart. It can emphasize the percussive aspects of a piano because it captures the sound of the hammers slamming against the strings. It can also brighten up the overall sound of the instrument by emphasizing the low end. I use a pair of Telefunken TF47 cardioid largediaphragm microphones on a daily basis during the course of my day.
The maximum strings on the piano are about 18 inches, while the hammers are about four inches behind it. In classical music, I usually place the microphone in a more traditional manner. Classical close-miking employs an A-B stereo microphone configuration with two omnidirectional microphones positioned at the piano lip. An XY stereo setup is based on coincident techniques, such as the capsules being angled 90 degrees to the same direction and being as close together as possible to produce a stereo image. The figure-8 pattern is found on both microphones in a pair of Blumleins. In addition to being able to capture the piano as well as an XY pair, it provides a great sonic picture as well. The distance between the instrument and the microphone determines how the piano will blend into the room.
Peter Williams is a graduate of B.A Arts and Culture from the University of Technology Sydney. Peter is very much interested in cultural practices around the world including music, history, languages, literature, religion and social structures.