Sharing this Video with you - nice mobile recording for Swiss Piano Player Jean-Paul Brodbeck with a minimal Setup. Most of the sound was captured with the Neumann KM56 Mics placed next to the player.



Although I often mix analog, in this case we captured the sound of the mics with an MTRX in 192 kHZ and we stayed in the digital domain for the mix, as not much needed to be done. I think to remember I added a touch Bricasti M7 and lexicon 960 Reverb, but not much.
The venue is an old radio studio in Switzerland.

Very nice. Over the pianist's shoulders is not a technique I have seen before but it works well here. What pattern was selected for the KM56 - omni? And what are the LDC mics at the piano waist please?

The KM56 were set to omni (if I remember correctly). The Mics in the waist were Brauner VM1's.. And for sure there were 2 DPA 4006 somewhere in the room..
Mics close to the players head is often a good idea.

Thanks for that. Very nice for me as well. Other than tuning did the pianist get the instrument prepped/voiced specifically for the session?
J Campbell

Im guessing that as a miking method it rates highly with pianists...in a "it sounds just like it does when I play" kind of way ! Maybe it should be called the "Wider Decca Head technique" ....

There's a nice open clarity of transients, and freedom from 'lid congestion' in this recording too...

While inviting more hammer impact sound, it's perhaps a little more screened from pedal/foot squeaks and clunks...and you'd want to ensure the player is neither a heavy breather nor a sigh-maker, like Glenn Gould or Keith Jarrett ?

At 0:32 in this sampler video you can spot the number of mics being recorded in the DAW: https://youtu.be/Jg6h95CeJ8w

Not really, but both he and I, we knew that studio already. There were 2 large Steinways to choose and he choose his favorite Piano the day before and then talked with the tuner what was important for him. We also know the Piano-Service company that does maintain and tune those Pianos at the radio-Studio and asked for the tuner we like most.

Tuning is underrated, it's one of the more important factor in a piano recording.

A yes, interessting.
Yes, so 4 Stereo Tracks, KM56, Brauners, und Schöps and DPA for room. If I remember corretly the Schöps were not used in the final mix. And for sure the KM56 were used more in the final mix.

Actually that piano player does sing, but I like it.

D

Nice, thanks!

That sounds really good - fine piano playing and piano, great room, a few mics and a sensitive engineer wins the day!

Thanks. I am mostly glad we still do have some great rooms left.. In Switzerland many of the old and large Radio-Studio's got closed meanwhile.

BTW: Here is the teaser to be watched directly. It shows a little bit more of the room.

From the various camera perspectives it's a little difficult to determine the spacing of the 'pianist's head' mics, but they are perhaps the same width as the keyboard, or a little wider, about 1.5m ?

I'd say less, maybe 1 meter. Otherwise the left mic from the players perspective would be over the lid...

Ok, thanks . !

By the way, as a general info: this mic-technique also sounds great if the Lid from the Piano is removed. It is often said that the lid is an important part of the piano sound. But that is not entirely true, as the lid's function at the concert is more to direct the sound to the audience. Even Steinway itself do experiements with different lids that they install for Piano Concerts with Orchestra. They constructed a lid that is open on two sides, so that the orchestra can hear the grand better.

Daniel