I have been lucky enough to have been recording a bosendorfer grand lately but now am back in my studio with my sad old Kimball baby grand. After working with such a wonderful instrument it makes me feel the need to throw down for a real piano but of course I don't have $50k on hand...

While I wait for my fairy godmother to deliver a new grand piano, do you guys have any tricks or have any suggestions on how to get a bigger, fuller sound out of a baby grand piano? I am generally using an AB pair of km183s or line audio OM1s about 3 ft out from the curve.

Thanks.

I learnt a trick from the pop guys of adding a U87 underneath the soundboard (purists recoil in horror no doubt) but it can help in the situation you describe and then add reverb to make it appear in a larger soundstage.

Matt

you have to treat the baby grand differently than you would a larger concert piano. three feet out is a good technique for larger pianos/large spaces but not good for smaller pianos/rooms. start with the omnis inside the piano, lid full stick or completely off. or you can use a set of cardioids in close to make use of proximity effect and blend them with outlying omnis.

or RVG mic the soundholes on the harp, not a classical sound by any stretch but it will sound fuller, possibly bigger.

don't be afraid to use 4, or even 6 mics in combination to get the right balance. micing underneath the sound board is a good idea, but you will probably have to blend that with some other locations to get hammer attack.

bottom line is you will have to get in closer in some way/shape/form. a very good spot to get body is inside the piano at the tail over the soundboard. lots of good low end there.

i got a full-ish sound out of a 42inch upright so you should be able to get something you like from a baby.

Find a better instrument somewhere where it's accessible and affordable?
Cheap way, play better, and add a very good reverb... Make the listener forget the instrument and concentrate in the music...?

I second the "under the piano: micing technique for a fuller sound.

Take the lid off and use some omnis for a fuller sound

A good full size piano new would be way over 50K in today's economy and a Bosendorfer would be 2.5 times as much. See here Bosendorfer Piano Prices

Best of luck!

Switched in omni.

A smaller piano in a hall sounds bigger than in a room. A small piano sounds like it sounds.

Atelier HudSonic, Chicago

An EQ bump at about 70 Hz may help. Depending on your room, you may have also to tame at about 100 Hz.

Under belly mic is a good idea.. Also try experimenting with Rbass plugin.. Set it anywhere from 80hz to 100hz slide in slowly and see how it can fill your bottom in. This seems more consistent than just boosting that area on an eq.

Might work.. Might not.

I was going to say place it in good room with some natural reverb, and mic the room. Blend. Compress room mics and blend to taste.

Wait a few years until it's a teenager?

D.

Variety of sound densitymkIII.

Plush hit the nail on the head. If you want a bigger sound you need a bigger venue and piano. You can possibly buy a secondhand concert grand for less than $30,000, but you will have to shop very carefully and be prepared to spend a bit on it.