Classical Piano

My brother, Frank, recently passed away in Yellowstone National Park. A biology professor for many years, he retired this year at age 65 and was doing what he loved most… fishing. I spent the weekend in Iowa with my family, celebrating the life he lived and the lives he touched. So many memories were re-lived, and one of my favorites was his love for Frédéric Chopin. I’ve seen him attempt to play the “Heroic” Polonaise in A Flat Major countless times, a piece he truly loved. It is that memory that inspired this blog entry on the recording of classical piano.

The piano is one of the most powerful and dynamic instruments: grandiose, yet intricate and delicate simultaneously. Especially in classical music, the tone of the piano, the sound of the room, and the musicality of the player need to be maintained impeccably through the recording process, and, of course, microphone technique is absolutely crucial.

When recording classical music, most often it is preferred to record the piano in stereo several feet from the instrument itself, allowing the sound to “mature” and resonate. The common stereo mic techniques would be A-B (two cardioid or omni microphones set apart from each other making sure the distance between each other is three times that of the distance to the sound source), ORTF (two cardioid mics facing at a 110 degree angle, with the diaphragms 17 cm apart), and XY (two cardioid microphones placed so the diaphragms are directly on top of one another, eliminating any timing differences, and at a 90 degree angle), but of course there are others, and only listening critically will determine the proper technique for each individual situation. The important things to listen for, however, are stereo imaging, clarity, and tone. If the microphones are too far back, there will be no clarity; it will get washy. If they’re too close, the piano may get too bright or harsh for the style of music, though the imaging may get wider.

The room is a crucial part of any classical recording given the distance the microphones are from the source. When you’re in a great room, many would choose to set up a second pair of microphones further back to capture the room, which can be mixed back in later as a natural reverb. This, of course, can be useless if the recording is done in front of an audience, as they have the tendency to cough, adjust their seat, browse through the program, pass candy, snore… etc.

We mentioned the piano is very dynamic. While this makes for a very dramatic live performance, and keeps the music exciting, it can be difficult when you’re the engineer and have the task of recording hot enough to get good clarity above the noise floor, during the quiet parts, but not so loud as to distort anything when the performer accurately depicts the composer’s fortissimo notation. A couple things to mention about this: first, if at all possible keep the noise floor low. Obviously, impossible during concerts and recitals, but if the performance is solely for the recording, get a quiet room. Secondly, the engineer’s go-to tool when dynamic range is great is a compressor. However, though some light compression may be a good idea and can help protect those dreaded red LED’s from illuminating, no classical musician will want a recording that sounds like it’s been compressed. So, set the settings carefully and choose a quality, transparent compressor.

Since we’re talking about gear, what about microphones? As with the technique, the microphone choice will depend on the room, the piano, the piece being performed, and on the performer. Regardless, choose a quality microphone. Usually, a clean, transparent mic will best capture the sound of a good piano in a good room. Typically, I would think first of Schoeps, DPA, Neumann, or Royer for a darker, smoother sound.

Have a favorite way to mic a piano? Comment on our blog, or post on our Facebook page and tell us about it! And stay tuned to Get Yoshed, later this week, we’ll have more thoughts from Kevin Edlin and Randy Poole!

And in honor of my brother, watch this video of Chopin’s Heroic Polonaise. Mt. Mercy College, Frank’s former employer has set up a scholarship fund in his honor. If you would like to read about his legacy and contribute to the scholarship, please visit mtmercy.edu.