Piano Recording (Recipe and "How-To")

[Axtremus]

A while ago, I promised iumonito I'd write something about recording one's own piano... so here it is.

This post describes my recording setup. It lists all the equipment, shows how they are connected, and it provides a recording sample to show what kind of result you can reasonably expect using this setup. My solution is a 300 USD solution in the sense that I believe all the necessary equipment can be had for a total of under 300 USD. I am certain there are better solutions, I am certain there are cheaper solutions, and there are cheaper AND better solutions. But what I describe is what I know works for me, and one I feel can be easily duplicated by others.

Here goes...

1. The Big Picture:


2. Microphones: I use a pair of MXL-990. Most recent "sales" prices I've seen peg them at 60 USD a piece. Conventional wisdom seems to favor condensor microphones when it comes to recording piano. See links below to additional microphone discussion and recommendations. The mic stands may seem unnecessary, but I think they make positioning microphones so much easier. Get the kind with boom stick if you can. The mic stands are usually inexpensive. (IIRC, I got mine for under 20 USD each.) I usually place my microphones 2~3 feet from the curvy side of my grand piano with the lid fully open, the mics are usually about 1~2 feet higher than the soundboard. Feel free to experiment with different placements to find the mic positions that work best for your piano and your room acoustics.

3. Pre-Amp: I use M-Audio's AudioBuddy. It got it for about 80 USD. There are other options discussed in other threads linked below, but this one works well enough for me. If you use condensor microphones, you will need something to supply it "phantom power." The AudioBuddy does just that.

4. Microphone Cables: These connect the microphones to the pre-amp. Not much to talk about here... cables are cables. The connector types you need obviously depend on the microphones and the pre-amp you choose. If you use the MXL-990 and AudioBuddy like I do, then you want XLR connectors on both ends of the cables. Get cables that are long enough so you can place your computer (assuming you plan to record with your computer) far enough away from the mics so the mics won't pick up the computer's noise. (I use cables that are 25 feet long, they seem to work fine.)

5. A/D Converter: I use Griffin Technologies' "iMic" USB interface, can probably be had for under 40 USD these days. The A/D Converter converts analog signal from the pre-amp to digital signal that your computer records. Your sound card may already have this function (in which case you can connect the outputs of the pre-amp directly to your computer's audio input jack(s), or you can buy pre-amps that also double as an A/D Converter that provides a USB or FireWire interface to your computer.

6. "Y-Cable": I use a Y-cable because the AudioBuddy pre-amp gives me two 1/4" phono output jacks while my "iMic" USB audio interface gives me only a 1/8" stereo audio input jack. The "Y-cable" is used to connect these two -- it has two male 1/4" phono connector and one male 1/8" small stereo connector. (IIRC, I got this for under 7 USD.) You won't need it if you get one of those combined "pre-amp with A/D with USB/FireWire interface" unit.

7. Computer and Software: Lots of choices. I happen to use an Apple PowerBook G4 ("Titanium") running Felt Tip Software's "Sound Studio" shareware. It's shareware licensing fee is pretty inexpensive (IIRC, sub-40 USD) and has a 14 day free trial period. If you use a Mac, GarageBand should work just fine. If you use Windows, the software called "Audacity" is available for free. It seems to work fine on Windows, but I wouldn't recommend it for the Mac because it's just SLOW on the Mac the last I tried it. Basic editing functionalities like cutting, pasting, fade-in, fade-out are all there... and there are other more advanced functionalities that, frankly, I have never needed to use. On the Mac, I just use iTunes to convert myh stuff to MP3. On the Windows, Audacity can do it for you (and it seems to me there are tons of Windows freeware that deals with MP3).

8. Recording Parameters: Your recording software would likely offer many different sampling rates and bit depths at which to record your performance. For reference, CD-quality recording has a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz (samples per second) at 16 bit. Professional studios record at 96 kHz and 24 bits or higher. As an amateur hobbyist, I'm generally happy with what I got using 44.1 kHz, 16-bit setup. There may be no point in recording at higher sampling frequency and higher bit depth for two reasons: (1) your other equipment may not be good enough to warrant the extra resolution anyway, (2) you will always have to throttle it back down to 44.1 kHz and 16 bit if you burn your music into an Audio CD, and you'll compress away a lot of stuff if you post your recording in MP3 format anyway.

9. MP3 Conversion Parameters: It's basically a balance between sound quality and file size. Higher bit rate means higher audio quality and bigger file size (if the lenght of music stays constant). Lower bit rate means lower audio quality and smaller file size. If you believe the guys who brought you iTunes, you can theoretically get audio quality as good as iTunes' if you compress your music to 160 kbps using MP3. My opinion is that if you start with a good, clear recording, you can get good-sounding MP3 even with low bit rates. Otherwise, garbage in, garbage out. So don't get hung up over MP3 bit rates. Lower bit rates often means you get smaller files, and people are more likely to download if your files aren't too big as to look intimidating.

10. The Result: PianoRecording_Sample_1.mp3 (2.5 minutes, 1.2 MB, right-click, "Save As...").
It's recorded using the equipment and parameters described above with me at the piano, and encoded in MP3 format at 64 kbps. It's a "raw" recording in the sense that it has not been mastered, there's no EQ tweaking applied and no artificial reverb added... it's bascially what the microphones picked up (except the little bit of fading at the beginning and the end so they don't sound abrupt). The audio is by no means professional-sounding, but there is sufficient dynamic range, you can hear phrasing, you can hear pedaling, you can hear where the articulation is good and where it is sloppy, etc. So I think it's good enough for Internet posting on a Forum like this for your peers to critique your playing. Of course, if you want to show off your piano's beautiful sound, you might want to go for higher bit rate to capture more nuance.

As mentioned before, there are better recording solutions, and there are cheaper recording solutions... but this is the kind of result you can reasonably expect if you record using the "recipe" presented above. (Just in case anyone is curious, the piano used in the sample above is a 6'6" Kawai model RX-A grand piano, 1992 vintage.)

I hope this helps.

[iumonito]

Ax, this is really cool.  You seem to have gone great lengths to answer my thoughtless question.  Thanks.

I got a couple of condenser mics from ebay which will have to do the trick for now.  The bigger part I am missing is the pre-amp, which I will start working on this summer.

You have me on a quest now: the goal is to have a suitable set up to record some Bach in November.  if we succeed I will send you a cd of poorly but dearly played Bach for Christmas.

Thanks,
H

[Axtremus]

iumonito,

"How to record my piano" is a question that comes up every now and then in forums such as this. I figure I'd write it out once in detail and be able to just post a link to it if someone else ask the question again in the future.

Good luck with your Bach recording. I'd be happy to reciprocate with a CD of mine when I get yours (mailing addresses to be exchanged through private messaging).

[Axtremus]

You have me on a quest now: the goal is to have a suitable set up to record some Bach in November. if we succeed I will send you a cd of poorly but dearly played Bach for Christmas.

iumonito,

Six weeks 'til Christmas. How's the recording project going?

If you're still up to exchanging recordings, send me your mailing address in private and I'll mail you a CD of my recordings to kick off the exchange.

[chris_quinn]

Note that musicians friend has the 990s for 49 in their latest catalog.

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=live/search/detail/base_pid/273156/

[Axtremus]

Note that musicians friend has the 990s for 49 in their latest catalog.

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=live/search/detail/base_pid/273156/

CJQ! Haven't "seen" you for a while! Nice of you to stop by, eventhough you made me feel like a sucker who has overpaid for his mics.

[chris_quinn]

Ax if you don't know by now to ask me where to buy something cheap, then I don't think you'll ever know

[Axtremus]

CJQ, the ironic part is...

... I bought those mics from Musician's Friend, the same place you found the $49 sales price. The time I bought them, the "sales price" was around $60.

[chris_quinn]

Musicians friend seems to drop the price every month!

[iumonito]

Sorry I missed the message, Ax.  I have been swamped with work but I am working on a small program these days.  Yours was the little nudge I needed.  Poor as it will come out, I will record in three weeks.

I hope you like Liszt.

[soundtrk]

Hey Ax ... if you don't mind me asking a very basic question ... can you explain this "phantom power" thing? ...What it is, why you need it, and why you don't need something extra when you plug a cheap commercial microphone into your laptop's mic-in jack.

[rafant]

I'm feeling fortunate for reading this thread. The A/D Converter and Y-Cable were the pieces I lacked of to complete my puzzle. Thanks a lot.

[Axtremus]

Hey Ax ... if you don't mind me asking a very basic question ... can you explain this "phantom power" thing? ...What it is, why you need it, and why you don't need something extra when you plug a cheap commercial microphone into your laptop's mic-in jack.

I am no expert myself. Please see https://www.tangible-technology.com/power/Phantom_Power_connect.html instead.

[jazzertim]

Phantom Power is a 48 volt power supply that travels through the XLR mic cable to power condenser mics. Condensers have a small capacitor inside that needs power to operate. Some condenser mics will use an internal battery (AKG C1000), but these are rare, and more expensive. Nice diagram and setup at top of thread. If you want to step up a little, take a look at audio interfaces, such as a Tascam 122 ($200 USD), or a Mbox ($450 USD). With these, one simply plugs the mic into the box. Preamps and A/D convertors are built in. Although more expensive, these will provide better quality, and will connect via USB straight into the computer. The Mbox contains Pro Tools recording software, which is a big plus. Amadeus is another cheap (shareware) program for recording and editing.

[Motrax]

*Bump*

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good, portalble recording setup? I'm looking for something along the lines of the Edirol R-1. I'm in college, so I have to have something that I can carry back and forth frequently from my room to the performing arts center. I would prefer a device with quality built-in mics so that I don't have to carry around microphones separately, although this isn't absolutely necessary.

Thanks in advance!

-M

[saturation]

I've been looking for something like this, quick and decent, for ages!

Thank you much!!

[quantum]

*Bump*

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good, portalble recording setup? I'm looking for something along the lines of the Edirol R-1. I'm in college, so I have to have something that I can carry back and forth frequently from my room to the performing arts center. I would prefer a device with quality built-in mics so that I don't have to carry around microphones separately, although this isn't absolutely necessary.

Thanks in advance!

-M

You could go with a MiniDisc recorder.  You would need to get a seperate plug in mic: Sony sells one for $100 which gives pretty good quality.  I use a computer mic on mine and it is decent. 

I believe Derek has an Edirol R-1, you may want to listen to his recordings in the Audition Room.