How To Mic A Grand Piano

For the grand piano, like the upright, condenser mics with a wide frequency response are a good choice, but the different shape and layout of the instrument requires that it be miked differently. Having the lid is open, closed, or taken completely off will affect the tone of the instrument. It is worth experimenting with the lid in different positions, but as with any instrument, if the performer has a preference, it can be worth catering to them to encourage the best performance possible.

Below are a few options for miking a grand piano:

  • X-Y or ORTF pair at distance of 4–6′.
  • One mic over treble strings and one over bass strings at a distance of 1–2′.
  • With the lid up, a mic or pair of mics can be placed just outside the lid facing either the strings (for brighter sound) or lid (for mellower, reflected sound) (see Fig. 145).
  • An X-Y or ORTF pair placed above the pianist’s head.
  • An X-Y pair placed 2–3″ over the point where the high and low strings cross. This delivers a punchier sound, so it is often favored for rock and similar styles of music (see Fig. 146).

Miking Outside the Lid on a Grand Piano

Miking A Grand Piano Over Crossed Strings

See also How To Mic An Upright Piano.

This is an excerpt from The Encyclopedia of Home Recording, a complete reference for the home recording studio by Mark Garrison. For more information about this book, please visit homerecordingbook.com.

How To Mic An Upright Piano

The piano has the greatest range of any instrument, so it’s best to use a microphone that has a wide frequency response. Condenser mics are usually the best choice for a clean, natural sound. The choice between wide-diaphragm or pencil condensers is a matter of taste, but pencil condensers are a little more common.

Here are some placement options for an upright piano:

  • Over the open lid of the piano, place either a single mic, a spaced pair, or a coincident pair.
  • With the piano pulled away from the wall so the soundboard is facing the room, a pair of mics can be placed at a distance of 6–8″ (see Fig. 144). These can be either spaced with one at each end of the soundboard or together in an X-Y pattern.
  • A stereo pair in an X-Y or ORTF pattern can be placed above the pianist’s head.
  • With the kickboard removed (there is usually a metal latch holding it in place), one mic is placed at each end. This position can, however, be problematic on an instrument with squeaky pedals.

Miking the Soundboard of an Upright Piano

See also How To Mic A Grand Piano.

This is an excerpt from The Encyclopedia of Home Recording, a complete reference for the home recording studio by Mark Garrison. For more information about this book, please visit homerecordingbook.com.

How To Mic A Piano

Upright Piano

The piano has the greatest range of any instrument, so it’s best to use a microphone that has a wide frequency response. Condenser mics are usually the best choice for a clean, natural sound. The choice between wide-diaphragm or pencil condensers is a matter of taste, but pencil condensers are a little more common.

Here are some placement options for an upright piano:

  • Over the open lid of the piano, place either a single mic, a spaced pair, or a coincident pair.
  • With the piano pulled away from the wall so the soundboard is facing the room, a pair of mics can be placed at a distance of 6–8″ (see Fig. 144). These can be either spaced with one at each end of the soundboard or together in an X-Y pattern.
  • A stereo pair in an X-Y or ORTF pattern can be placed above the pianist’s head.
  • With the kickboard removed (there is usually a metal latch holding it in place), one mic is placed at each end. This position can, however, be problematic on an instrument with squeaky pedals.

Miking the Soundboard of an Upright Piano

Grand Piano

For the grand piano, like the upright, condenser mics with a wide frequency response are a good choice, but the different shape and layout of the instrument requires that it be miked differently. Having the lid is open, closed, or taken completely off will affect the tone of the instrument. It is worth experimenting with the lid in different positions, but as with any instrument, if the performer has a preference, it can be worth catering to them to encourage the best performance possible.

Below are a few options for miking a grand piano:

  • X-Y or ORTF pair at distance of 4–6′.
  • One mic over treble strings and one over bass strings at a distance of 1–2′.
  • With the lid up, a mic or pair of mics can be placed just outside the lid facing either the strings (for brighter sound) or lid (for mellower, reflected sound) (see Fig. 145).
  • An X-Y or ORTF pair placed above the pianist’s head.
  • An X-Y pair placed 2–3″ over the point where the high and low strings cross. This delivers a punchier sound, so it is often favored for rock and similar styles of music (see Fig. 146).

Miking Outside the Lid on a Grand Piano

Miking A Grand Piano Over Crossed Strings

This is an excerpt from The Encyclopedia of Home Recording, a complete reference for the home recording studio by Mark Garrison. For more information about this book, please visit homerecordingbook.com.

How To Mic A Flute

Like other woodwinds, the tone of a flute comes from both the keys and the embouchure (mouth piece). When using a single microphone on the instrument, a wide-diaphragm condenser can be placed directed at the midpoint between the keys and the embouchure. A cardioid or bi-directional pattern can be used depending on how much room sound you would like in the recording.

For classical music, it is common to place the mic at a distance of 3–6′, whereas modern styles tend to benefit from a closer placement of 6″–2′. If the clicking of the keys is too prominent in the recording, try moving the mic farther back.

For a stereo recording, a pair of mics can be placed in an X-Y pattern in the same placement as above

This is an excerpt from The Encyclopedia of Home Recording, a complete reference for the home recording studio by Mark Garrison. For more information about this book, please visit homerecordingbook.com.

How To Mic A Saxophone or Clarinet

The tone of a saxophone or clarinet is created along its entire length, from the mouthpiece, bell, and keys of the instrument. A good starting placement is a wide-diaphragm condenser or ribbon mic directed at the midpoint between the bell and the keys (see Fig. 143). For modern musical styles, 1–2′ is an appropriate distance, while classical music usually calls for a greater distance of 4–8′. Close placement can result in picking up the clicking of keys during the performance. This can be remedied by moving the mic farther from the instrument.

Mic Placement for a Saxophone

For clarinet and soprano sax, where the bell of the instrument points away from the keys, using two mics, one over the keys and one at the bell, is also an option.

This is an excerpt from The Encyclopedia of Home Recording, a complete reference for the home recording studio by Mark Garrison. For more information about this book, please visit homerecordingbook.com.

How To Mic A French Horn

The french horn is generally played with the horn facing backwards so the sound reaches the listeners by reflecting off of the rear wall. This presents a couple of good options for mic placement. One is to seat the performer 6–10′ from the wall and place an omni or bi-directional microphone halfway in between, catching the direct as well as the reflected sound. The other option is to place a cardioid, omni, or bi-directional mic in front of the performer to pick up only reflected sound (Fig. 142). In either position, wide-diaphragm condensers or ribbon mics are good choices.

Mic Placement Options for a French Horn

This is an excerpt from The Encyclopedia of Home Recording, a complete reference for the home recording studio by Mark Garrison. For more information about this book, please visit homerecordingbook.com.

How To Mic A Trumpet or Trombone

When miking a trumpet or trombone, a standard mic choice for the studio is a wide-diaphragm condenser mic. Ribbon mics are another popular choice, though care should be taken because the thin diaphragm of many ribbon mics can be damaged by quick blasts of air.

Modern musical styles tend to favor a distance of 2–12″, whereas 3–4′ is more common for classical music. To avoid distortion from gusts of air, the mic should be placed off-center from the bell and can be turned slightly off-axis (see Fig. 141). A pop filter can also be placed between the horn and the microphone to further protect from plosive blasts of air.

Mic Placement for a Trumpet or Trombone

When miking a horn section or ensemble, the performers can be placed in a semi-circle and miked with a single mic or with a stereo pair of mics in an X-Y or Blumlein pattern.

This is an excerpt from The Encyclopedia of Home Recording, a complete reference for the home recording studio by Mark Garrison. For more information about this book, please visit homerecordingbook.com.

How To Mic A Cello

The most common placement for miking a cello is to place a wide-diaphragm condenser mic directed at the F-holes of the instrument. A distance of anywhere from 6″ to 3′ is appropriate, depending on the desired amount of room sound and bass response. As with the violin, a cardioid pickup pattern is usually a good choice, or omni and bi-directional patterns can be used when recording in an acoustically pleasing room.

See also How To Mic A Violin or Viola

This is an excerpt from The Encyclopedia of Home Recording, a complete reference for the home recording studio by Mark Garrison. For more information about this book, please visit homerecordingbook.com.

How To Mic Violin or Viola

A wide-diaphragm condenser mic is a typical choice for miking violins or violas, though a ribbon mic can be also be a very good choice for certain styles of music. The cardioid pickup pattern is usually best for this application, but a bi-directional or omni pattern can be very effective when recording in a flattering room.

For classical music, a distance of 3–8′ above and away from the performer is generally used for a nice, smooth tone. For fiddle music, the same technique can also be used, or the mic can be placed closer (6–8″) for a more raw, folky tone. In both cases, the mic should be facing the top of the instrument (see Fig. 140).

mic placement for a violin or viola

This is an excerpt from The Encyclopedia of Home Recording, a complete reference for the home recording studio by Mark Garrison. For more information about this book, please visit homerecordingbook.com.

How To Mic Drum Overheads

In a simple setup, a single overhead mic can be placed above the drummer’s head. A more interesting drum sound comes from a pair of overheads panned hard left and right to create a stereo drum sound. The two overhead mics should be the same make and model and have a cardioid pickup pattern. Small-diaphragm condensers are most common, though wide-diaphragm condensers are also a good choice.

Overheads can be set up as a spaced pair, with one mic over each half of the drum kit, or a coincident pair can be used in an X-Y pattern by placing the two mics together at a 90˚ angle to one another. The mic on the left will pick up the right side of the kit, and the mic on the right will pick up the left (see Fig. 139).

Spaced Pair and Coincident Drum Overheads

For more information see How To Mic A Drum Kit.

This is an excerpt from The Encyclopedia of Home Recording, a complete reference for the home recording studio by Mark Garrison. For more information about this book, please visit homerecordingbook.com.