Recording a piano

A grand piano is one of the hardest instruments to record well, because it is large, it radiates in many directions and its sound changes strongly with distance. There is no single right setup, but the choices can be organised.

Why it is difficult

• The sound comes from the soundboard, not from one point. Bass strings are on one side, treble strings on the other, across more than a metre.
• With the lid open, sound radiates upwards and outwards. The lid reflects part of it forwards.
• Close to the strings, the hammer attack dominates, and the balance across the keyboard becomes uneven. Further away, the room joins in.

Three distances

Many recordings combine a medium or far pair with a closer pair or spot microphones.

Stereo technique

• Spaced omnis, 40 to 60 cm apart, give a spacious and warm image.
• ORTF or other near-coincident pairs give a more focused picture.
• Coincident pairs are very safe in mono but can sound less open.

Choose the stereo pickup so that the recording angle matches the width of the instrument at the chosen distance. An instrument 2 m long seen from 2 m away covers about 53°, and from 1 m about 90°. See the orchestra and ensemble angle tool.

Two perspectives

The player hears the bass on the left and the treble on the right. A listener sitting across the instrument may see it the other way round. Decide whether the stereo image should follow the pianist's perspective or the listener's, and check the left and right assignment before recording.

Practical advice

1. Listen first and walk around the instrument.
2. Check for pedal noise and mechanical sound, and move the pair away from the pedals and the player's breathing.
3. Check polarity and timing if you use more than one pair, see Polarity is not phase.
4. Be consistent: small changes in height can change the sound more than a change of microphone.
5. Use a high-pass filter below the lowest note (27.5 Hz) only if rumble requires it.

Draft: written by an AI assistant, awaiting technical review.