Brightness
Richness
Vibration of the strings
Body resonances
Brightness
Richness
Vibration of the strings
Body resonances
8
Recording an acoustic piano
Try diff erent locations to
capture the sound you want
The sound of a piano comes from the vibration of
the entire instrument, including the vibration of the
strings after they’ve been struck by the hammers, and
the vibration of the sounding board as it resonates
with the string vibrations. In general, emphasizing
the sound from the strings will produce greater
clarity, while emphasizing the overall resonance will
produce greater richness. Moving the mic closer to
the instrument will also make the sound brighter,
while moving the mic away from the instrument
will produce a sound that’s richer and more mellow.
Try diff erent locations to get the sound you want to
record.
Use the CD-2e for daily practice
or to create lesson materials
The CD-2e is a wonderful tool, not only for recording
“real” performances, such as recitals, but also for
daily practice. For example, you can record yourself
practicing and then play it back immediately, so you
can more objectively evaluate how you sound. This
can help you improve your abilities.
If you’re a piano teacher, you can create a “model
CD” of your own playing, or give the student a
“practice CD.” The CD-2e makes it easy to create
lesson material.
Place the CD-2e on top of
the instrument if you want
to emphasize the attacks.
This position will emphasize
the vibration of the strings,
producing a clear-
sounding recording.
Place the CD-2e beside the
performer if you want to record
a rich sound. This position will
emphasize the resonances of
the sounding board and the
body, producing a deep and
rich-sounding recording.
To record a clear sound
To record
a rich sound
To record
a well-balanced sound
Change the height to adjust
the attack and resonance
You can view the piano’s lid as
a sort of dividing line; placing
the mics higher than it will
emphasize the vibration of the
strings, while placing them
lower will emphasize the body
resonances.
Cr
eat
e
a CD!
O
ther applications
What is the CD
-2e?
R
e
co
rding tips
U
seful options
One-Point Advice
Recording the best sound from an
upright piano
An upright piano will have a slightly muffl
ed sound. In
order to record a sparkling sound similar to that of a
grand piano, open the top lid and place the CD-2e about
40–80 inches (1–2 meters) away.
