M-Audio Microphone, Руководство пользователя

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Choosing & Using Microphones
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1. Pop/rock.
The closer the mics are to the hammers,
the more percussive the resulting sound will be. For this
reason, pop/rock recordings where the piano needs to cut
through other tracks are often achieved by close-miking
the hammers. Start by placing a matched pair of cardioid
mics face down about six inches above the hammers and
about one-third from each respective end. Be careful not
to place them so close to the hammers vertically that the
pickup area is restricted to only part of the required range
of notes. Experiment with the distance between mics until
you get the desired balance of wide stereo imagery and
even response across the entire range.You may also need
to angle the mics slightly away from each other in order to
improve separation. Experiment with distance from the
hammers to achieve the desired balance of percussive
attack and full body. You can also try moving the bass mic further down the harp away from the
hammers to achieve a bigger, warmer sound (see position 1a in the diagram).
2. Pop ballad/jazz.
The jazz and pop ballad genres typically require the fuller, sound attained
by positioning the mics further away from the hammers. Place a matched pair of cardioids at a 45
degree angle in the deepest part of the curved side of the instrument, with one mic facing the
performer and the other facing across the harp. Start with a separation of three to six inches,
decreasing the angle if you move the mics further apart. It s also perfectly valid to try an X-Y or
other coincident configuration at this position. The vertical position should be about halfway
between the strings and the open lid.
3. Classical or solo piano.
Classical and solo piano often benefits from distance miking that
includes more of the ambience of a concert setting. Experiment with placing the mics four to eight
feet from the curved side of the piano and at heights from five to twelve feet. Factors leading to
the establishment of optimal positioning include the size and model of the piano, the acoustic space
and amount of that acoustic space you wish to capture.The closer the mics are to each other, the
more intimate the sound. Conversely, moving them further apart makes the piano sound larger.As
always, cardioids will focus the sound more on the instrument, while omni will really open up the
room (assuming that it has desirable acoustics.)
Some engineers like adding another microphone under the piano facing up to the soundboard to
capture the warm, mellow sound of the resonating wood. If you have enough condenser mics at
your disposal, try a combination of close-miked stereo pair on top, a single mic on the underside,
and a matched pair for distance-miking to capture the sound of the hall.
The prescribed use of multiple microphones on a grand piano leaves any of these scenarios
extremely susceptible to phase problems. Be sure to check for phase anomalies and mono
compatibility in any of these stereo miking positions.
Drums
There are as many ways to mic drum kits as there are
drummers and engineers. Professional recordings are
invariably made with enough mics to achieve separation and
control over each of the key elements. This luxury is not
always available, so we ll explore some distance-miking
options as well as close-miking techniques. In all cases, care
should go into things like tuning the drums, choice of sticks
and other topics that are beyond the scope of this discussion.
Distance-Miking Drums.
The more mics you have, the greater the control you have over the balance,
stereo placement, EQ and effects for each component of the kit. We ll work our way up from a single mic
through multiple mics.
6'
With only a single mic available, experiment to get
the best overall balance of all the elements of the kit
1
1a
2
3
The placement of stereo mics on a piano
depends in part upon musical style