<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Consolas;
panose-1:2 11 6 9 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:10.5pt;
font-family:Consolas;}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
span.PlainTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Plain Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text";
font-family:Consolas;}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Regardless of the type of microphone or pickup pattern
there is what's called 'proximity effect.' The closer the microphone is to the
sound source the more bass 'boost' is generated. Great singers know about
this-sometimes only instinctually-and 'work' the mic as an effect. The same
for wind players of which the most obvious example is the Tower of Power. An
additional note: by definition cardiod and especially hyper-cardiod should
reject sounds from the side and rear. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Some of the newer Chinese made microphones sold by MXL or
Rodes are pretty decent. Two of the most important things to know regarding
any mic is the pickup pattern (cardiod, omni, bi-directional etc) and the
frequency response. For acoustic recording of classical guitar and piano it is
crucial to have a flat frequency response so as not to influence the tone/sound
quality of the recording. A condenser mic is better than a dynamic mic, and
depending on the tube, a tube microphone might be the best option. A Shure
57/58 is not good for this for precisely that reason-it boosts the high-mids.
I've attached a document on recording a grand piano which is by no means an
ultimate authority. I don't necessarily use this approach but it is a good
beginning place to start.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Best regards,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>John Dutton<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Billings, MT<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>-----Original Message-----<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>From: Stéphane Collin [mailto:collin.s@skynet.be] <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Sent: Tuesday, 06 February, 2007 13:08<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>To: Pianotech List<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Subject: recording experiment<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Hello list.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>I just bought some chinese microphones (very good) and
did some recording tests on my piano. One thing was obvious : when you put
cardioid microphones close to a piano, it takes what is in front of it and
nothing of what is at sides or behind. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>-snip-<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Indeed, this is so. When you put the mics very close to
the bridge, they take all of the scale. This seems to be very well known among
recording techs. So I thought : why is that ? The only response I could
imagine is this : the bridge itself carries all of the vibrations of all
strings bearing on it equally. It is the soundboard that reacts, with it's
different dimensions from trebble to bass, to the appropriate frequencies of
the strings. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Any thoughts ? (sorry for my limit english).<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Best regards.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText>Stéphane Collin.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>