When it comes to mic'ing a piano, it depends on what kind. When it comes to grand pianos, most of my piano work is with live Jazz (since musicians pay the bills better than theaters in the off season), so I have many particular factors when setting a grand for live sound. My preferred choice comes from several years of experimentation and application, but after a long hunt I have found a configuration that works great for my tastes and for the interests of the musician. Now, remember that not every mic technique will work on every piano in every
venue. Even the manufacture of piano can alter the characteristics!
My Setup for my home
venue:
Piano- Mid 80's Baldwin 7' Grand piano (on casters)
Configuration- Full stick, soundboard to audience at either an angle or perpendicular (depending on if it's a trio/quartet/quintet or a Big Band
Mics-
Shure SM 81 (2), two telescoping
boom stands
The placement is somewhat tricky. The mics are set up in a shallow X/Y configuration over the
edge of the soundboard/harp
line. Orient the mics parallel with the harp pegs just over the strings (about 3-4 inches in). Allignment is critical since you want equal
pitch on the mics but a shallow enough angle to
cover the most of the area without the field getting too much of the external noise from outside of the piano. The biggest problem is when people mic a piano, they think one mic will
cover everything, but the piano is a very
dynamic instrument. It's difficult to EQ without sounding harsh or booming on either end when you go with a solo mic. The best way to attack so many dynamics within one insturment is to approach it the same way you would having to mic a large group of frequencies while needing to establish a stereo segregation, such as in a choir. So, by going with a stereo configuration you are able to isolate the highs and lows without sacrificing quality.
The SM81's, while a workhorse for
condenser mics, are also well suited to this because of the
bass roll-off
switch built in @ -6 and -16 dB/Octave respectively and a -10dB pad. These two options are GREAT for eliminating rumble and excess noise from other sounds that could seep in (such as from a
Bass when the piano is used in a rhythm section either in a pit or in a Big Band). But, the downside is that those mics are about $300 each.
But, you can go with a PG 81 which can be had for about $100 to $135 depending on where you look. You don't have as much
frequency response (you lose 20Hz on the low end and 2KHz on the high end) and you don't have the PAD or the
Bass Roll-Off, but they will provide a VERY
clear sound, and have a multitude of other applications that you can easily justify. When it comes to buying new kit, that always helps!