[pianotech] mics on soundboard

[Overs Pianos]

Gordon,

At Sydney Town Hall the sound guys use Shure PZMs, which they say are 
pretty economical and the performance is good. They usually place two 
under the lid, one between the long bridge and top end of the bass 
bridge (mics usually have no problem getting lows so the low bass 
will still be picked up with quite good levels), while the other is 
placed over the long bridge at approximately the middle of the second 
top string section. They just stick them on with gaffa tape, and no 
felt between. It tends to work best on the short stick, since full 
stick will increase the spill from the band and reduce the sound 
pressure level from the treble which reaches the higher mic.

Lid-shut can be used as well, but the result tends to sound like a 
"piano in a box".

Lid-shut will be improved if the piano is shielded around the case 
from the floor to the rim. Canadian jazz singer Holley Cole performed 
in Sydney with a set up like this a couple of decades ago, and I was 
impressed with her and her band, and the sound coming out of the 
piano despite that fact that the lid was shut. For her set up, her 
sound engineer used a number of large black-foam blocks which went 
from the floor to the top of the outer rim. These were assembled to 
form a 'foam-fence' right around the case. It was amazing just how 
much it stopped spill from the band getting into the piano track.

Ron O.

>And where on the lid, please, Ron? And directly to the lid, or with 
>some felt or something between them; and if so, what type and how 
>thick? (And what brand microphone would you recommend, if you know 
>of one, that is not astronomically expensive, please? And also one 
>that IS astronomically expensive?)
>
>Most Respectfully,
>Thumpe
>
>
>From: Overs Pianos <sec at overspianos.com.au>;
>To: <pianotech at ptg.org>;
>Subject: Re: [pianotech] mics on soundboard
>Sent: Mon, Sep 10, 2012 10:52:44 PM
>
>Lim,
>
>As others mentioned, those mics are PZM type. Their normal location 
>is on the underside of the lid. If they are placed on the rim they 
>will be 90 degrees off axis to the soundboard. They certainly don't 
>belong on the soundboard, unless you are interested in hearing a 
>phase-changing rendition of what the lid is experiencing.
>
>Ron O.
>
>>  Hi list,
>>  Are these mics properly placed? Will there be noises coming from 
>>it? Didnt get a chance to hear as the sound guy only comes in the 
>>night.
>>  Thanks!
>>
>>  lim
>
>
>-- OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY
>   Grand Piano Manufacturers
>_______________________
>
>Web <http://overspianos.com.au>http://overspianos.com.au
>mailto:<javascript:return>ron at overspianos.com.au
>_______________________
>
>A web page with images of recent work and almost-audio-CD quality 
>mp3 sound files of the Overs piano can be found at;
><http://overspianos.com.au/more_info.htm>http://overspianos.com.au/more_info.htm
>
>So put on your headphones, plug them into your freshly restarted 
>computer and sit back to over 20 minutes of pure piano.
>_______________________


-- 
OVERS PIANOS - SYDNEY
    Grand Piano Manufacturers
_______________________

Web http://overspianos.com.au
mailto:ron at overspianos.com.au
_______________________

A web page with images of recent work and almost-audio-CD quality mp3 
sound files of the Overs piano can be found at;
http://overspianos.com.au/more_info.htm

So put on your headphones, plug them into your freshly restarted 
computer and sit back to over 20 minutes of pure piano.
  _______________________
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