R/E/P > Klaus Heyne's Mic Lab

Is There A 'Correct' Approach To Recording Acoustic Instruments?

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compasspnt:
Agreed.

I would personally have chosen different microphones in the last paragraph, but the philosophy is perfect.

Fenris Wulf:
At one time it was in vogue to record classical piano with the lid removed and a pair of mics a few feet above the strings.

Here's a pop song from 1962 with an unusual (for pop) distant-miced piano sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8n4xA1yNbE

Bill_Urick:
Listening to Fenris' post, it seems you can really hear that the piano is distant mic'd. What a great way to pre-place elements in a mix.

I remember hearing a Jimmy Smith recording through a friends "audiophile" rig and how loud the relay click was when he switched the Leslie. Loved it. Close your eyes and he was playing there in the same room.

piedpiper:
All this reminds me of a conversation I had with mastering engineer Paul Stubblebine, who picked up on my use of the aforementioned word, "naturalistic" when discussing my mastering preferences.
He very astutely made a distinction between, "natural" and "naturalistic" where the latter may well employ artificial techniques to give the impression of a natural presentation of a best of all possible worlds. IOW, do what works for you given your artistic vision.

Personally, I usually gravitate towards an elusive balance inclusive of the advantages of all relevant perspectives. For non-classical ensemble arrangements, I often like the "less confused" perspective of removing the lid on a piano with modified Crown SASSP stereo mic pointing down from 1 to 2 meters above the crook, assuming a decent room.

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