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Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 16
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Joined: Dec 2012
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Hello, I'm new to the world of recording but would like to record my grand piano. I've heard using 2 condenser mics in a stereo XY pattern is a good approach. I'm on a budget of $200 or less total. What are my best options for 2 condenser mics at this budget? Thanks for any info.
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 321
Full Member
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Joined: Jul 2012
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I use a pair of CAD m179s. They are a bit above the price point you mentioned, but not astronomically high. You can get a pair for $250. The advantage of this pair is that you can try our various configurations, which you cannot try with fixed configuration mics. I have tried all 3 configs mentioned in this video with varying degrees of success: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XlN3kc1Hx0
Last edited by rlinkt; 02/02/14 02:18 PM.
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Joined: Jan 2009
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3000 Post Club Member
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My first pair of mics were the M-Audio Novas. $99 each, and did a nice job.
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Joined: Mar 2011
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2000 Post Club Member
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My first pair of mics were the M-Audio Novas. $99 each, and did a nice job. Are these mics that one could connect to a Zoom H4n recorder? I'm pretty clueless about recording but would love to get a better sound than I can with the built-in mics.
1989 Baldwin R
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Joined: Jun 2009
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1000 Post Club Member
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I don't have that much experience with mics at all. However, I picked up a Blue Yeti (there are two versions - $80 standard / $180 pro), a three-condenser mic in a single package, and it seem to be high on the quality to price ratio. You can find my original thread when I was experimenting with the Yeti a little here: http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/2146005/New_mic_-_Blue_Yeti_Pro_/_Samp.htmlDo watch Chrono Trigger's YouTube post in my thread. It's a pretty nice recording.
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Joined: Apr 2013
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1000 Post Club Member
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I record with a Zoom H2n. I wanted to go with something not too complicated since I knew nothing about recording. Trial and error has led me to some basic settings. It's not perfect. But more than exceeds my expectations. Only thing I added was a mic boom so I can position the recorder up where the sound is.
1918 Mason & Hamlin BB 1906 Mason & Hamlin Es
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Joined: Jan 2014
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Might consider the Audio Spectrum OSM800 Platinum Series. This article has good info about recording a piano: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan08/articles/pianorecording_0108.htmI really like the sound from inside the piano, right above the middle of the soundboard in an xy configuration, but you can listen to them all and decide for yourself.
Poetry is rhythm
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 90
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The MXL/Marshall 603s is also a nice microphone on a budget and absolutely worth checking out. They have a rather wide pickup pattern, so they wouldn't be my first choice for applications requiring good isolation, but for recording a solo piano in a nice room, they should do the job well.
For use with a Zoom recorder you need some device that will power the microphones, like a preamp, a small mixer or a dedicated phantom-power supply. Or you opt for microphones with internal battery supply - in the budget range that could be the Shure PG81, the AKG C1000 or the Rode M3. I have a pair of PG81's, and while the isolate considerably better than the 603s, they need a lot of preamp gain for a condenser microphone. Otherwise, they are decent, reliable tools.
Best
Andreas
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Joined: Jan 2009
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3000 Post Club Member
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My first pair of mics were the M-Audio Novas. $99 each, and did a nice job. Are these mics that one could connect to a Zoom H4n recorder? I'm pretty clueless about recording but would love to get a better sound than I can with the built-in mics. I believe the H4n has two XLR inputs with phantom power, so, yes.
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Joined: May 2001
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6000 Post Club Member
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Not that I have any experience with these, but considering your budget, these might be interesting for you, provided that you use them in close miking situations. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/C02
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 3,543
3000 Post Club Member
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3000 Post Club Member
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Be careful when you are choosing your mic to look at the frequency response. The bottom note on a piano (iirc) is around 30hz, so you'll probably want a mic that can pick up notes that low.
Poetry is rhythm
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Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:34 PM
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Piano
by Gino2 - 04/17/24 02:23 PM
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