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Feeling weird to put myself out there like this but just want some feedback.
A little about me, been playing since I was 9 or so, never professionally or in music school, just taking private lessons the whole time. Just recently got a new (used) piano and then some microphones in order to try and record myself.
I know the high end is a little more prominent in these recordings, I think I gotta work on my mic placement.
Gear: 2 Omni1 mics from Line Audio Audient ID14 mk2 interface Olympus EM10 Mk2 camera with the 25mm 1.8 olympus lens. Audacity for post
You play very well. Thanks for sharing, and welcome to the forum. As for the "mic placement" you said you think you need to work on, have you tried an ORTF microphone configuration about 30 cm above the middle of the soundboard, with Mic 1 routed to the left ear and Mic 2 to the right? (The sound quality is not nearly as nice if you let the digital audio workstation blend the two channels into one mono channel. Gotta keep 'em separated.) ORTF configurations are discussed about halfway down this excellent article on stereo recording techniques and setups (thanks Hakki):
I've found that the ORTF configuration makes the recording sound as if the listener is at the keyboard with you. This handy microphone stereo bar makes setting up ORTF and other stereo microphone configurations easy (the mic clips shown don't come with it, but hopefully you already have those):
The video I posted just below yours on the subforum list shows an ORTF setup in action. You can hear the bass more in the left ear and the treble more in the right.
^ Correction: I see you have omni not cardioid microphones, so I don't believe ORTF will work. There is the AB stereo setup, however, in the above-linked article.
^ I would also try the AB stereo setup 30 cm over and pointed toward the middle of the soundboard, with Mic 1 closer to the base, routed to the left ear, and Mic 2 closer to the treble, routed to the right ear.
^ I would also try the AB stereo setup 30 cm over and pointed toward the middle of the soundboard, with Mic 1 closer to the base, routed to the left ear, and Mic 2 closer to the treble, routed to the right ear.
Hi! Thanks for the feedback!
My setup was around 5.5-6ft away from the piano to the side, and about 180cm in the air. Microphones are about 25-30 cm apart. I referenced the diagram posted here a lot, this one here this one here:
My current mic stand prevents the full 18 inches apart, so they're quite close together...I'll have to think of some way of jerry rigging something to hold them apart, maybe a different spacer.
I love almost everything about this performance, especially the Bach, which I think is exquisite. It's interesting to me that I was so convinced by your interpretations of the prelude and fugue respectively, because I approach them very differently. I like to really drive the prelude along with a fairly aggressive tempo and spiky articulation, whereas the fugue I tend to think of as more melancholy and brooding--slower too. However, your versions make perfect sense, particularly the fugue which builds beautifully as the new subjects appear. Great control and very nice tone throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I liked the Chopin too, though I think the middle section could go slower and you need a more supple and linear legato in the RH octaves. Also, the transition back to the double octaves I think should be more gradual--a curve rather than a leap. Other than that, terrific! The apotheosis (il piu forte possibile) could possibly have been a tad more dramatic, but I still found it satisfying.
I love almost everything about this performance, especially the Bach, which I think is exquisite. It's interesting to me that I was so convinced by your interpretations of the prelude and fugue respectively, because I approach them very differently. I like to really drive the prelude along with a fairly aggressive tempo and spiky articulation, whereas the fugue I tend to think of as more melancholy and brooding--slower too. However, your versions make perfect sense, particularly the fugue which builds beautifully as the new subjects appear. Great control and very nice tone throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I liked the Chopin too, though I think the middle section could go slower and you need a more supple and linear legato in the RH octaves. Also, the transition back to the double octaves I think should be more gradual--a curve rather than a leap. Other than that, terrific! The apotheosis (il piu forte possibile) could possibly have been a tad more dramatic, but I still found it satisfying.
Well done indeed!
Thank you, SiFi! Such kind words on the Bach, I really appreciate it!!!
I'll take the feedback on the Chopin too! I also thought the middle section was a bit...clinical? sterile?
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