I have a Yamaha GA1 small grand piano. I want to know which microphones are used to record grand pianos. I imagine there are specific microphones, as well as general microphones used by the industry.

I want information so I can decide what to buy, get professional quality, and not regret it.

The piano sounds very nice; it's obviously lacking a bit of bass, but the mids and highs are excellent.

P.S. If you'd like to share your ideal piano channel (compressors, preamps, equalizers, etc.), you're welcome.

P.S. 2: I was told the MXL-603s are highly recommended, right? Thanks.

Thank you.

 

Neumann KM 184 - Top-class small-diaphragm microphone - €879.00
or a little cheaper
Rode NT-5 - Matched Pair Mikrofon-Set - 319 €

 

Last edited: Jul 22, 2025 at 10:16 AM

Really depends on the repertoire, room, player, and of course: budget. At GearSpace they already talked in length about micing piano's, for instance in the 'Remote Possibilities..' -forum. Over there, searching for 'piano' will result in topics like these:
https://gearspace.com/board/remote-possibilities-in-recording-amp-production/1381150-can-we-talk-about-micing-grand-piano-again-2.html?highlight=piano
https://gearspace.com/board/remote-...378817-micing-piano-bass.html?highlight=piano

There's also this great article in SOS, together with audiosamples: https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/piano-recording

 

My favourite recording setup has been a pair of Neumann km184 AB quite wide at hammer position, a pair of Schoeps MK2 XY (same position) and a Neumann U87 cardioid pattern, bass roll off filter, near the last hole of the harp, at the end. Sometimes I had a Sure Beta58 in the middle. All going through a TL Audio M1F mixer, the tubes works at very high voltage (180-200 V) that makes the sound very clean. I would track all this separetely plus a stereo mix with a Neve 33609J. I'd use the Neve just on the KM184 some other times. This on a nice toned Yamaha C3 L.
I tried the DPA 4006 on the side but never liked them much. I like the sound of the piano to be quite intimate.
I think it depends a lot on the genre of music you're recording and on the sound of the instrument (I know, I am stating the obvious). I found, for a quick pop setup on a bright Bosendorfer, that using 3 U87, 2 AB pair and one omni in the mid-low end side, was good enough to get a good result to mix.

 

Definetely small diaphragm microphones. Either Neumann, DPA or Microtech-Gefell.

 

The LDC m930 is a great choice as the cardoid polar pattern is incredibly uncolored, and as well with as the OP intones, that the smaller Yamaha's strength is not in the lower frequencies, and the m930 can be brought forward to the soundboard and tuned to augment what is there by judicious mic placement.

 

From being in a LOT of studios over the years I can only comment on what I know for sure were used...

AKG and Neumann's were the most popular pick.
In home studios, due to the above being expensive, people seem to go for a variety from Rode, Shure SM57 and Sennheiser.

Each to their own.

 

Two omni SDCs in an A-B configuration is probably the most common choice for anyone recording at home or in a smaller studio. DPA 4006, 4007 and 4041, as well as Schoeps Colette mics are very common choices, but they are more high-end mics. I simply use my trusty Oktava MK-012 stereo set, but if I have access to a pair of KM184, DPA 4006/4007 or Schoeps MK2 I would most likely use those. If you can't afford some of the more expensive options, the Oktava MK-012 stereo set is a good budget choice.

 

I love this comment, especially when you tell us you use the Neumann KM184 with a Neve; it's very interesting to know what preamp you use with certain microphones or what equalizer. Very interesting.

What's the hammer position? A cross? I can't see it.

When you had to adopt an A and B position on the microphones, did you then pan them in the DAW? A to the left, B to the right, did you work everything in mono? Except for the final clarification that you were making a stereo recording with the Neve?

 

Last edited: Jul 26, 2025 at 6:29 AM

Any specific DPA model?

 

The 401x series, usually 4011 or 4015.

 

Last edited: Jul 26, 2025 at 9:18 AM

The preamp I used were the TL-Audio mixer, the hi voltage of the tubes provide lots of headroom and is quite. Regarding the KM184, I used to pan them Left and Right (50 or 60), maybe wider when combined with the others. The reason for the Neve was purposely for the sound, most of the time I just engaged both Compressor and Limiter without compressing at all. The circuit of the Limiter is just magic. I almost never EQ'd at this stage, I would try to move the microphones a bit if I wasn't satisfied with the overall sound. Only with the U87 or the 4060 I would sometimes use the onboard EQ to sweeten up the sound cutting off 2-3 db's wiht the high shelves. It's a very musical EQ, the slope is quite gentle, don't remember now how many db/octave.
The hammer position is where you have the music sheet holder (taken out though).

 

Unlike drums, bass and guitar cabs, etc., recording a grand piano, though easy it may sound, is more complex than it appears, more complicated than getting your fe/male singer to belt out in front of a $3,000 or $10,000 mic.

I like that you lead with the brand and model of the piano. That's perfect - the sound of your piano will vary greatly (obviously) between a Yamaha, Bechstein, Bösendorfer, Blüthner, Kawai, Fazioli or Steinway. Rule of thumb is the Yamaha is the Toyota of the bunch, the Steinway is the Mercedes, the Bechstein is the Bentley, Bösendorfer is the Rolls-Royce, Blüthner is the Bimmer, and Fazioli is the Ferrari.

This conflation of analogies notwithstanding, the elephant in the room here is: the room. How big is it, is it acoustically treated, will there be some bleed from the street or waves crashing ashore outside your window, schoolyard behind your house?

Last but not least: is is solo piano (jazz, classical, new age), or ensemble recording (jazz, classical, other)?

For solo piano in a studio, you'll want Omnis (to capture the full spectrum of the bass strings). Typically Sennheiser MKH20s will capture and provide the bulk of your sonics, perhaps supplemented with a pair of large form condensers, and whatever other room mics you put up.

For funk, fusion, jazz, I favor Neumann U87s. The way they naturally compress the transients helps tame the harshness of some pianos, or how some pianists bang on said pianos - a professional pianist should be able to play softer and gentler, but we musicians can get excited and the U87s are perfect for a powerful grand piano sound. I've seen people use AKG 414s also (the vintage ones, not the EBs), and a plethora of other mics (large, pencil, ribbon) in various positions.

Positioning is critical - in the hole, closer or farther from the hammers (more or less percussive), behind the player's ears (triangle for stereo image), etc. There are many, many options. An assistant engineer, familiar with the piano and the room, will ask you what sound you want, and help you achieve it. For your room though, you'll have to wear that hat, and try different positions.

There are so many great mics out there - by multiple, reputable companies - that the focus should be less on the mics at this stage of your recording endeavors, and more on experimenting. Yes, this or that mic will extract an additional 5-15% perception of quality from this or that piano... in a professional studio, or concert hall.

I would recommend getting the best two condensers you can afford (from AKG to AT to DPA, Microtech Gefell to Mojave, Neumann to Røde, Sennheiser to Soyuz, and all the Chinese clones), ideally two large form, two small form condensers, and super ideally, a pair of ribbons as well (if you're serious about recording - Beyer and Royer make great ones) and experimenting recording with your piano.

As far as recording chain, same logic applies: buy the best (audio interface and/or mic preamp) you can get. Some color (good or bad), some don't. Grace Designs have phenomenally transparent mic pres, and some preamps now double as audio interfaces, but quality costs. There are decent and affordable clones of everything classic out there. VintageKing is a good place to start looking.

Ultimately, though there is some science behind it, it's an art (to record a grand piano professionally). Set a budget for yourself, and see what you can squeeze out of your gear - don't forget to factor in mic stands (good ones cost more than a Chinese mic). Good luck!

 

Last edited: Jul 26, 2025 at 2:12 PM

Lets start like that: Do you have any pair of identical microphones yet? (No matter large or small diaphragm?)
No? Do you need to have other stuff recorded? Like singers, guitars or whatever?
As already mentioned, the pros are gonna hit the grand with a pair of schoeps or a pair of km 140 or some other neumann.
And owning those is a good thing, nothing wrong with those besides the price point.
Like I love schoeps, I would throw scheops at anything. And the thing about the piano is that it has a high dynamic, so you want a mike that can handle that and has a low noise floor.
BUT: There is nothing wrong with large diaphragms. There a people out there who use U87 for recording a snare, just because they can.
The large diaphragms have a higher output, thus having a lower noise floor.
The price tag is that the frequency response with a large diaphragm ist not that flat, large diaphragms use to have 'a sound'.
Thats not a bad thing, you can handle that with an eq or you might even dig a little more substance in the lower mids.
So If that grand is that only thing you ever gonna record, go for a small diaphragm, a rode if you're on a budget, a neumann if monney is not the isse or a schoeps if monney never was an issue in your family.
If you already have a decent large diaphragm you love, consider buying a second one of those for more specialized setups on grands or guitar.
//edit// I loved AKGs c414, because they were small and I was able to place them comfortably, since the brand is owned by samsung it is a shell of itself so now I buy AustrianAudio, these are the guys that were AKG back in the times.