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Pro Studio
Edition e-Newsletter
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| In Session
with Al Schmitt, Part I: Recording Piano |
 Al,
how do you capture the nuances of the piano?
Next to the human voice, the piano is the most difficult instrument
to record. My approach depends on the circumstances of the session.
If I can isolate the piano, like I do when I work with Danilo Perez
and Joe Sample, I will put a couple of mics inside the piano and then
a stereo mic, or a pair of mics, outside the piano to get the ambience
of the room.
I always use [Neumann] M-149s inside the piano, which I switch to
omni pattern. The reflections inside the piano enhance the overall
sound.
Outside the piano, I may use a C-24 (a AKG large diaphragm stereo
condenser) or a couple of B&Ks (Bruel & Kjaer model 4011)
to pickup the sound of the piano in the room, the ambience.
Now, if the piano is in the room with a band, and you need a little
separation, then I’ll use the same mics, the two 149s inside
the piano, but I’ll use them in a cardioid pattern to minimize
leakage into the piano tracks.
What kind of a room do you look for to do a piano recording?
The room itself plays a big part in a piano recording. My rule of
thumb is that the better the piano sounds by itself in the room, the
easier it will be to capture that sound. This may sound obvious, but
you’ve got to be in the studio with the musician playing to
hear what the piano sounds like. Get a mental image of that sound
and then go into the booth and try to capture that using some of these
tips.
If you’ve got a good player, a good instrument and a good-sounding
room, you really shouldn’t have to do too much at the board.
There are three studios in particular, that I’ve had a lot of
success with for piano. Studio A at Avatar is where I recorded Joe
Sample and I record Diana (Krall) there all the time. The other is
Capitol, both A and B, those rooms are so nice because you can adjust
the wall surfaces in A to more wood facing the musicians, which gives
you a nice warm, woody sound. The third room that I like to record
piano in is Bill Schnee’s studio in North Hollywood. He’s
got this great old custom board, a wonderful sounding room, and one
of the most incredible collection of microphones.
Where do you place the room mics that are outside the piano?
If you open the piano wide with the full stick, I put the room mics
at the curve of the piano casing. Although they are next to the piano,
since they are set in omni pattern, they pick up the whole room. This
results in a full, lush sound.
How about the “inside mics”?
I’ll aim those toward the hammers to capture the attack sound
and I’ve got them as high as I can get them before I hit the
lid, it’s probably about 18” away from the hammers. There’s
one on the low end and one on the high end of the piano’s register.
You’ve got to make sure it’s an even sound across the
entire range of the instrument. If someone plays every note from top
to bottom, each note should have equal value in the control room.
How many tracks will you use to record the piano?
If it’s featured or solo piano, I’ll use four tracks to
record it. Otherwise, if it’s part of a rhythm section, I’ll
use two tracks. I always pan the low register to the left and the
upper register to the right. Then I’ll blend in a bit of the
ambience tracks to add the depth and richness that the room provides.
Can you give us an example of this 4-mic technique?
I’ve done three albums recently with Danilo Perez where I’ve
used this technique. (Check out Till Then, Motherland
or Central Avenue by Perez, released respectively in 2003,
2000, and 1998.) I used the M 149s and the room mics on each of those
releases.
I also used that set up on two wonderful albums I did awhile back
with Joe Sample, Spellbound (1989) and Ashes to Ashes
(1990). In both cases, the piano was in a booth and we used the four
mics to get a nice, rich ambient sound.
When I did those albums with Joe Sample, I was using the C-12 mics
inside the piano, but now I would definitely use the M149s. They have
a smooth, balanced sound that works perfectly on piano. I have five
of them and use them all the time.
What about compression on the piano tracks?
Well, if I were going to consider any compression on acoustic piano,
I’d want to use a tube compressor, and only use a touch, unless
you’re looking for some kind of an effect.
Noted for the range and depth of his experience, his easygoing manner,
and an unprecedented 12 Grammy® awards for his engineering artistry,
Al will be sharing a number of engineering tips he’s learned
over the years over the next few issues of Pro Studio Edition.
Al’s recent credits include Diana Krall’s “Live
in Paris” CD and DVD set on Verve, and Natalie Cole’s
“Ask a Woman Who Knows,” on which he shared engineering
duties with Elliot Scheiner. A more complete discography can be found
on www.allmusic.com.
Click
here to read Part II of our interview with Al Schmitt: Recording Acoustic
Guitar.
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