How Do You Record Your Acoustic Piano?

Noel Nguyen So I assume I could just get another of what I have? 

Larry K My microphone is cardioid, I think. 

Maria Yes, it is a cardioid microphone, it accepts sound from the front and rejects noise from behind,

https://www.marantzpro.com/products/mpm-1000

I am no expert. 

Usually microphones are matched in a stereo pair. This is to insure they record similarly. 
 

There is also the problem of getting a mic stand and a bar that holds two microphones. The SE8 comes with a bar.

Then there is the camera tripod, and the microphone preamp to supply power to the microphones.

Then, one needs a computer and software to put it all together.

It is quite complicated and expensive. Perhaps I should have picked up an all in one unit, lol.

I am going to try use the absolute horror I feel at the idea of recording myself to encourage myself to practice 50 hours for every hour I try to record.

Maria Technically yes, but I believe your mic is a USB microphone and my understanding is using two USB microphones to record stereo can be problematic. I don't really know much about audio technology either but something to do with internal timings on USB microphones and the fact that software typically recognizes USB mics as a 'one on at a time' device. You have to bypass this in the recording software you use.

The route that always seems to be suggested by audio people I know is to get two XLR microphones and run them into an audio interface; basically a box that can have 1, 2,4, etc. XLR cables plugged into it and then that box connects to your computer. It is essentially converting the sound of various sources from sound waves into digital information that your computer can process and recording on the appropriate tracks.

So a 'simple' stereo setup for recording piano typically includes: two identical XLR mics, at least a 2 channel audio interface, mic stands and / or some sort of mic rail to suspend the mics where you want them, 2 decent quality XLR cables. The mics do not technically have to be identical but it is usually the route people go because it's easier to work with two mics that have the same internal specifications and are intended to work together as a pair. 

Dustin Anderson Mine does have XLR cables. I do have an audio interface, but I just checked and it only has one channel. I guess I will have to get a different one, if I switch to stereo recording. I do have a decent 1-microphone setup.

Maria The one thing I like about my RME Babyface Pro FS is that it is designed to run off of bus power from a USB port on a laptop. They don’t even ship it with a power adaptor.

RME is a German company. I bought mine used from Reverb.

What audio interface do you have?

Maria My mistake. When I look up your mic model it shows it as a USB mic. I will leave all that info though  for anyone else though that might find it useful.

I should maybe add that while a 2-channel interface and another of your same microphone would work for stereo, many prefer to use pencil mics for recording piano in stereo. Besides being very compact and lightweight, they typically have a different recording profile that responds to sudden changes of volume better and give a 'flatter', more honest recording of your sound than larger diaphragm microphones. This is often what classical pianists like because we are usually recording to hear ourselves as honestly / neutrally as possible. However, there is point where the investment cost has significant diminishing returns, at least as far as most people are going to be concerned. 

Maria  For what it's worth, what I have is exactly the basic setup that Dustin suggested.

Larry K I have a Vocaster One. I will probably get a better one at some point.

Dustin Anderson I think the USB model has a “U” at the end of the model name.

I’m struggling with how much honesty I want in my recordings. 

Perhaps an Edison wax cylinder system would be a better choice, something so full of flaws that it masks all of my flaws, lol, something almost inaudible.

Have you seen students improve when they work tirelessly to create a good recording?

Maria I almost think that the microphone stand is more important than the preamp for playing with the sound.

I think you need to get the microphones above the open lid, and that requires a mic stand with a boom and counterweight.

You could open up your piano, removing the top and bottom panels and put the microphones lower, I think.

If I do that, I lose my beloved music desk and would have to have all the music memorized. You have a hinged music desk under the lid, I believe, and so, you would still have a music desk.

I am tall and don’t like the music so low, like on almost all uprights with the fold down music desk.

I just realized that there is a cut out behind my music desk and so I actually listen to the piano sound through that opening. I’m not sure that helps for recording.

There is a story about Glenn Gould, perhaps apocryphal, complaining that the recordings didn’t sound like what he heard. Exasperated, the techs finally hung the mics by his ears. He said, that’s what I hear.

    Maria Today, I received all the gear from B&H. The K&M microphone stand is well built. You can’t go wrong with German products. 
 

The aluminum Manfrotto video tripod with fluid head for just $298 is quite a deal, and built like a tank. I couldn’t trust my expensive camera to a cheap ball head. 
 

And, I got the microphones. 
 

Fun, fun.

The open question is whether I can produce a recording of decent quality without the oversight of a teacher. I fear not.

Larry K I have a boom and a counterweight. I really don't want to remove my panels.