Topic: Microphone suggestions for a specific application

[tooldvn]

What I'm looking for is the best set of new (specifically not used) microphones for these set of specs:

$700-900 budget
Must be able to mic a grand piano and voice and give equal attention.
Have 48v power. (Going to be used with a UA-5)

Give me your best recommendations please.

thx
-dvn

[tadjblack]

ADK 51TL's

[Lee]

ADK 51TL's

Or, pick up some 62 caps for those 480s you have for the piano ($400) and an SM58 for the vocals ($89) and buy yourself a beer or two to toast all the money you saved

[tooldvn]

ADK 51TL's

What can I expect to pay, and where's the best place to pick them up?  (I'm still open to other suggestions tho folks, I'm going to do my homework on all you suggest).   These are decently large, I kind of wanted smaller, but if these fit the bill then I might look into em. Thanks.

[tooldvn]

ADK 51TL's

Or, pick up some 62 caps for those 480s you have for the piano ($400) and an SM58 for the vocals ($89) and buy yourself a beer or two to toast all the money you saved

My 480s are staying with me, this job I have to leave at the piano.  Has to be its own system

[tadjblack]

I think someone on this board got a matched pair of TL's for under $700(speak up boys). These things are big but very versitile- I'm sure they would smoke on the piano and the voice.

[Craig T]

ADK A51TL's.  If you're not doing stereo pair micing, I wouldn't even worry about the matching.

[neutrino]

How about a AT4033. Very nice sounding mic for male vocals, acoustic guitar and electric guitar cabinets.

[AT853rxwh]

We mic our Grand with a sm58.  Technique from one of the sound reinforcement listserv's


Use the short stand for the piano cover
put the mic stand in the crotch of the piano (where it starts to narrow)
Aim the mic so it overhangs (inside the piano) aimed towards the strings past the hammers aiming about 1/3 octave down


That seems to work the best for a single mic.   If you want to do it really right, look into a transducer or a set of 3 mics...

 :twocents:

[pfife]

My TLs were $695, matched.  It was a sale at sonic sense.  If you decide to go with the TLs, hit up Larry at ADK - he's good people... no, he's amazingly cool people.

cut out the middle man...

TL's work really, really well for vocals.  I have never used them on a piano tho...

But, what do you think about 1 mic thats about that range, instead of 2?  Is there a specific reason you need 2 mics?  Might be an ignorant question, but I have never micd a piano b4...

[creekfreak]

the TL's sound sweet, but small they ain't......

[tooldvn]

My TLs were $695, matched.  It was a sale at sonic sense.  If you decide to go with the TLs, hit up Larry at ADK - he's good people... no, he's amazingly cool people.

cut out the middle man...

TL's work really, really well for vocals.  I have never used them on a piano tho...

But, what do you think about 1 mic thats about that range, instead of 2?  Is there a specific reason you need 2 mics?  Might be an ignorant question, but I have never micd a piano b4...

If I could do it with a single mic I guess that would also work, I just want to have the best possible solution to mic the piano and vox equally.  She is using this as a composing process, record as she gets an idea, then play it back later. This isn't going to take the place of a finished studio recording, but I want the very best so these rough edits can be saved for posterity.  I'd like the voice and piano to have a good balance.

Oh and the reason I wanted them as small as possible is because want her to be able to take on the road with her if needed, and also be unobtrusive to the eye.

Thanks to everyone else for your ideas too, I'm still researching everything anyones proposed.  Keep em rolling

Thanks,
-dvn

[jpschust]

let me suggest doing something a bit different than what you've seen here.  i think two sets of mics might be a better route for you to give you some more options.  pianos can be very very tricky in that a half inch this way a half inch that way changes the sound entirely.  i wanna go to my old throwback and say www.studioprojects.com.  might look at their entire line- most of it is within your range even new.  for small diaphragms look at the c4's.  i wouldnt bother with the tube route on a piano, something cleaner would be better imho.