KVR Audio

Gregjazz · Post by **Gregjazz** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:20 am

Nobody showed up to my recording studio tutor session, so I took the time to make a quick solo Jazz piano recording.

http://www.gregjazz.com/upload/somedaymix2.mp3

I was a little experimental with the mics, using two AKG C2000B mics for both the treble and bass.

How's the mixing? Do you think it sounds alright to have the treble panned right and the bass panned left, like from the pianist's perspective? Or is the standard the other way around?

Any mixing tips are most welcome, as well as ideas for reharmonizations or arrangement-related things.

Watto · Post by **Watto** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 3:18 pm

G'day mate,

I've got to listen at a low volume, because it's after 1am here, but this sounds awesome! It's a little bright for me, I think, but other than that

I'd love to scat over a comping section if you'd let me

Kromeclutch · Post by **Kromeclutch** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:29 pm

Sounds professional! ...your welcome.

Anyways, the treble and bass idea works great on this song! I like it!

griels · Post by **griels** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:37 pm

Awesome playing - and the mix sounds very ambient and 'roomy' - refreshingly realistic sounding.

Gregjazz · Post by **Gregjazz** » Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:13 pm

Thanks, guys!

Usually I use the AKG 414 on the treble, and the AKG C2000B on the bass, but I noticed how well the C2000B picks up frequencies, so I decided to just use two.

The brightness is the piano itself. It's a Kawai baby grand that's been in the studio for a long time and suffered much loud playing from other users. (so the felt on the hammers has worn down, as well as the unisons--which need better tuning)

Glassback · Post by **Glassback** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:41 am

Excellent. I'm expecting Sam Slade to walk through the door at any minute...

Laguna Rising · Post by **Laguna Rising** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:43 pm

it sounds really good, the piano and the room...
Excellent playing

Cheers

mayan · Post by **mayan** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:13 am

holy shit! that was excellent...Bill Evans is smiling. I'm -like- thoroughly agog.

kilroy · Post by **kilroy** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 4:50 am

I missed this...nice piece of work here, mate.

Gregjazz wrote:Do you think it sounds alright to have the treble panned right and the bass panned left, like from the pianist's perspective? Or is the standard the other way around?

This is exactly the way I always do it for solo piano work where the primary intent is to capture the character of the instrument as nicely as possible.

Any mixing tips are most welcome...

I would be probably be inclined to balance the piano this way for a bit more authority and intimacy...

http://www.headroomproductions.com/Mast ... EQedit.mp3

...just my personal take on this, though Greg.

Jazzyspoon · Post by **Jazzyspoon** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:28 pm

I'll call this superb martini jazz. Very nice work. melancholy without being depressing. Subtle without being boring. Thanks for sharing,
jazzyspoon

p.s. Mic technique is approved. you did well.

zeoy · Post by **zeoy** » Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:49 pm

Excellent playing GregJazz

Sorry, but I don't like the recording technique because:
- right channel very bright esp. at high velocities
- inconsistent color between left and right (mainly because right is too bright)
- stereo image too wide. sometimes it sounds like more than one piano
- do I hear some phasing? I'm not sure but the sound comes a bit chorus-y

It may work well in a mix but as solo is a bit too much to my ears

Just my honest thoughts. Don't take them very seriously. After all, I've never recorded a real piano

Watto · Post by **Watto** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 3:16 am

Yes, it wasn't just ME you ignored

Watto · Post by **Watto** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 3:37 am

Btw, I'd really need a comping section to scat over - couldn't really find enough space when I just had another listen

Gregjazz · Post by **Gregjazz** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 3:43 am

zeoy wrote:Excellent playing GregJazz
Sorry, but I don't like the recording technique because:
- right channel very bright esp. at high velocities
- inconsistent color between left and right (mainly because right is too bright)
- stereo image too wide. sometimes it sounds like more than one piano
- do I hear some phasing? I'm not sure but the sound comes a bit chorus-y

It may work well in a mix but as solo is a bit too much to my ears

Just my honest thoughts. Don't take them very seriously. After all, I've never recorded a real piano

Great input! Sorry I didn't notice this until now.

Spot on about the stereo image being too wide and the inconsistent color. Actually, someone else commented on that and since then I've been making it more like the width of a real piano.

I've also been trying different mics and other setups. Here's something I engineered (and played piano on) a few months ago for someone's project:

http://www.gregjazz.com/upload/TwoAMexcerpt.mp3

Same bright piano, but this time I'm using some different mics, and I also put a relatively thin blanket over the top of the piano (which is full-stick open) and that cleared up a lot of the reflections I was getting off of the walls.

Gregjazz · Post by **Gregjazz** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 3:46 am

Watto wrote:Btw, I'd really need a comping section to scat over - couldn't really find enough space when I just had another listen

Yeah, I had the same thought when listening to it again. I don't have access to record that piano at the moment, but I could always play it through one of my keyboards. Or I have an upright piano that could be mic'd, but I need to tune it--some of the unisons have misbehaving of late.

Someday...