I have moved the mics to a fairly neutral position for each of the following 4 pianos. This worked quite well, but threw up an annoying hot spot around 1316 Hz on the NY Steinway Model D offering which I had to EQ.
For your delectation I include at the bottom the unEQ'd version so you can hear it for yourself.
Enjoy!
NY Steinway Model D - neutral mic placements
https://forum.modartt.com/uploads.php?f...0Field.mp3
H Steinway Model D - neutral mic placements
https://forum.modartt.com/uploads.php?f...0Field.mp3
Boesendorfer VC - neutral mic placements
https://forum.modartt.com/uploads.php?f...0Field.mp3
Shigeru Kawai SK-EX - neutral mic placements
https://forum.modartt.com/uploads.php?f...0Field.mp3
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NY Steinway Model D - neutral mic placements without EQ
]]>Changing the microphones to Stereo is something I would not recommend unless you revoice the instrument and possibily rework the effects. Thanks for your response. Not many presets have a stereophonic mic position - a quick glance brought me to C. Bechstein DG Cinematic. None for the 4 pianos I tested above! I suppose the same applies to the Monophonic Mic position as well; it's not recommended unless you revoice the piano and change the effects?
BTW, to see where the mics in Stereophonic mode are located: open the mic panel and double click on the grey area. For a given instrument, the stereo mode mic position is the same for all presets, but the sound will not be the same as the other parameters are different. Clicking on the small grey area as you suggest reveals the wide gamut of stereo mic setting per instrument. I had thought setting the mics to stereophonic would level the playing field not knowing how PianoTeq achieved this, I can see that comparing apples and pears with oranges and kiwi is fruitless! Thanks for educating me, I still like the Steinways and don't think they should be written off just because two new kid have joined the range.
Thanks for taking the time to make a comment!
Looking forward to all pianos having a mandolin rail with variable height for those truly 'tacky' nights in with Mr Joplin.
]]>PianoTeq Steinways still hold their own...
Here I have taken the Classical Recording setting of each of the four following pianos and changed the microphones to Stereo and set the width to 5... No other settings have been altered.
Changing the microphones to Stereo is something I would not recommend unless you revoice the instrument and possibily rework the effects. Most presets have been voiced according to their particular microphone configuration, and a voicing which fits well to a given mic configuration may not fit another configuration. The timbre alteration produced by changing the mics is somewhat unpredictable. This is also true for micing in the real world.
BTW, to see where the mics in Stereophonic mode are located: open the mic panel and double click on the grey area. For a given instrument, the stereo mode mic position is the same for all presets, but the sound will not be the same as the other parameters are different.
]]>Here I have taken the Classical Recording setting of each of the four following pianos and changed the microphones to Stereo and set the width to 5... No other settings have been altered.
Here's what they sound like:
NY Steinway Model D
https://forum.modartt.com/uploads.php?f...STEREO.mp3
H Steinway Model D
https://forum.modartt.com/uploads.php?f...STEREO.mp3
Boesendorfer VC
https://forum.modartt.com/uploads.php?f...STEREO.mp3
Shigeru Kawai SK-EX
]]>Glad you found a microphone setting pleasing to you own ear!
It does not make it a Bechstein but it certainly clears up the muddiness I found in the default microphone placement through my system.
]]>Remember the wise words of Philippe Guillaume:
We could indeed make (our) life simpler and use for example the same mic settings for the "Warm" preset of all instruments. The problem is that it is usually not optimal: a given configuration which works well [for one] piano does not necessarily work well for another. The same issue happens in real life because the acoustic fields generated by two different pianos are unique. For that reason we spend quite a lot of time finding 'nice sounding' mic settings. Something similar happens with other parameters and even the effects-That's (acoustic) life!
Inspired by your microphone placement, I copied the Bechstein 3 UB7 mic arrangement onto the S&S D instrument... much better
]]>So to cheer the NY offering up, here is a quick comparison highlighting what a simple movement of microphones can / cannot do. I like the change, you may not as this is all subjective?
Original
https://forum.modartt.com/uploads.php?f...el%20D.mp3
Variation
https://forum.modartt.com/uploads.php?f...iation.mp3
And for those interested:
Original
Variation
