A grand piano is the standard instrument used in large auditoriums. It’s easy to find information about the recording techniques check this out. The question is what to do if you are a novice or have only an upright piano? The good news is you can still record an upright piano. However, some additional steps might be required to make it sound right. These are just a few of the steps I’ll attempt to cover. But please note that every piano design is different and so is the layout and design in the room it is being recorded.
Most upright pianos are kept against the wall at the rear. It is actually the place where most of the sound originates. Most upright pianos have the ability to open the top lid. But what about those under the keyboard and the sections above the pedals? Although each piano is different in every way, it is best to allow as much as possible. To get the best possible recording, you should remove the piano from its wall. This will allow you to position microphones in the back. Two microphones can be used for stereo recording. It is best to place them approximately one third to half of the way up the rear. The best position will require several recording takes. It is also dependent on the microphone type and its model. Unfortunately, there is not one rule that will work for all. The room decor can also have an effect on the outcome. For instance, a sparsely decorated room with hard surfaces will sound livelier and more reflective than a well-lit room.
You should also ensure that two separate mics are used as a pose for an integrated stereo mic. It is best to have them wired in phase with each other, but it is not required. But if they are wired out-of-phase, the result is likely to be much less than stellar. Phasing indicates that the microphones are responding to each other rather than in an antagonistic way. If you have a stereo system, with separate speaker boxes and an amplifier with ‘bared wire’, this will explain it well. The cable has a pair of negative and positive wires that connect to a latching terminal. You can verify that this arrangement is present in your stereo system by making sure that the positive and negative wires are connected to both the left and right speakers. Then, listen to a track you love and then turn off your stereo system.