Piano microphone system

The PianoMic™ System was designed to revolutionize piano miking and achieve an incredible improvement in piano sound for live and recording applications with no mic stands or booms. There is more gain before feedback, significantly less leakage from surrounding instruments and the same pristine sound quality with the piano lid either up or down.

At the heart of the system are two Random Incidence, omnidirectional, 40 kHz High Definition Microphones™. With a frequency response of 4 Hz to 40 kHz, the mics deliver extraordinary impulse response and extremely short diaphragm setting times. In addition, the microphones exhibit no proximity effect, regardless of their distance from the piano strings or soundboard. The mics, when positioned close to the sound source, also provide incredible gain before feedback.

Listen

Comparative Piano Recordings at Full-Stick

• AKG C414 cardioids at full-stick
• Audix SCX25 cardioids at full-stick
• dpa 4011 cardioids at full-stick
• B&K 4007 omnis at full-stick
• Earthworks PianoMic™ Random Incidence omnis at full-stick

Comparative Piano Recordings at Half-Stick

• AKG C414 cardioids at half-stick
• Audix SCX25 cardioids at half-stick
• dpa 4001 cardioids at half-stick
• B&K 4007 omnis at half-stick
• dpa SMK 4061 omni microphone system at half-stick
• Earthworks PianoMic™ Random Incidence omnis at half-stick

Comparative Piano Recordings with Lid Closed

• AKG C414 cardioid with lid closed
• Audix SCX25 cardioids with lid closed
• dpa SMK 4061 omni microphone system with piano lid closed
• Earthworks PianoMic™ Random Incidence omnis with piano lid closed

PianoMic™ at Full-Stick, Half-Stick and Lid Closed

• Earthworks PianoMic™ with piano lid open (full-stick)
• Earthworks PianoMic™ with piano lid at half-stick
• Earthworks PianoMic™ with piano lid closed

Comparative Piano Recordings with Full Chromatic Scale

• AKG C414 cardioids
• Neumann TLM 170 cardioids
• dpa 4006 omnis
• Earthworks PianoMic™ Random Incidence omnis

PianoMic™ Compared to Piano Pickups

• Helpinstill 120 Piano pickup
• Barcus Berry 4000 contact microphone
• Earthworks PianoMic™

The optimal placement in the piano and mic positioning will provide incredible results.

PM40 User’s Manual