Compression question....
Home > Home Recording Forum > Gear Gab > Compression question....
Posted on May 02, 2005 02:37 pm
Jason H.
Jack of all trades master of ___
Member Since: May 28, 2004
Should compression be used when recording a piano???
It seems to me, it would be a sin to alter a signal so pretty like one that comes from a good piano...but the reason behind my question is....
The place I am taking my lessons has a need for a volunteer person to help record the recitals as a keepsake for the kid, person, family etc...The guy doing it now has not caught onto the digital recording world just yet...he only knows analog...He said his first was too hot, second was too low.
So I think its a perfect opportunity to fulfill my hidden want to "give back" by doing some volunteer work...But at the same time I want to have a grasp on what I am doing before I offer up the willingness to bring my studio out and donate my services for this volunteer work...
[ Back to Top ]
vdalehubbardLost for words with all to say.Contributor
Since: Sep 12, 2003
May 02, 2005 02:53 pm I think compression would do it good to make the volume level all the same. I know I use it on my keyboard with the piano sound to give it a higher sitting on the mix and everything else seems to fit with it better that way with a whole band. Mainly, it helps with fitting the guitar with it. It's worth a shot to see if it helps volume wise.
May 02, 2005 03:11 pm Try it out and listen to how it sounds. You will probably want to set the compressor up in such a way that it is as transparent sounding as possible. If you can easily hear it working on piano, it's probably not going to sound good.
olddogMember
Since: Jul 02, 2003
May 02, 2005 03:20 pm I think a a bit of compression would be good as well, keeping it transparent as possible, as Porpoise says, You just want enough to keep the volume fairly even.
Dan
Josh RoseJR ProductionsMember
Since: Mar 03, 2005
May 02, 2005 04:48 pm Be sure not to over do it though. For piano recitals, its only the piano, so the dynamic levels are almost as important as the actual piece. But maybe you should consider that the kids might use this as a learning tool (ex. see how their dynamics were). I would put a very minimal amount.
Jason H.Jack of all trades master of ___Member
Since: May 28, 2004
May 02, 2005 06:07 pm Well...as I said before the guy they got recording grew up in the analog age and knows little about digital...from the way it seems. I cannot really fathom compressing the signal of a piano, but I don't know how the peaks fluxuate on the meters...
So I look at it as a precautionary tool I guess...
May 02, 2005 08:21 pm i say it depends on the context of the song...
if you're bangin' chords like on "great balls of fire" then you could benifit from some compression....
but the paino is a beautifully dynamic instrument, if you're dooin' singer/songwriter stuff with maybe an acoustic guitar thrown in, then i wouldn't...
May 03, 2005 12:03 am Perhaps using a compressor as a limiter would do some good. Try to find a good level for displaying dynamics, and use a limiter to cancel out the odd note that peaks.
