It must be noted that even two pianos that are identical in manufacturer and model can still sound very different from each other due to a range of factors, including setup and voicing, age, maintenance and even geographical location. I’ve found that Baldwin pianos, in particular, vary widely in timbre, action and actual volume output between exact models very close in age. Unless you are an accomplished pianist on the same level as the musicians who will be recording at your facility, you are best advised to have one or two discerning pianists you trust help pick the actual instrument before you make your investment.

A grand piano suited for traditional solo piano recording—which is usually acceptable for ensemble orchestral and some jazz recordings, too—should be rich in overtones, though not overly bright in timbre and crisp in action (as we have grown accustomed to hearing in pop, modern jazz and rock music). The voicing and action should be well-balanced from the low to high range of notes. You will also need to secure the services of a piano technician experienced in setting up pianos for classical performance to ensure the instrument responds appropriately to traditional repertoire.

More importantly, this piano should be free of any undesirable sonic anomalies that would be audible during very quiet solo passages. Don’t underestimate the importance of this last point. I’ve come across several pianos that were otherwise fine solo instruments but emitted subtle thuds, creaks or odd mechanical resonances that even the best technicians could not eliminate. These unfortunate blemishes prevented the use of these instruments for any truly great solo piano recording. Even though traditional and classical recording techniques usually place the microphones several feet away from the piano, be sure that any mechanical imperfections (which practically all pianos possess) are not audible when standing six feet from the instrument.

Most likely, a top-of-the-line grand piano intended for classical and traditional recording will cost you the most (easily upwards of $40,000 to $100,000) but will not be the most versatile choice for other styles of music. Because classical pianos tend to sound “darker” than pianos used for pop and rock styles, it’s hard to get a classical piano to “speak” enough for other genres. Even with EQ and compression, a piano designed for traditional music forms seldom creates satisfying tracks for rock and pop. In many upscale recording studios that need to host both types of sessions, the facility has two pianos. (One of the studios I worked in a lot during the early ’90s had both a 9-foot Bösendorfer and a 7-foot, 4-inch Yamaha.)

One last point on choosing a piano for traditional recording: Be sure to choose a piano that has all three pedals. Some smaller grand pianos, like the Yamaha G Series, don’t include the middle sostenuto pedal that is required for much Romantic and Impressionistic repertoire and is a necessity for many jazz pianists.

MIDTOWN
Most commercial facilities have to accommodate a variety of sessions from day to day and don’t have a budget to invest tens of thousands of dollars in either a single piano that is not versatile or in the purchase and maintenance of multiple pianos. If your studio serves commercial, pop and rock sessions, then a piano with a brighter tone and faster action is desirable. Both new and used piano markets are full of instruments well-suited to the task.

By far, the most popular piano that is versatile enough for pop, jazz and rock recording, yet is arguably expressive enough for successful traditional and classical recording, is the Yamaha C Series grand piano. The 7-foot, 4-inch model is my favorite pop piano, with a bright tone, strong overtones and a moderately strong bass. I come across a lot of these pianos on the road, too, and find them to be very consistent. The Yamaha C7 is seemingly less affected by age and geographic location than other instruments; a well-maintained Yamaha C7 almost always produces satisfying recording and performing results.

Reprinted with permission from Magazine, January, 2001
© 2001, Intertec Publishing, A Primedia Company All Rights Reserved