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Captures the complexities of piano with ease
It took 5 minutes to set this up on my Steinway Model B, a beautiful instrument I have always struggled to capture on record, and the results were incredible on the first pass. The omni capsules are forgiving enough that placement becomes a matter of taste - adjustments are about getting the last 10% out of the sound rather than the usual struggle with piano mics, where a small nudge can lead to unusable results.
Despite being wonderfully discreet, the PM40 kit offers accurate capture of the tonal variation, dynamic range and the complex harmonics inherent in the piano sound. Although the mics sit close to the strings, they give a really full picture of the instrument as a whole - all you need to do is add an extra pair of omnis sitting further back (or even just a small room reverb) to get a complete sense of the piano in situ. The proximity of the mics to the strings also means that remarkably little sound from outside the instrument makes it to the capsules - my room is a living space rather than a treated studio and I was amazed at how little extraneous sound crept in.
Build quality is also very good (with a sturdy flight case), although I do worry slightly about the slender wire that connects the mics to the interface box - it's convenient compared to having two fat XLR cables trailing out of the piano, but you need to watch it carefully when repositioning the bar, as it is quite thinly insulated and has a tendency to catch in the gap between the frame and the lid.
Overall, a pretty expensive purchase for me, but worth every penny - absolutely transformational in terms of how I will record piano from now on.
Despite being wonderfully discreet, the PM40 kit offers accurate capture of the tonal variation, dynamic range and the complex harmonics inherent in the piano sound. Although the mics sit close to the strings, they give a really full picture of the instrument as a whole - all you need to do is add an extra pair of omnis sitting further back (or even just a small room reverb) to get a complete sense of the piano in situ. The proximity of the mics to the strings also means that remarkably little sound from outside the instrument makes it to the capsules - my room is a living space rather than a treated studio and I was amazed at how little extraneous sound crept in.
Build quality is also very good (with a sturdy flight case), although I do worry slightly about the slender wire that connects the mics to the interface box - it's convenient compared to having two fat XLR cables trailing out of the piano, but you need to watch it carefully when repositioning the bar, as it is quite thinly insulated and has a tendency to catch in the gap between the frame and the lid.
Overall, a pretty expensive purchase for me, but worth every penny - absolutely transformational in terms of how I will record piano from now on.
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