how much does it cost to record your pianopiece?...(quality recording)

[sportsmonster]

i want to record my piano pieces.....and then i can put it on a cd....or put it on internet for downloading.......or i can listen to it myself.

but how will this cost.
or maybee the more right ting to ask is: how much does the equipment cost?

[quantum]

You may wish to look at this thread on mics:
https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,10124.0.html

With my current setup:
2 Studio Projects B1 mics, Edirol UA-25 interface, mic stands and cables it cost me around $600 Canadian. 

[sportsmonster]

thankyou for that perfect response.......now i wonder if they have this stuff in any stores around?.....or do you have to order it?

[quantum]

I got all my equipment from a Canadian store called "Long and McQuade".  https://www.long-mcquade.com/

When searching for equipment I found this website verry helpful for scoping out different products and their prices.  The fact that it has multiple brands side by side with prices also made it much easier than going to the independent manufacturer websites.  Note, I have never made purchase from them but they seem reputable.  https://www.zzounds.com/

Make sure you check manufacturers websites for detailed product specs, and search for independent customer reviews of the products.  I chose my Studio Projects mics because of the great number of good reviews they have and I am completely satisfied with my decision. 

[steve jones]

Its best initially to consider the quality of recording you wish to make, and compare this whats possible at your current place. If the instrument and room arent good, then the recording wont be. It may be good enough to make amateur recordings, but for a professional CD you need good quality.

If, to the best of your judgement, you dont think a DIY recording is possible, then put that money into a professional studio session. If you have really nailed your pieces and play them perfectly in a couple of takes, then it should cost a vast amount. Do some shopping - I found a place that would let me have the room, Yamaha grand and an engineer for the day, for £200. This is a fraction of what a studio setup would cost, AND would sound significantly better.

So my advice is to go with a pro studio, unless you have all the requisites already in place.

[classicarts]

i want to record my piano pieces.....and then i can put it on a cd....or put it on internet for downloading.......or i can listen to it myself.

but how will this cost.
or maybee the more right ting to ask is: how much does the equipment cost?

I just started to record because the fact that alot of people in here does.  It all depends on how much you want to spend just like anything else.  I have to say if you want a decent beginner's recording equipments, it's around $600 to $1000, including the multi/edit software.  And of course, if you want something superior, the sky is the limit.   

[steve jones]

You can literally build a software studio for nothing using freeware. There are so many great freeware programs and plugins, that you never need to buy a single piece.

Hardware wise, you'd need:

- A digital interface
- Mics
- Preamps

If you are crafty you can get much of this in one, like the Protools Mbox for example. This little fella has two decent micpres with convertors, plus a copy of the basic PT software and some free plugins. All you need to get then is the mics - AKG C414, Neumann TLM103 are two very nice condensors that goes for good money second hand. But, you would probably get by just fine with a pair of NT4's or something like that.

Honestly, its not expensive to get adequate gear that will perform perfectly well. As I mentioned eariler, the more important factors are the instrument and room. If these arent in place, then you really are wasting your time. Not to say you cant make recordings, but they will always be severely compromised.

If you need any advice dont hesitate to send me a pm.

[sportsmonster]

ah....thankyou......you probably just saved me hours of work

by the way....the room to record in: does it have to be a special room ment for recording.
some people probably record in their own living room......or while they are performing on the stage?

[steve jones]

The room is important, especially for piano imo. Consider this:

The closer the mic, the less reverberation from the room. So the closer the mic to the source, the less important the room becomes. Piano is usually recorded best using an overhead pair, meaning that there are several feet between the mic's and source. This means that the acoustics of the room will have considerable influence on the recording.

Now, room size if probably the biggest factor. If you have a good sized room, with the instrument positioned just off center, then you should be fine to make recordings. The problems arise when you have small rooms, particularly with hard, bear walls. If this is the case, then I would recommend draping sheets and duffets over all the reflective surfaces, then using a reverb plugin to simulate a suitable acoustic space. If you use one of the convolution reverbs along with an impulse response from a nice concert hall, it can sound quite convincing!

But as always, its a mix of gear vs engineering skill. If you have the engineering chops, then you'll be able to get the best from any situation. Conversely, if you have no skills, then not the best instrument, room or signal chain will help you. Maybe you could borrow some mics and have a mess around, see what you think?

But I still say that the best results will always come from a professional studio - you get the best instruments, rooms, gear and engineers all in one room! But it all depends on the quality you want and the amount you're prepared to invest.