Recording performances

[transcendental]

Does the position of the recording device make a huge impact on the recording? For example if I was being recorded with the device situated on a tripod on a table (i.e. very high up), would that make much difference to if it was being held by a person say 10 metres from the piano?

[indianajo]

The room configuration and the type of mike matter a lot to picking the right pickup position.
Cardioid mikes emphasize the direct sound; omni mikes also pick up reverberations from the room.  Super-cardioid (SM58 & copies) is not for instruments; it is for vocalists to hold up to their mouth and avoid picking up the instruments. 
Recording studios have foam on the walls to kill reverberations: real rooms have plaster, wall board, paneling, tile or something else.  Each has its own reverb characteristics.  The art of recording is selecting a mike and position that makes a pleasing sound.  Take earphones with the over the ear cups, and listen to what you are getting electrically.  Pick the position that sounds the best.  I was talking to a pipe organ voicer about how wall and floor treatments can embellish or destroy the sound of a $400000 organ.  He knows a couple of installations where acoustic tile and carpet ruined an otherwise artistically installed instrument.  Pipe organs traditionally are installed in live rooms where the reverberation is part of the proper sound.  Live jazz or folk music, room reverb is not so traditional.  Piano it can be a distraction.
Hand held mikes tend to have a lot of rumble of the hand shaking around.  Either cut the bass below 200 hz with a filter, or if recording piano with sounds down to 40 hz, invest in a tripod.  I use old camera tripods from the charity resale shop - none more than $10.  super 8 cameras are obsolete, but those bell & howell tripods are not, even at 50 years of age.  I use industrial belting as a shock mount, on my $150 (used) microphone. 

[debussychopin]

If you put the camera too high up you'll end up seeing my bald spot, which will affect the way you hear my music, psychologically.

[Bob]

Yep, everything does.  With a single microphone spot, I stick it in the audience or where they'd sit.  That's what they'd hear if they were sitting there.  If there are actual people, maybe higher to get less of their noise (and they will make noise).  Then you could vary it, being closer or farther away, for how much the sound blends.  But it's still where the audience would sit so it's "honest" that way.

My goal in a scenario like this (for me) would be to get an honest recording and not have to edit it much at all, to squeeze the best out the situation.  More like framing the situation rather than enhancing or magically creating anything later.

[quantum]

Yes, mic position matters - a lot.  You can think of microphones as ears.  Move your head around the room with someone else playing the instrument, listen carefully.  If you want to put your recorder on a table, put your head on that same table and ask - does this sound good?

For a video recording it is best to separate the camera from the microphone, as the optimal place for each is usually not in the same.  

Room size, acoustics and instrument also matter.  If you are in a small studio or at home, you might not have space to back up so one needs to make the best of that space.  If you are in a hall with good acoustics you could afford to do more ambient mic positioning and capture the sound of the space.  Generally the further the mic is from the instrument, the more of the space you capture.  Of course you need to strike a balance, because too far from the instrument also means loosing detail. 

[Bob]

It can feel weird if the audio sounds like it's in a different place than the video though.

You can get one of these to line the audio and video up.

[quantum]

It can feel weird if the audio sounds like it's in a different place than the video though.

You can get one of these to line the audio and video up.

You can DIY one of those if you want.

IMO, the best bet is to optimize the mics for sound, and optimize the camera for framing and composition.  If you examine pro video recordings of concerts, notice that the sound does not change as the camera moves around - in other words the mic is not on-camera.

Some of the mics are visible in this one.  Awesome piece too. 

[louispodesta]

Does the position of the recording device make a huge impact on the recording? For example if I was being recorded with the device situated on a tripod on a table (i.e. very high up), would that make much difference to if it was being held by a person say 10 metres from the piano?

For all of those who have weighed on this particular post and many, many other posts ON THIS VERY SAME SUBJECT, BEFORE!, I proffer the following:

1)  Is the piano that you are playing on availed itself to you or yours at no cost?  The answer is no!

2)  Is the room, studio or hall you are recording in available at no cost?  The answer is:  maybe, or maybe not.

3)  Therefore, find yourself an audio tech, of which there are a plenty because rock and roll and classical recordings are exactly the same.  Sound is sound, and volume and volume is the same.

3)  The computer digitalized recording of such is also the same, especially in terms of the "mix."  However, the sound and the film must be recorded separately.

So, look around (they are there) for an audio tech, and then spend the money (not a lot) to make a good recording, with the film being also of the same quality (so it can be "mixed").

And, please record all of this on your own HD camera specific exactly to what they are doing for yourself.

I have "walked a mile in your shoes," and therefore I have lived this experience.  Frankly, if done correctly, it is pure joy!

Go for it!
 

[quantum]

transcendental,

We would be able to give more specific advice if you provided us with more details.  Can you describe the instrument and the performance space.  What is the recording used for? personal journal, archive, demo tape, YouTube, album release, etc.