Poorhouse Productions Piano Mic Shootout

In April of 2005, a shootout of 11 different pairs of microphones on piano and 12 different mics on upright bass was recorded using the same sample of (jazz) music performed some 14 times! My mission was to create the source recordings necessary for the critical listening evaluation and eventual purchase of a pair of microphones for piano in a Jazz trio setting.

Evaluated were the DPA 4006, 4011, 4041 & 4061, Sennheiser 441 & MKH 800, Microtech Gefell M930 & UMT70 (Bass only), Earthworks QTC-1, Josephson C617 w/ Gefell Capsule, Royer SF-24, AEA R88 (Piano only) and Neumann M147 (Bass only).

Each microphone pair was tested in a spaced configuation above the soundboard as well as X/Y and ORTF above the soundboard and at the tail or knee of the piano. The mics were also tested in front of the upright bass and inserted into the tail of the bass.

Copies of the mic shootout, with 2 CDs containing 39 recordings of piano, 25 recordings of upright bass and liner notes including charts for identifying tracks by microphone or placement are available now.

The price of the shootout CD set is $20 plus postage.

To order a copy, send an e-mail to jdugger@yahoo.com with 'Piano' in the subject line. This is a small volume affair, so anticiapte it will take a day or so for me to respond. I accept PayPal, or we can arrange to speak via telephone and I accept Visa, MC and Amex.

Check out the session pictures for each take.

Find out who was involved and made this recording possible.

Listen to three different examples of already mixed takes.

Read more about the genesis of this project at Lynn Fuston's 3dB