
The Authentic Sound Of A Fazioli Grand Piano Is Captured By DPA Microphones posted: 07/11/2019
Sound Designer Paolo Principi chose DPA for this prestigious recording project because he knew he could rely on them not to colour the sound in any way.
When musician and sound designer Paolo Principi was asked to record the authentic sound of a Fazioli Grand Piano for a new Silent System and Virtual Instrument multisample, there was only one microphone brand that he felt could do the task justice - and that was DPA
I wanted to capture the rich and complex sounds of this piano in the most natural way, he explains. For this it was important that I used the best solution for each element of the audio path. I chose DPA for the microphones, Vovox for the cables and Apogee for the converter because each of these brands is renowned for delivering very high quality audio without colouring the sound in any way.
Principi, whose company PSound specialises in sampling and creating virtual instruments, says he was delighted when Fazioli asked him to record its flagship piano - the F278 Gran Coda. To accomplish this task he chose two matched pairs of DPA 4006 Omnidirectional Microphones (including one pair with nose cones for a perfect omnidirectional response across the whole audio frequency range) and a pair of 4015 Wide Cardioid Microphones. These were supplied by DPA's Italian distributor M Casale Bauer and used to record binaural', close' and side' sounds respectively.
I was really delighted by the naturalness, precision and detail that all the DPA microphones delivered. I was also very surprised by the linearity of their frequency response, especially for the off axis sounds (thanks to the incredible nose cones).
Paolo Principi and Paolo Fazioli
Principi recorded the piano note by note (all 88 keys) and across numerous dynamic levels (12 main levels, plus noises and different articulation levels), so that he could accurately realise its entire range of sounds. He also used a special machine to play each key with the same dynamic level and spent a great deal of time working out the best microphone position for each of the three sounds (binaural, close, side) that he was recording. He then listened to the audio in his own studio until he was sure he was obtaining the real sound of the instrument.
I knew I was getting a great sound during the recording session, but it was only when I got into my studio that I realised how wonderful the DPA microphones were because they didn't in any way colour or change the real sound of the piano, he says. What I was hearing was exactly what I had recorded.
Principi adds that, as one of the world's most famous and prestigious piano brands, he finds Fazioli pianos both technically and musically fascinating.
The company has been in existence for nearly 40 years but this project was their first experience with digital sound, so it was important to get it right, he explains. Until now they have been using a standard Silent System made by an external company. While this allowed customers to play an acoustic piano and hear a digital sound through headphones, it didn't give them the original Fazioli sound. Now, thanks to this project, customers buying their very expensive acoustic pianos can hear the original and beautiful Fazioli sound when they play the digital version.
The same attention to detail applies to the Virtual Instruments multisample that Paolo Principi is releasing later this year through PSound (www.psound.it), in collaboration with Fazioli. It will be the only official Fazioli digital virtual piano on the market and will be aimed at composers, keyboardists and digital pianists who want the highest quality sound samples.
The recording sessions for this project took place over the course of one week in Fazioli's own concert hall in Sacile, Italy, using a Gran Coda piano made in 2005 and signed and tested by Aldo Ciccolini.
The binaural 3D sound, for the Silent System, simulates the F278 Gran Coda in the Fazioli Concert Hall, which has excellent acoustics and allows for the possibility of changing the reverberation by moving wooden panels on the stage, Principi says. The close' sound, which is incorporated into the Silent System and the Virtual Instrument, replicates the real sound of the piano from a pianist's point of view. The side' sound gives the audience' perspective and is only used for the Virtual Instrument.
My greatest satisfaction is that when I play the virtual instrument in my studio, I can close my eyes and feel like Im back in the Fazioli hall playing the Fazioli F278 signed by Aldo Ciccolini. As a pianist, musician and composer, the musical feeling is the best test.
Paolo Prinicipi is now so sure that he chose the right microphones to record the Fazioli that he has bought a matched pair of 4006's for his own mic locker and will now be using them for all future PSound Virtual Instrument recordings.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
28/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
28/04/2026
Introducing Nx 3-Strip v2 - A Physics-Based Technicolor Reconstruction for DaVin...
28/04/2026
RT News is pleased to announce the appointment of Sean Whelan as its new London Correspondent.
Sean has held the role of Washington Correspondent for the last...
28/04/2026
Joseph O'Connor, Eileen Walsh, Louise Duffy, Mick Lynch, Gormfhlaith N Thuairisg and Dermot Bannon take a personal look at life 100yrs ago in new TV docume...
27/04/2026
CES Power, a provider of infrastructure for live events, has announced the acquisition of three Ireland-based businesses: GH Energy Rental Ltd, Event Power, and...
27/04/2026
FuboTV Inc. has announced it is developing its Multiview feature for the Fubo streaming service on select LG TVs, including 2024, 2025, and newer 4K and 8K mode...
27/04/2026
Shade, a file management platform for creative teams, has announced a $14 million funding round led by Khosla Ventures, Construct Capital, and Bling Capital, br...
27/04/2026
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) will present the Immersive Audio Academy 12th Edition - Immersive Audio in All Flavors - on April 30, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. ...
27/04/2026
DAZN has announced DAZN48, a creator program for the FIFA World Cup 2026 that will recruit 48 creators - one representing each of the 48 qualified nations - to ...
27/04/2026
FloSports has announced exclusive streaming rights to four CrossFit competitions: Legends Del Mar: CrossFit Semi-Finals, Magic City Games, NorCal Classic, and t...
27/04/2026
Telestream has announced that Pulse, its software-defined test and measurement p...
27/04/2026
Shade has announced it is a Cloud Computing and Storage winner in the 2026 NAB Show Product of the Year Awards. Winners were selected by a panel of industry exp...
27/04/2026
Leading the NBA's video-ads platform, this Penn State grad is at the forefro...
27/04/2026
DAZN has expanded its international broadcast rights for the T100 Triathlon World Tour to include Africa. All races from the T100 calendar will be available for...
27/04/2026
NAB Show has announced the recipients of its 2026 Project of the Year and Product of the Year Awards at a ceremony at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Each wi...
27/04/2026
DIRECTV has launched on Meta Quest headsets, becoming the first MVPD to offer live TV through the platform. The timing coincides with the stretch run of the MLB...
27/04/2026
TBL Team Boxing League has announced a broadcast agreement with MSG Networks to air all remaining Season 4 fights live across MSG's television and digital p...
27/04/2026
IP integration, interoperability, growth of intercommunications were key concerns for vendors and visitors alike
Attendees at the recently concluded 2026 NAB S...
27/04/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
27/04/2026
A pro-audio emphasis, spectrum changes, and on-field audio mark the new products and enhancements to existing offerings
Microphones remain the primary point of...
27/04/2026
The Sports Video Group team was all over the NAB Show floor out in Las Vegas las...
27/04/2026
N r Spotify grundades f r 20 r sedan dominerades musikmarknaden av illegal nedladdning. Sedan dess har streaming bidragit till att teruppr tta betalningsvilja...
27/04/2026
Time on Spotify should feel meaningful and intentional, not something that slips...
27/04/2026
New modular multi-effects plug-in revealed
The latest plug-in from Brainworx delivers a modular set of effects designed to offer a convenient alternative to...
27/04/2026
Kit includes supercardioid & shotgun capsules
High-end mic manufacturer Schoeps have recently introduced another member of their Desert Island Set family. O...
27/04/2026
LA2A-inspired 500-series module arrives
Sound Skulptor have announced the upcoming launch of a new 500-series module that aims to recreate one of the most p...
27/04/2026
SSL-inspired compressor unit upgraded
Stam Audio are well known for their painstaking recreations of vintage audio gear, with their extensive product range ...
27/04/2026
Available for current Nielsen ONE Ads customers, this new capability predicts sa...
27/04/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/04/2026
Nippon TV's In-House Proprietary AI Solution AiDi Wins Product of the Year A...
27/04/2026
Outpost Introduces Unlimited Collaboration Model for Review and Approval Workflo...
27/04/2026
Ikegami Announces VFE-P07D Monocular OLED Viewfinder with Tiltable 3.5-inch LCD ...
27/04/2026
Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large Module-R desk and MediaWall monitor display mount for an expanded master control room at Gravity Medias West...
27/04/2026
Other World Computing Launches OWC Express 4M2 Ultra - Thunderbolt 5 Four-Slot N...
27/04/2026
Back to All News
Netflix announces El sobrino, the new film by Dami n Szifron s...
27/04/2026
Red Seat Ventures Announces Exclusive Multiyear Partnership with Kill Tony The Company is the New Monetization and Distribution Home for the Globally Popula...
27/04/2026
RT 2FM is calling on aspiring DJs across Ireland to take their shot at the spot...
27/04/2026
RT continues to champion Ireland's creative life this May, supporting a broad range of festivals, exhibitions and performances across music, theatre, liter...
26/04/2026
Back to All News
Director Yoon Jong-bin Returns with The Generals' (WT), A...