Piano Recording in Berlin

The Yamaha G5 grand is the default for most sessions — classical recital, jazz, and any production where the piano is a lead voice. The Seiler upright suits songwriter sessions, ballad parts and contemporary textures where a smaller, more intimate character fits the song better than a full concert grand. We're glad to talk through which one fits your project before you book.

Yes — solo recital repertoire is one of the most regular bookings on the piano. We typically build the mic'ing around a Decca tail pair or a spread of large-diaphragm condensers across the bend, depending on how present or how roomy you want the sound to feel.

Yes — piano accompaniment for a soloist, whether a singer, a string or wind player, is a regular session type, balanced so the piano supports rather than competes with the solo line. For voice specifically, this pairs naturally with our vocal recording service; for repertoire that wants a real hall acoustic rather than the studio room, our on-location classical service is the better fit for both instruments together.

Yes — piano is often the centre of a jazz session here, tracked alongside bass and drums with a close ORTF pair inside the lid to keep the piano present and separated from the rest of the kit. Ribbon mics are also an option for a warmer, rounder character.

Yes — for rock and pop productions we typically go tighter and more controlled, often down to a single dynamic mic through the frame hole or a close pair, so the piano sits cleanly in a dense mix alongside drums, bass and guitars. We'll match the approach to the reference tracks you bring in.

Anywhere from one to seven microphones, chosen by genre rather than habit: a Decca tail pair or large-diaphragm condensers across the bend for classical and solo work, a close ORTF pair inside the lid for jazz, a single dynamic through the frame hole for rock and pop, and an outside ambient ORTF pair when the room itself should be part of the sound. We've also worked with mid-side (MS) setups for specific projects that call for adjustable width in the mix. When the piano really belongs in a concert hall, we bring the same thinking on the road as part of our classical on-location recording service.

Yes — felt, soft-pedal and prepared-piano techniques are available on request, useful for songwriter sessions, film-style textures or any production that wants the piano quieter and more intimate than its natural voice.

Yes — regular tuning and voicing at 440 Hz is part of the studio's running cost, and for longer projects we book the tuner partway through so the piano stays consistent across days.

Yes — this is a normal singer-songwriter booking, and one of the most common ways our piano and vocal recording services overlap. The vocal can go into the isolation booth with a sightline to the piano, or stay in the room with a close vocal mic and careful placement, depending on how live you want the take to feel.

Yes — multi-velocity sample sessions with multiple mic perspectives are part of the regular calendar. Tell us the format you need and we'll plan the mic'ing around it.

Yes — we work with a small circle of trusted players across classical, jazz and pop, and can suggest the right name once we know the brief.