Yamaha A1

The Yamaha A1 is a high end acoustic piano brought to you by the largest musical instruments manufacturer in the world.  Across the board, the Yamaha A1 is a great acoustic piano.  It not only has a great look and stellar feel to the keys, but truly has a beautiful sound that makes it a great choice for recording.  I've been using the Yamaha A1 for a few years for recording sessions and I can truly say that I'm always happy with the sounds that I get with this piano.  The sound of the piano is extremely full and vibrant, with tons of shine to its sound.  It is a full size piano with 88 keys and the standard three foot pedals.  For recording I usually throw up two Shure SM81s or Neumann KM184s and a large diaphragm Neumann condenser microphone like a U67 or U87.  I put the Neumann in the center of the piano while I put the small diaphragms on the high and the low end of the piano.  The result is a wide sound that covers the entire spectrum of this beautiful piano, capturing all the subtle nuances that this instrument has to offer.  I rely on Yamaha for a number of products all across the board including instruments and pro audio gear, but since they got their start making pianos, this is really what they are best at and the A1 is a prime example of their craftsmanship.  Since this is a high end piano with all of the features and great sound you expect with that, the price of the piano is pretty expensive, but is priced right and is a good deal as far as high end pianos go.  If you are looking for a great acoustic piano for any occasion, the Yamaha A1 is just about as good as any out there.