I have made several recordings of the harp and the piano using different techniques: Some with the Beyerdynamic ribbon microphones, some using the Geofon and the Shaeffler contact microphones.
(I only have pictures of one of the harp sessions)
*The contact microphone cuts off some of the sweetness of the sound so I ended up not using much of the recordings. Try again with a different type of microphone?
The following two audio files are a rough edit of some of the piano recordings done with the ribbon microphones, plus some pipe blowing. I am more interested in the mechanical sounds of the piano than the melodic content, so the mic-ing was done accordingly. I find these microphones render the softness and warmth I am looking for.
This audio file is a layering of some Soma Lyra recordings, piano recorded with the Geofon, some clicking done with perfume bottles and some squishing sounds of lotion on latex skins processed through Isotope de-clicking and de-crackling (so that only the ‘unwanted’ sounds remain).
I have also done some recordings on Moog Matriarch to later use as layers. Again, I am looking for softness, but a full kind of softness.
Christina Vantzou’s album Multi Natural is one of my sonic inspirations at the moment.
*soft borders* *matemorphosis* *resonance and restrain, liquidity and long tails* – from her band camp description*