Tips on recording acoustic guitar?

[Tawlks]

Hey guys,

I know lots of you have done home or studio recording, and I was wondering the best way to record acoustic gutiars for my Music Technology A level course.

I'm recording for myself and a friend in the year above who is also doing 'Wish You Were Here' by Pink Floyd.

I only have access to a few mic's, I don't have the names with me but I have a condensor, a dynamic and a matched pair of another sort, I can't remember the type.

 

[craftm1]

Just set a mic up where you will be playing and sit or stand and position your self with either the mic infront of the sound hole or off to one side, (usually of to one side works better). You will probably have to play with the positioning a bit. Now depending on you guitar you will also have to gauge the distance from the mic. I have a Gibson Dove that records nicely at close proxcimity and have a Taylor that I have to set back about 2 feet to get good recordings. I also use a second mic placed further away as a room mic recorded on a seperate track and mix these two tracks together at mix down.

Use a good tube pre amp and all will be good. Have fun with it and play with the mic placements to get the richest tone you can.

Hope this helps.

 

[MatrixClaw]

A set of SDCs (Small Diaphragm Condensers - the "pencil mics"), one at the 12th fret and one at the sound hole pointed towards the bridge.

 

[Audioholic]

I use a LDC Mojave MA-200 up above and pointing pretty much downward towards the sound hole, then a SDC AKG 451 at about the 12th fret. I then also take the direct out from my Taylor and go up the center. Pan out the 2 mics and walla, awesome acoustic sound. Blend the direct up the middle for a little more instant clarity

 

[Ventura]

A set of SDCs (Small Diaphragm Condensers - the "pencil mics"), one at the 12th fret and one at the sound hole pointed towards the bridge.

This.

Direct from sound hole is usually quite horrible. Up the neck, in and around the 12th fret, a bit of distance, very warm. Pencil mics are good, and if you can get a larger diaphragm mic for above (as in, head level), it adds a warm ambience to the mix.

V.

 

[ke2]

The strummed guitar here was recorded with a Røde NT1 and a line from a Fishman Rare earth single coil.
(Left channel?) My buddy played a nice Takamine with a Behringer Røde-lookalike and lined.(right channel?)
It`s his stuff, though

If I was recording acoustic guitar on a daily basis, I`d get myself an NT1, no doubt.
Youtube degrades quality, I have a .wma-file as well, and it`s positively beautiful.
It`s the brown Ibanez

 

[Tawlks]

A set of SDCs (Small Diaphragm Condensers - the "pencil mics"), one at the 12th fret and one at the sound hole pointed towards the bridge.

my college has a matched pair of these. Thanks for the tip. My guide track was recorded with an omni-directional condensor and was.. alright. Cheers.

 

[Tawlks]

I use a LDC Mojave MA-200 up above and pointing pretty much downward towards the sound hole, then a SDC AKG 451 at about the 12th fret. I then also take the direct out from my Taylor and go up the center. Pan out the 2 mics and walla, awesome acoustic sound. Blend the direct up the middle for a little more instant clarity

I haven't thought about DI'ing, won't that take some of the richness out of the sound? I know the soundhole is quite low end focussed, so, like bass doesn't need the sensetivity that high end does for acoustic guitar recording, is that correct?

 

[Tawlks]

The strummed guitar here was recorded with a Røde NT1 and a line from a Fishman Rare earth single coil.
(Left channel?) My buddy played a nice Takamine with a Behringer Røde-lookalike and lined.(right channel?)
It`s his stuff, though

If I was recording acoustic guitar on a daily basis, I`d get myself an NT1, no doubt.
Youtube degrades quality, I have a .wma-file as well, and it`s positively beautiful.
It`s the brown Ibanez

my college has a Rode Nt1 so I'll definitely give that a go tomorow. That's a beautiful top on that Ibanez by the way.

 

[ke2]

my college has a Rode Nt1 so I'll definitely give that a go tomorow. That's a beautiful top on that Ibanez by the way.

Do that!
My buddy put it around the 15th fret on the neck, and pointed it towards the sound hole.
Yea, the Ibanez is great. My mom bought it to me for my 12th birthday in 1984, and it`s been with me ever since.
I put it through some repairs early this summer. There was a crack in the side, where the right arm rests. (Top and bottom are okay), and new, big frets. It`s been played at least 4 times a week every day for 26 years, and sounds lovely. It was a fairly expensive guitar in 1984.

 

[Audioholic]

I use a LDC Mojave MA-200 up above and pointing pretty much downward towards the sound hole, then a SDC AKG 451 at about the 12th fret. I then also take the direct out from my Taylor and go up the center. Pan out the 2 mics and walla, awesome acoustic sound. Blend the direct up the middle for a little more instant clarity

I haven't thought about DI'ing, won't that take some of the richness out of the sound? I know the soundhole is quite low end focussed, so, like bass doesn't need the sensetivity that high end does for acoustic guitar recording, is that correct?

I end up with 3 tracks, 2 mics and a DI. Blended appropriatly. If you have a good sounding DI, it does not take away from anything, really can add a nice center imo. My taylor has a pretty natural DI, so it really adds something blended up the middle with the mics capturing more of the room and acoustic.

I have also used 3 mics, 2 stereo LDC's several feet back, and a close SD up on about the 12th fret pointed towards the sound hole. Blend in the room mics accordingly.

 

[crwnedblasphemy]

condenser.....need to use one.

 

[JakeAC5253]

Condensers are good to use for acoustics. I've recorded my best acoustic tones using 2x SM57's, but they needed the pre-gain cranked pretty close to max. I had one angled toward the bridge as noted above and the other I forgot what fret it was at... 7th maybe? Why 7th? Sounded good, was in phase, balanced well with the body mic. Ears are your best tool here.

 

[IHateRap]

I like the Rode NT4. Matched condensers, x pattern in one mic...

 

[crankyrayhanky]

I like the Rode NT4. Matched condensers, x pattern in one mic...

Yes that mic kicks ass on acoustic- always perfect phase! Often multi-mics sound weak due to placement issues

Walk around with the acoustic and find the room in your house/studio that sounds the best- regardless of treatment....a great sounding room is key, then you need minimal micing tricks

 

[mboogman]

I've always had the best results setting a mic up behind the bridge, at roughly a 45 degree angle pointing at the sound board. It brings out all the natural timbers of the guitar, and transient response is much better at this location than any other I've tried. It does take a good mic to make the most of this method though.