Recording acoustic guitar

J

Jay123

New member
For recording acoustic guitar I'm wondering what would be the best techniques suited for these mics to gain the sound I want . I have a audio technica at4040 and am about to buy either a single nt5 or a matched pair . For using two mics at ones to record the guitar would you say using the two nt5's would offer the best sound or using one nt5 and my at4040 ? I'm looking for a warm deep tone and quite a large one . So two nt5's or nt5+ AT4040 ?
Thanks
 
Jay123 said:
what would be the best techniques suited for these mics to gain the sound I want
Click to expand...
Far and away the best technique for the mics you've mentioned is the experimental technique of trying them out in various combinations and positions.
 
I typically mic my acoustics with an AT4040 on the 12th fret, 8-12" away from the neck, and an AT PRO37 at the bridge, same distance. I use the 4040 because it's a bit bright, and I like the "sparkle" it gives to the strings.

If I want to warm it up a bit, I'll use an AKG C414 in place of the 4040. The 414 is very flat, and the playback, to my ears, sounds exactly like what I'm hearing when I play. The AKG C214 is the same as a 414, without the multi pattern options of a 414, so you might check into a 214 if you're going for warm.

I have no experience with the other mics you mention. I really like the 4040 though, great mic once you learn it. It's not good for my voice for instance.
 
The type of sound you're looking for is one aspect. Knowing the type of music you're recording is another. Mic choice / array also depends upon musical context.

If you buy a single NT5, you'll never own a matched pair by buying another one. If you buy a pair, then you have a matched pair and that may be useful for other things.

You'll find a lot of people here using single mics on acoustic quite successfully. And you'll find people using two mics of different types. As Grim says, it's all a bit experimental. Trick is not spending money on stuff that you end up not using. When I work out exactly how that's done, I'll let you know... :D

What I wouldn't do is buy a SINGLE NT5 for the reason above, however. There are other options if you think you only want to buy a single mic.
 
grimtraveller said:
Far and away the best technique for the mics you've mentioned is the experimental technique of trying them out in various combinations and positions.
Click to expand...

Massive :thumbs up: To me, experimenting is half the fun of recording :)

Armistice said:
If you buy a single NT5, you'll never own a matched pair by buying another one. If you buy a pair, then you have a matched pair and that may be useful for other things.
Click to expand...

Also a very, very valuable point! A matched pair of SDC's can be super useful for numerous things.

I tend to be one of the "two-mic-on-acoustic-guitar" guys, but what i use and where varies hugely depending on the guitar, the player, the room, the style of the song etc etc. I'm currently a big fan of using a ribbon mic and an LDC; either in a M/S position a couple of foot back aimed at the neck join, or having the Ribbon aimed around the 12th-14th fret about 1 foot back and the LDC down just below the bridge. Then again, this works for what i'm doing at the moment, but as Grim and Armistice say, experiment and see what works for you :)
 
Justsomeguy said:
Massive :thumbs up: To me, experimenting is half the fun of recording :)



Also a very, very valuable point! A matched pair of SDC's can be super useful for numerous things.

I tend to be one of the "two-mic-on-acoustic-guitar" guys, but what i use and where varies hugely depending on the guitar, the player, the room, the style of the song etc etc. I'm currently a big fan of using a ribbon mic and an LDC; either in a M/S position a couple of foot back aimed at the neck join, or having the Ribbon aimed around the 12th-14th fret about 1 foot back and the LDC down just below the bridge. Then again, this works for what i'm doing at the moment, but as Grim and Armistice say, experiment and see what works for you :)
Click to expand...


+1 on this :)
 
I take every mic I own( + the pup in the gtr) place them all over the room and hit record. If I don't like the results, I move the mic's around some and do a do over. Sooner or later I'm bound to get it right.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top