Recording an acoustic

[Mixxit12]

One of our artists just purchased a sweet Tachamine acoustic geeeeetar. Usually I mic acoustics (typically a 4050) but when she had this thing plugged into our PA it sounded SWEET! Is there ever a time that the pick-up is going to sound better than micing?

[scrubs]

No
No
No
No
No
No

Unless, of course, you want to sound like Melissa Etheridge or some new-age crap.

[TelePaul]

Takamines are gig-ready, workhorse guitars. And they do sound amazing unplugged too. Most Takamine models come with a pre-amp for the reason you just described, in a live performance. The cool tubes pre-amp found in MOST Takamine models, when coupled with a nice acoustic amp will give you a great amplified tone. While Scrubs knows his stuff, and I'd never disagree with the guy, you might wanna satisfy your curiosity by recording direct and micing, maybe blend the signals.

[Track Rat]

On board pickups ALWAYS suck compared with miking.

[Micter]

Originally Posted by Track Rat

On board pickups ALWAYS suck compared with miking.

Exactly!

[mrface2112]

Originally Posted by Track Rat

On board pickups ALWAYS suck compared with miking.

agreed. however i almost always print a DI track from the pickup too. sometimes that pickup will give some extra "flavor". i often like to tuck the DI track in under the mic tracks, too.

maybe put a little chorus or distotion on it or something. or, depending on the song and arrangement, the pickup sound might be exactly what's needed for a part of the song.

for example: say you've got a song where the acoustic is the main guitar throughout the verses, and then some electrics come in for the chorus (and they leave after the chorus). it might be nice to keep the acoustic "in the mix" for continuity's sake, but the mic tracks might take up too much sonic realestate. or maybe you want to change something up in the bridge. oftentimes the pickup track will give you exactly what you need in those cases.

often, too, if you're laying down basic tracks with a drummer, the DI'd pickup will cut through the mix better than a mic'd acoustic will, and can serve as an excellent guide track.

regardless, i consider it an "additional option" rather than the primary when recording acoustic guitar.


cheers,
wade

[BigRay]

I really love my LR Baggs M1 pickups..but generally, no..it isnt going to sound as nice.

As far as micing, I love using a combination of ribbons and condensors. one for the "bite" and one for the smoothness.

[Mixxit12]

Originally Posted by mrface2112

for example: say you've got a song where the acoustic is the main guitar throughout the verses, and then some electrics come in for the chorus (and they leave after the chorus). it might be nice to keep the acoustic "in the mix" for continuity's sake, but the mic tracks might take up too much sonic realestate. or maybe you want to change something up in the bridge. oftentimes the pickup track will give you exactly what you need in those cases.


wade

I like this idea.

[Nick98338]

Most all of the stuff that I record... of me playing, that is... is done with two, or more, guitar parts. One part is almost always an acoustic, with a bridge pickup, plugged straight into the audio interface. Other parts are an acoustic in front of a mic. Various mixtures. Some people like to "double" the guitar by "cloning" a guitar track, and tweaking one track, different than the other. Me, I mix separate tracks of totally different sounding instruments. A majority of the time, I'd say I use the guitar with the pickup for rhythm parts only. I do most of the lead work with the mic'd guitar.

[K.P.]

I would say the pickup sounds differently. maybe it's what you need... maybe not.

I'd never rule out anything.

[surfmaster]

i dont like the sound of the acoustic di'd, but i have miced a nice acoustic amp in another room, alongside my regular mic set up, and it sounded great.