Acoustic Guitar Recording 101

kcearl said:
Excellent thread..and thanks for taking time out to post it.

I have difficulties recording my acoustic (most instruments in fact lol) I have a condenser and a dynamic...would it be best to have the condenser near the hole and the dynamic on the neck? or just use the condenser?
Click to expand...

Not sure if anyone responded, didn't want to look through 11 pages, but if it's still relevant (3 years later) i'd go with the dynamic near the hole if your condenser is a small diaphragm, and then then the condenser at the neck. If it's an LDC i'd switch em, condensers have a higher frequency response range typically. Especially in the high's. Hope this helped.
 
Hi there.
I'm trying to get "The" sound of my acoustic guitar, or better I'd say a good sound.
I made this clip in Mid-Side technique, using a large diaphragm condenser mic Rode NT2a in figure-of-eight mode, and a supercardioid small diaphagm Rode NT3. Would you please tell me whether you find something "wrong" in this sound? I'm not yet allowed to post URLs so please copy-paste this link on your browser:
soundcloud.com/memyguitar/prova-registrazione-mid-side
 
Hi,
It sounds pretty good to me. Have you done any equalization on the track yet? To me it sounded a little to treble or tinny in spots, could do with a little, let me stress "little", bit of bass boost. Maybe position the Rode a little closer to take advantage of the proximity effect. Just so you know, however many replies you get to this post, you will receive as many different opinions. Mine is not necessarily right or wrong for that matter, just my opinion.

Overall, I liked the piece. Keep refining it and getting the timing tighter, I felt that in a couple of spots you rushed it just a bit.

Cheers
 
I equalized only the two NT2a L-R panned tracks (the original and the phase-inverted copy), this way:

Eq NT2a.jpg

Would you suggest any other equalization?
 
MeMyGuitar said:
Hi there.
I'm trying to get "The" sound of my acoustic guitar, or better I'd say a good sound.
I made this clip in Mid-Side technique, using a large diaphragm condenser mic Rode NT2a in figure-of-eight mode, and a supercardioid small diaphagm Rode NT3. Would you please tell me whether you find something "wrong" in this sound? I'm not yet allowed to post URLs so please copy-paste this link on your browser:
soundcloud.com/memyguitar/prova-registrazione-mid-side
Click to expand...

I think that sounds pretty sweet. I'm no expert, but I loved your style and the sound. Nice job...
 
Illsidgus said:
Hi,
... Maybe position the Rode a little closer to take advantage of the proximity effect.
Click to expand...

Thia take was made in MS setup, so the relative positioning of the two mics (the NT3 supercardioid being over and very close to the Fig 8 Nt2a) is not compatible with a closer positioning of just one of them. Anyway, forgive my ignorance, what do you mean by "proximity effect?
 
MeMyGuitar said:
Thia take was made in MS setup, so the relative positioning of the two mics (the NT3 supercardioid being over and very close to the Fig 8 Nt2a) is not compatible with a closer positioning of just one of them. Anyway, forgive my ignorance, what do you mean by "proximity effect?
Click to expand...

"Proximity effect" is the increased bass response when closer to a mic. It's often used by vocalists (and talk show folks on the radio)--by getting closer to the mic, the low end of the source is more prominent. I think in this case, since he thought the low end of your guitar was a bit lacking, it might be remedied by a closer mic position.
 
WhiteStrat said:
...I think in this case, since he thought the low end of your guitar was a bit lacking, it might be remedied by a closer mic position.
Click to expand...

Uh, I see; actually, I played a brand new OM, which building was completed just 8 weeks ago, the topwood is Italian spruce and it will take some more time to break out the full basses; moreover, here actually RH is at 75% !!
I'll try anyway a new take staying closer to both mics.
 
MeMyGuitar said:
Uh, I see; actually, I played a brand new OM, which building was completed just 8 weeks ago, the topwood is Italian spruce and it will take some more time to break out the full basses; moreover, here actually RH is at 75% !!
I'll try anyway a new take staying closer to both mics.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think it's worth trying, but to my ears, the low end isn't that lacking. And it might just need an eq tweak.
 
WhiteStrat said:
Yeah, I think it's worth trying, but to my ears, the low end isn't that lacking. And it might just need an eq tweak.
Click to expand...
MeMyGuitar and WhiteStrat,
I suppose that it could just be my hearing. I worked around fighter jets for almost 25 years and could have some hearing loss in the lower frequencies, I don't know that as a fact. To me it sounds like it need a small tweak in the lower frequencies. Other than that I like you technique and your song.
 
sounds awesome. i'm having trouble getting the full sound that you have. I use one mic, but i copy and paste the track and pan one left and one right...but this does nothing. can anyone help?
 
ryansteffes said:
sounds awesome. i'm having trouble getting the full sound that you have. I use one mic, but i copy and paste the track and pan one left and one right...but this does nothing. can anyone help?
Click to expand...

When we speak of "double tracking" we mean actually playing the part twice, and then panning those.

Copying & pasting does nothing (as you've discovered). Since it's the same exact sound, there's nothing different for your ear to hear on the left vs. the right. But when you play a part twice--even the same exact part--there are a myriad of tiny, subtle differences. Those differences create the full sound you hear. Yeah, you need a click track (or some metronome/rhythm device), but it's worth it.
 
ryansteffes said:
sounds awesome. i'm having trouble getting the full sound that you have. I use one mic, but i copy and paste the track and pan one left and one right...but this does nothing. can anyone help?
Click to expand...

That's not MS recording at all. First of all, you need two mics, one of them must be settted up in "figure of eight" mode or at least in omnidirectional mode.
Meantime, i made some further steps on sound treatment and this is the last update:

click --> REMIXED & REMASTERED
 
MeMyGuitar said:
That's not MS recording at all. First of all, you need two mics, one of them must be settted up in "figure of eight" mode or at least in omnidirectional mode.
Meantime, i made some further steps on sound treatment and this is the last update:

click --> REMIXED & REMASTERED
Click to expand...

Let's not confuse the guy. :) Maybe he can tell us whether he was referring to my original post (which was not MS, but rather double tracking) or your example of MS. In either case though, you're right--copying and pasting the same track doesn't get you there.
 
I hate seeing all these Full Sail ads around everything on this site. I worked there for 5 years as an advance recording instructor.

This site doesn't appear to be fitting.
 
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