Favorite Acoustic Guitar mic positions / techniques

M

mgraffeo

New member
So, I'm hoping that this thread might serve as the Kama Sutra of microphone - Ac. Guit. mating...

Favorite positions, types of mics, combinations, etc?

I usually just reach for my NT-3, point it somewhere between the 12th fret and the neck/body joint, and get rolling.

I know that I've read Alan say he prefers the sound of a large diaphragm mic on acoustic. Some folks like pairs (spaced, XY, ORTF, etc.). So, let's hear what you're actually using, and the sound you're going for when you do.

-mg
 
AKG C414B-ULS with high pass filter engaged, in cardioid, somewhere between the 10th and 14th fret, into Avalon AD2022 with whatever bass range isn't cut on the 414 cut on the Avalon.
That's for the live room. If I'm in the vocal booth, switch to omni and turn off all the bass cuts. Or- Shure SM82 on the 12th fret into the Avalon, no bass cuts, no EQ, no compression, 50 ohms impedence (the SM82 is a *line level* condenser mic!)-Richie
 
LD condensor about shoulder-high, BEHIND the bridge pointing at the floor. Wide sweet spot on my Martins with that setup. Just by moving the guitar backwards/forwards or left/right you should be able to dial it in with headphones in nothing flat. I'm getting a very balanced tone from this setup. Not too boomy, and I'm recording dreadnaughts. D-45 in this setup sounds like a cannon!

For stereo place a second mic in the position you described above.

Watch out for phase issues when using multiple mics.

Season to taste.:)

Another setup is LD condensor about 2-4 FEET in front of the guitar. You'll need a dead quiet room and a high-gain/low-noise pre to make this useable, though, once you get beyond about 2 feet.

My preferences (so far) are NT-2 in cardiod, NTV (single-pattern cardiod, a little darker than the NT-2), or BLUE Cactus in Figure 8.

Hope this helps.
 
very amateur opinion here, but:

I use either a Marshall MXLv67G or v93M (LDC's) out in front of the guitar 12-18 inches at about the 12th fret......

then there is a Behringer ecm8000 over the shoulder pointed out in front the guitar.....

both of these go thru Joe Meek VC3Q's, compressed pretty good.....

then there is the direct signal......

so I have 3 tracks of the same performance to play with........
 
Depends on the space I want it to take up...

Stereo:
XY pair of MXL603's 8" away from the 12th fret
XY SP C1 and Rode NT1 as above
Spaced pair with 2mxl603's, one about 8" from the 12th fret, one at the end of the body, both pointing at an imaginary point about 4 feet behind the player - works great for a really wide 12 string. For even fuller sound, swap the body end 603 for a C1

Mono:
Boring old trusty reliable 12th fret position, with 603 or C1

As you can see, I only have 603's, C1 and NT1. But these all work for me...

Steve
 
Well, for today it was a Guild D35 acoustic guitar in the kitchen with one Marshall MXL603S out in front of the guitar neck about 4" at about the 10th fret and about 4" below the neck pointed at the back of the guitar where the neck meets the body.
 
A Martin D-41 finger picked; a KM-184 aimed at the neck/body joint out about 8-12" and a GT AM-52 in figure 8 for a M/S set up. Same guitar strumed; same mics moved back to about 2'. With many of the Dreadnaughts it's wise to stay away from the sound hole as it tends to woof out the mic.
My '55 Martin 000-18; I like the way this one sounds with a pair of Earthworks SR-71's or AT-4033's. I waffle between spaced and X-Y out about a foot and a half. Something I stumbled up on for a vintage sound (sort of like early Beatles acoustic sound) is a SM-57 tight on the neck/body joint. Very woody.
Takamine nylon string; classical style the SR-71's outabout 3' in a spced pair. Playing lead lines with a pick (ala Santana) I put the KM-184 tight on the lower bout of the body behind the bridge. I love the way this sounds.
 
I'm not good at playing solo guitar, so I don't need a sound that captures the whole instrument, from the deep lows to the brilliant highs. I just need a sound that captures enough of the steel-string sound to fit it into the mix without getting buried by other mid-range instruments.

Usually a single mic. Depending on the song I will use any one of my condensers. AT4033 is good because it hypes the highs and lows a little bit and I like that, and it works great for fingerpicked parts because it's so sensitive. I use a Rode NT1000 when I want the most warm natural sound. I use a Marshall MXL603 if I want a lot of "sparkle and zing".

The mic is usually placed 18" from where the body meets the neck.

Sometimes I place a sheet of plywood on the floor under the playing area to get a more lively sound (my house has thick carpet throughout) I use a solid-state class A preamp and usually I limit the sound. I use very little reverb on acoustic guitar because too much can make it a muddy and lose presence.
 
Nothing original...12th fret only for a track in a mix..and for solo at the 12th and one at the 'End pin"..most of the time SM81 on the 12th and a KSM44 on the end pin..I try anything but these are my default approches/mics...




Don
 
This positioning is all defined by the boxiness of the guitar in question.
Usually,with the Taylor guitars, I like the SP B3 in fig 8 out about 12" anywhere from the neck joint down in to the upper bout area and usually will run this through True systems or Art Pro MPA or just the Ghost. Overhead I'll use an ADK SC-1 over the left shoulder pointing down at the neck. The ADK has a nice tight pattern and its bright with body to it and sounds great like this.

Sometimes, I use the ADK A51 out in front of the soundhole with the bass rolled off and a pair of C451L's in X/Y above the guitar and out about 2'.

For leads I very much like the B3 in standard at-the-neck-joint position and I'll mic the peghead with a SD mic...and occasionally will add another SD mic in this area being careful with the phase alignment. You want to hear both mics clearly and theres always the magic spot you find when positioning under the phones.
 
For a rhythm track on my J45, I like an LD condenser at the bottom of the bridge, about a foot away. I get good results from a Marshall V57M. For lead work and finger-style, I use a pair of 603's, one at the 12th fret, one at the treble end of the bridge, and a B3 on omni about 2 feet out, aimed at the soundhole.
 
No one is saying anything about the over the shoulder stereo technique. This technique is supposed to represent what the guitarist is actually hearning.
 
I've definitely used the over-the-shoulder technique, with some sucess. Got some really nice results with a cheap dynamic (AKG D2300S) over the shoulder, with the windscreen off... who'd have thunk it?

I just find that I like the sound at the neck joint a little better for my applications.

-mg
 
acoustic miking

I usually just put on the headphones and move the mic around until I like the sound. My main acoustic mic is an Oktava 219 (highly underrated). For something extra I put whatever else I have lying around on the neck. Not too insightful, but ...
 
I just read a new one to me in the Taylor Guitar Magazine where two SD condensors are aimed at the 12th fret region in parallel about 5 inches apart and 8 inches from the guitar, and then add in the pickup. Haven't tried it yet but sound interesting. It is on the Tayolr site in the Wood and Steel section.
 
Hey Riley?

Can you give a bit more detail on your position - as someone who owns an NT2, plays dreadnoughts, and has never yet succeeded (with any mic) getting a sound I'm happy with, I'm keen to give it a try - I'm just having trouble visualising what you're talking about, position-wise.

Cheers
 
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