Stereo micing question

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davecg321

New member
I only have two mics at my disposal. A rode nt1 (large diaphragm) and a rode m3 (small)

Is it still possible to capture a full tonal picture of the acoustic guitar using a standard stereo mix technique in this way (bridge panned hard left and neck panned hard right) using different types of condensers?

On another the note, the m3 seems to sound louder/bigger than any large diaphragm condensers I've used when used alone. However it does seem to have more noise/hiss. Is this common a common trait..?

;)
 
I would worry most about the top end not matching closely enough so that the "air" around the guitar is significantly different on each side. You can live with some variation lower in the spectrum because you're really capturing two different sources - mic differences will be tough to tell from actual source differences. That top end, though, could make it sound lopsided fast, as though one of your ears is listening to a completely different room than the other.

As with anything, it completely depends on everything else, so the only way to know if it works in this particular situation is to try it. That would be quicker and more definitive than asking us. I have never really dug that style of image for acoustic guitar even with a matched pair. It sounds wrong to me and I never use it.
 
So much is perception with acoustic guitar, and context. If it is the only instrument supporting a vocal, the low end content can be let loose and a bit of boom from the soundhole can actually make it sound more realistic. Like the previous poster, I dislike the sound of hard panned mics as you described, if you sit six feet away from a guitarist the guitar comes from one point of reference. Try panning them in unexpected ways, and see if you can get the guitar to sound as if it comes from a single source, with the multiple mics acting more as filters, if that makes any sense. If it needs more brightness, add the SDC, if that source is brighter e.g.......
 
I almost never used the same mic for the bridge and the neck on an acoustic. It's a non-issue because you are trying to get two different sounds from each. (boom from the bridge and bright from the neck)
 
I depends if you want "stereo" or "two different sounds" a la Farview.

Personally, I shoot for stereo, using the same mic in both locations and let the difference in sound come from the positioning, not the type of mic. Having heard both the NT1 and M3, they're pretty different and I don't think you could call the result "stereo".

That said, it depends what sound you're after. Try it and if you like the result, great, if not, treat it as a learning experience.
 
Twin mic capture is fine, and popular, but it is NOT a stereo technique in the true sense, and hard panning left and right makes a listener dizzy! A little separation pan wise is nice, but it must be subtle.

Proper stereo in X/Y or A/B variants needs identical mics so that polar patterns and frequency response match. hence why for really critical purposes, people buy matched pairs at a price premium. It's all about image shift. You want every note played on an instrument to stay in that place in the soundscape. Two dissimilar mics make certain notes shift left or right slightly. That's not going to be the best way to capture sound.
 
Right, using two mics doesn't make it a stereo mic technique, but you can use them in a stereo mix. I don't see any benefit to using a true stereo mic technique on a guitar unless it's a solo guitar in a cool acoustic space. I've used the body/neck method, but my best acoustic guitar sound comes from a good player on a good guitar into one good mic.
 
A solo guitar in a nice acoustic is one great use for stereo miking but the other cheat I've been known to use is to artificially spread the stereo field when the guitar is mixed with a solo voice--cut's a bit of room in the mix for both. However, it would likely be a bit much if the sound was too different in quality, i.e. totally different mics. Anyhow, sorry for going a bit OT.
 
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