Recording Acoustic Guitar?

S

Sal Paradise

New member
hey

i have problems with recording my acoustic guitar. i try to get a sound
like bob dylan on his two acoustic records "world gone wrong" and "good
as i been to you". i like the full sound of the guitar and would like
to get a similar guitar sound on tape. sadly i tried everything i didnt
suceed. i have a epiphone acoustic electric and tried nearly all recording
styles. microphone, direct to the 8 track, direct to the amp. everything,
all i get is either a treble sound with no real warmth or fullness or a
sound like of a toy guitar. always used to record with electric guitar so
this is new for me...can anybody help me out? i am also in search of sites
with general information on recording acoustic guitar.
please post links and information here or even better email me.
salvatoreparadise@hotmail.com

thanks,
sal
 
i am using a dynamic microphone, the brand is
called "audio technica" i think, AT 9100.
i tried different mic placings but its always
the same toy guitar, cheap sound. tried it
with just mic to 8 track, or thru the guitar
amp. different sound combinations, everything.

sal
 
I'm afraid you have the wrong mic for the sound you want. You might think about a small diaphram condenser like a Shure SM-81. Better yet a pair of them. Personally I like middle/side micing for acoustic guitar. You'd need something like the SM-81 and a multi-pattern mic capable of a figure 8 pattern. The small dia. cardioid condenser pointing at the guitar at the 12th fret about 6" away and the figure 8 mic about 3' back with the pattern looking left and right of the guitar.Record these on two tracks. Keep the close mic panned up the center. Take the figure 8 track and split it; pan one split to one side, invert the polarity of the other and pan it the other way. Very nice stereo sound that collapses to mono well if you have to with minimal phase type of damage (you just lose "stereo" with out changing the tone too much. My humble opinion of course.
 
I'm afraid recording with an electro-accoustic doesn't really work. I have a honer electro-accoustic and when I recorded with it the sound was really 'tinny'. Hardly anyone records with electro-accoustics so I bought myself a Martin D1 and the sound is not comparable. Playing my honer now sounds like a 'tin can'.

So if you want the perfect sound I'm afraid you might have to dig deep into your pocket. By the way what epi. is it?
 
Definately try to get yourself a condenser mic,they are more sensitive to subtle fluctuations in the sound of the source than dynamic mics,and this is especially noticeable on more delicate sounding instruments like acoustic guitar.Dynamics work fine for electric guitar 'cause the sound coming off the speaker has a reduced bandwidth and if it's a tube amp,the tubes compress the dynamics anyway.But for acoustic instruments condensers are what you want.Cheers!
 
Sal, I'm afraid the 'elders of wise' are absolutely correct on this one. Good tools of your trade are essential. I too had troubles with the 'tinny' sound; however I was recording an acoustic Gibson CL-30 special. Playing live, the Gibson yeilded a warm beautiful mellow sound. However my recording sucked out loud. So, after doing my homework on this I found that my microphone was the problem. I now use a Shure SM94 backed with performer 500 monster cables. The sound is very good and clear. Think about upgrading your mic or if you believe your mic is sufficient try upgrading your mic cables. Trust me you won't regret the investment. Be good.
DL.
 
Hi Sal,

I'll second what everyone else is saying. You need first and foremost a decent-sounding dreadnaught or auditorium-sized (OO) acoustic guitar.

No mic in the world will make a crappy guitar sound good, especially not if its an acoustic.

Then get a decent condenser mic. Even a lower budget condenser like the Rode NT1 or the CAD (Equitek) E-100 or E-200 will do a decent job on acoustic.

A preamp like the ART Tube MP, or Tube Pac will also help get that warm sound. Obviously, you can spend a TON of money on mics and preamps. That's up to you, I don't feel it's necessary, especially for the home recording enthusiast.

But, as I said.. you can't make a good sound without a decent-sounding guitar. Look for solid top guitars (or if you have the money, all solid-wood guitars). For the money, Larrivee makes some great guitars in the $500-900 range. Seagull, Guild, and Tacoma are also pretty darned good in the same range. If you've got more money, you can't go wrong with Taylor, Martin or Gibson. If you have less than $500 to spend, you can occasionally find an individual solid-top Yamaha or Washburn that isn't too bad, but there are more clunkers in that price range so be sure to listen carefully.

Good luck!

CT
 
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