Microphones for Recording Acoustic Guitar

"record carpets"??

What do you have for a preamp/audio interface? IS your room acoustically treated? is this for solo guitar recording, or will the tracks be part of a larger, more dense mix?

I prefer a single LDC, but for a solo guitar song, I'll add a 2nd mic on the lower bout. Haven't had the chance to experiment with mid-side yet. Others prefer SDCs on acoustic. I woudl not recommend ribbons unless you've got the appropriate preamp.
 
Hello
For more than 12 years I have been playing the guitar and decided to finally record carpets and spread them on YouTube
What is a good Microphones for Recording Acoustic Guitar?
I have several options:
  • Audio-Technica ATM450
  • Audio-Technica AT4050
  • Audio-Technica AT2020-USB
  • Neumann KM184
  • Mojave MA-200 (tube)
  • Royer R121 (ribbon)
  • MXL 770
  • Shure SM81
What do you think?
Any good mic or mics can make a good recording. What it depends on is how good the performer is, what kind of space it is, and how the guitar sound, and what the recording is supposed to sound like.

As [MENTION=89697]ecc83[/MENTION] said, read as much as you can. Then, with some knowledge, evaluate your recording space and expectations. Think about any other uses for the first mic, because some can be more limiting than others. A good, multi-pattern large-diaphragm condenser (LDC) is very versatile, and will work with probably any interface you buy.

Learning how to use a microphone, where to place it to sound the best and either capture or minimize the space where you are recording are things that really only come with experience (IMO).

A lot of times I record with just a single mic, and use either a LDC or SDC, and sometimes I use two mics, maybe a pair of one kind or one of each.

I'd probably skip the tube or ribbon mic when just starting to record. A little more fiddly and/or delicate. In fact, I still don't own either and haven't felt a critical need.

p.s. I use the ATM450 and think it is a nice mic, though there are a *lot* of mics that would work as well, probably. (I got mine used for $100 at a GC - still one of the best deals I ever found there :))
 
If the KM184's and R121's are on your list, anything else would be "meh" by comparison. ASSUMING you're in a decent space with decent preamps, of course.
 
Ive been reading this topic past few days too.

Neumann 84 (184) is what Ive seen the most frequent in the pro's articles. But like the Neumann U67,U87 etc..we try to find something cheaper.

Hotel California- SOS article comment:
"Meisner's bass was gobo'd off and I'd take it direct as well as through a small Ampeg amp,” Szymczyk recalls. "Henley, on the other hand, I tried to keep as open as possible, so I didn't use a drum booth.
However, I did use iso booths for the acoustic guitars and there were gobos for the electrics. The miking all depended on what the song and the sound called for. I'd change the mics constantly, and so when people ask me, 'What mic did you use on that?' I have no clue at this point. The only thing that was consistent was a pair of Neumann KM84s that I discovered to be the absolute best setup on acoustic guitars. As far as the guitar amps went, it was a case of whatever worked.'

This is a key component for a lot of us-
Cardioid mics are usually best for home recording, because they pick up sound primarily from the front and reject sound from the rear, reducing noise and limiting the effect of poor room acoustics.

So heres the shopping-

Neumann KM84 $3500 used
Neumann KM 184 $800 new


This dude did a mega review from $80 to $$$$$$$ ELAM.... all the regulars were mentioned.
Low priced recommended Oktava MC012 $200 SDC, Dynamic RE20 (SM7 and 421) and LDC...and Ribbon I dont recall.

Recording Magazine Resources: The Well-Balanced Mic Closet

..its almost mic overload from a "downtown" studio view
 
What a ridiculously varied and somewhat random list of mics. If you have to buy two (you used the plural) then two Neumanns would be somewhat expensive.

You really cannot compare all these mics - they all have different characters and foibles. If you have the budget, i personally would buy a small selection of the obvious ones at the cheaper end, and maybe one nice one - I always fall back to the AKG 414. I have the AT2020 and it's a bit bright and clean, but fine. The real key feature is in the Eagles article. He didn't know what he used - he swapped until one sounded right. One mic that is brilliant on a Martin acoustic might be really thin and woody or boomy on a Gibson? one mic is risky - at any quality level, if they just don't gel.
 
The Eagles were also recording in a real studio, which almost always has the advantage of being the kind of space where if any other sound does creep in, it's probably very soft, because of size and treatment. And, bleed, whatever it might be, simply sounds good because it's part of what is being tracked. Not usually the case in home recording spaces.

And, then too, it was The Eagles being recorded, which might be relevant.

If I had $7k for a pair of used KM84s, I probably wouldn't be recording myself and friends in a 12x12 room :)
 
what kind of budget? Gefells get a lot of love for acoustic guitars. My favorite was just a U87 14" off the guitar around the 13-14 fret (neck joint area). That said for detail and clarity the 4015 DPA pair was stunning. Expensive though, but no more than Royer's , ok maybe a bit more. d:dicate™ 4015 Wide Cardioid Microphone
 
Matched pairs of Schoeps CMC6u condenser microphone w/MK2s capsule, get a lot of love at my favorite Recital hall. For classical guitarist, those and DPA are used there.
 
What a ridiculously varied and somewhat random list of mics. If you have to buy two (you used the plural) then two Neumanns would be somewhat expensive.

You nailed it Rob. The list that was posted is straight from TechZelo.com which is more of a advertising based site than an indepth review site. They have lots of "Best of" categories, and every mic has a "View At Amazon" button under it with its Amazon rating. That's a problem when people first start looking for equipment. These sites look to be "informative" but are really just ad driven. Hopefully if the poster is serious, he'll do a bit more research before forking over cash just because a mic was on that list (not that all those mics are junk, just not necessarily the "best").

BTW, I was browsing around TechZelo's lists, and the Neumann U87 only got 3.6/5 star rating. One "reviewer" gave it 1 star because he bought a "Neumann" and got a chinese knock off.
 
Ha! One of my video projects needed a microphone to 'explode' a couple of years back, and wanted it to look like the one in a pop video. I tried in vain to find counterfeit I could destroy and gave up! I'd heard of these counterfeits, but never found one!
 
Ha! One of my video projects needed a microphone to 'explode' a couple of years back, and wanted it to look like the one in a pop video. I tried in vain to find counterfeit I could destroy and gave up! I'd heard of these counterfeits, but never found one!

If if it was an LDC you needed Rob the BR-100s and their brethren are only a score apiece and really look damn good! They are not TOO foul audiowise either IF you get a working one!

Dave.
 
after many years of recording acoustics with different mics and setups,
i've found that i like the ADK Hamburg, AT4033 and the Shure KSM44 the best.

single mic setups, usually the shure ksm44 in mono, for multitracked parts,
and i'll X-Y stereo using the at4033 and adk hamburg for those kinds of recordings.
 
If I had $7k for a pair of used KM84s, I probably wouldn't be recording myself and friends in a 12x12 room :)

lol...yes and Im not in a 12x12..lol

theres room specific, application, but I from my reads the KM84(184) is pretty much a standard, that AKG 451 pops up alot and the SM81 as some flat reference...

most the articles I looked at with LDC were in a nice room, and the dual mics of that.... in my room , i can only attempt to NOT have the room picked up.

I was thinking, on a scale of 1 to 10....10 being Capital or EMI ...a 1 as a trailer house kitchen with a 3yr old baby screaming in the background...
my rooms about a 3...to 3.5.... pillows, foam, small...

but the point is the room makes a huge difference for choosing mics. Im getting into room rejection mics for now, up close and small pattern.
I admire dudes like Les Paul who made his whole house a tracking room, kitchens, stairwells, showers and closets...wild stuff
 
Yeah....where in the world did THAT list come from?? For the uninitiated wanting their FIRST mic for acoustic guitar, the Shure SM81 is straight-up the easiest to use. Doesn't seem to matter what preamp/interface you're using until you get into the really expensive....Some folks would call them "flat" "unexciting" "boring"....the thing is they sound exactly like the box you're beating into the grill. From any angle. And if you can find the pop-filter attachment, they make a pretty damn good vocal mic.
 
Heres where the list came from ..I think.

The Best 10 mics for recording acoustic guitar

Who on Earth wrote the stuff in that link? LOL. English isn't their first language. That's fine, but those reviews are hilarious. I read the entry on the KM-184, which I use. One of the funniest reviews I've ever read. Once you get past the way the writer repeatedly refers to the mic as a "device" ("The person understands the superiority of the device immediately after he takes the device,") you come to realize that absolutely nothing substantive has been said about it that indicates any first-hand experience with it. German engineering. Check. Lightweight and compact. Check. "The device of higher class, which is able to make the dreams come true." Check. Hitting all the same points you'll find in my review of the vintage Neumann U47, a classic mic I've seen in photographs, but have never seen in person.

At any rate, the sales pitch for the good ol' KM-184 is an amusing read about a decent SDC that works well on many acoustic stringed instruments in the guitar range and runs about $800 new. I point the 184 slightly downward at the 12th fret on acoustic guitar and let 'er rip. The 184 was a step way up from the mediocre AKG C1000s I was using previously. My whole approach to acoustic guitar is to set up the 184 with a U87 a couple of feet back from the soundhole for a bigger, roomier effect. Lately I've been including a cheaper (but tube) CV-12 next to the 87 in midside configuration for effect. Midside miking can give you some really interesting results and you can play with the tracks, blending to taste. The result is an airy, well-balanced acoustic that sounds like you're sitting in front of the player, not listening to a recording of an acoustic guitar. I like the 184 because it's really well-balanced — just a hint shiny on the upper end while the lower end doesn't sound boomy. Good for drum OHs, too.
 
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