acoustic gtr. session this FRIDAY!

[The Garage]

i havent been completely happy with my recordings of steel string acoustic guitars. and i really need a well balanced, natural sound for a solo guitar song i'm recording THIS FRIDAY.
i have access to 4 LD condensors -- a studio projects c1, neumann u87 and tlm103, AT 4033 -- and 3 nakamichi SD electret condensors, as well as a number of dynamic mics -- 57s and 58s, etc. i've got the rnp, joemeek vc1q, and digimax as preamps. which mics would you use and where would you place them?
additionally, how much compression and eqing do you generally use on solo acoustic guitar? thanks.
-teddy

 

[tmix]

Where to start?

What have you been doing for micing? and what is the aspect of your sound you don't like?

Using LD mics can give you a "bigger than life " sound that is not always appropriate. You may have to get a little distance between your Guitar and the mics.

You have a wonderful batch of mics, I'd use the AT 4033 at the 12th fret about 18" away and the TLM 103 about ear level near the bridge ,slightly in front of the guitar, pointing at about a 45 degree angle downward through the RNP.

It would help to know what you have tried so as not to throw useless info your way.

 

[tdukex]

I've never tried any of these mics, but the 4033 and the TLM 103 (as tmix noted) have been used successfuly on acoustic guitar by others in this forum. I haven't heard much from the 87. I think the RNP is a good choice also for fingerpicking solo guitar (from the recordings I've heard). The VC1Q, which I have, can produce some pretty good sounds, especially on aggressive pieces or stuff you want to use the optical compresser as an effect.

When I try out new mics (for spaced pairs) I just move them around one at a time to see where they sound best (on the neck, on the bout, over the shoulder, out front two feet, etc). Then I put each mic where it both sounds best and compliments the sound from the other mic.

Or you can pair up mics in either either XY or ORTIF or MS (with the 87) or other stereo configs. You should at least try these to get a feel for how they sound.

Each guitar piece seems to call for its own micing technique. Some pieces sound best with a wide stereo spread and the mics backed off the guitar 18" - 24" with lots of reverb. Other pieces sound better with a more focused stereo field and more aggressive close micing with an in-your-face attitude.

Ask yourself, what mood do you want to set? Then plan your micing technique accordingly. If you have a couple of hours to experiment you can learn a lot.

 

[Big Kenny]

12th fret- any of them
no eq or compression til mix
try the at 400 at the bridge while using the others at the 12th fret
and while you're in there--do something nobody else has tried

 

[DigitMus]

I'd also start with the 4033 in front of the guitar as my main mic - but I prefer it aimed a little lower than the 12th fret, more like where the neck hits the body. Perhaps that's because I like the second mic (try the 87 or 103) over the guitarist's left shoulder. If one of the Nakamichis is an omni (and not too noisy) you could try it on the lower body, fairly close (like 6") - move it around while monitoring through a good set of 'phones' to find the sweet spot.

SG