Acoustic guitar Mic?

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ut4ever8

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First off I'll introduce myself. I'm Ian. I'm a 22 year old acoustic singer songwriter originally from Cincinnati Ohio, living in Lexington Kentucky until I finish up with school. My real pride is in songwriting. I'm far from my own biggest fan when it comes to my voice, but I love writing and I'm not in a band so I've just decided I'm going to do my best to become a better singer. I just started recording a few months ago and I have been lurking around these forums for a while too. There seem to be a lot of people here who are extremely knowledgeable on this stuff so I want to thank everyone in advance for all the help I hope to get. I'm really addicted to this stuff so I'll probably get to know some of you pretty well.

Anyways, with that said I have looked at a lot of threads and there are a ton of them on how to mic an acoustic so I apologize that my first thread is on a topic thats been covered so much. But I have been recording my acoustic in Mono with the same Audio technica AT2020 that I use for everything. I am looking to buy a new mic so I can record my acoustic in stereo since that appears to be the best choice. My question, is would you guys recommend buying another AT2020 or a different pair of microphones? I would like to keep it around 150-200 dollars or less since I just dropped most of my savings on a Gibson Hummingbird. Thanks again in advance for any help.
 
I'd recommend a pair of Naiants... that will come in well below your budget, and give you a nice pair of sdc's (they're omni's... but don't let that scare you).
http://www.naiant.com/studiostore/microphones.html
You could use some of the leftover money to get a LDC like an MCA SP1.

Alternately, you could blow it all on a CAD M179, which (though I don't own one) gets a lot of buzz as a great multi-purpose mic.
 
Thanks man. I've been reading about those on this site for a while, it seems that everyone loves them. The Naiants that is. Which Naiant mic would you recommend for acoustic guitar? and is it worth the 20 bucks to get a matching pair? Something about their website confuses me a bit. For the X-M omni, is it 70$ for a pair of them and 20 extra for to have them matched exactly for db ranges and such or is it 70 per mic and for 20 more dollars you get a second one? As far as the MCA SP1 goes. would that be better than the AT2020 I already have? Also I forgot to mention I am working through an M-Audio Fast Track Pro if that matters. Thanks again
 
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I don't think you need another mic for singer songwriter stuff. I use a pair for solo acoustic fingerstyle stuff but not usually for a song demo that includes other tracks. You can also clone a track and then pan the two tracks left-right (one with a slight delay i.e 30-60ms) to simulate a stereo affect.

If you definitely want an additional mic for recording acou guit, the pair of Naiants suggestion (although they are omni) is a good one. Also, another 2020 would be a good idea.

If you like the 2020 on acou guit but not on your voice, you might search for another option there. My voice sounds like shit on every condenser I've tried, so I stick with a Shure 545 or other dynamic. You can find these used for $50-$100 or their successor the SM57.

Or you could save another $150-$200 and look at an vererable SM7 or RE20 for vox.

Confused yet?:D
 
Hmmm...what to do....I like the AT2020, though I don't anything other than the built in mic on my computer to compare it to. Do you think another AT2020 is an equal investment compared to getting two naiants? I do play alot of fingerstyle stuff with harmonica and hopefully get some percussion equipment down the line. The only reason I am looking into getting another mic is because stereo seems to be the best, or most popular way to record acoustics. But I will try your suggestions on duplicating the tracks to simulate that effect before I spend any money. Thanks
 
My initial advice was that you don't necessarily need two mics on a guit in a mix with other tracks. The point, IMO, of micing a solo guit in stereo is to capture every nuance of the complex sound a guit produces in a space by itself. In a mix, even a sparse mix, the point is to get all the instruments and vocals to sound good together. For me, this usually means micing a guit with a single mic and placing it appropriately left or right in the stereo field. However, if the guit is to be more prominent in the mix, using two mics panned relatively close together can add a desired thickness to the sound. I wouldn't pan them wide, though, otherwise it sounds unnatrural with the other instruments falling inside the guit stereo field.

These are just my preferences, not rules.

Another suggestion is to take your 2020 to a local studio and spend $40-$50 for an hour's time and try it on your voice against some of there affordable mics like the ones I already mentioned--see if some magic happens.
 
Well thanks Duke. I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to do but I will definitley try to record some things tomorrow with some of your advice if Im not too hungover. If you have some time and would like to take a listen at some of what I have done recently. I have a few songs up on myspace.com/ianmchughmusic.com I dont exactly impess myself by any means, so whoever listens to this don't be shy to tell me whats wrong with it. I am posting this mostly for recording acoustic guitar but I am always very open to suggestions on any kind of improvement, so if you have anything to say about anything else, its more than welcome. The only reason I really made a page for the music was to allow others to hear it and give me feedback as a learning tool. I worked really hard to get where Im at right now in the last couple of years and I just want to keep going. I appreciate everything very much. Thanks man
 
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