Acoustic Guitar Mics

[Track Rat]

All of my favs are out of your price range. Octava 012's are cheap enough and are decent. Haven't ever had my hands on the Naiants so I won't comment. AT-4033's are cool. I also like a KM-184. If it's going into a dense mix, I've been using a Shure 545 dynamic. YMMV.

 

[maccool]

I've tried several positions, but can't really tame the boominess. I think it's my guitar - it sounds good but it's a medium jumbo. Will getting a SDC solve my problem?

Thanks.

Think about the room!

The soundboard of the guitar will couple acoustically with the axial modes of the room.

If it's a small room, then bass build up is a problem anyway, so bass-trapping is usually called for.

My own serious problem is caused by a low 7'6'' ceiling which makes my OOO-28VS Martin honk so badly at A110 when I'm sitting to play that it's really unusable in here at the moment. If I stand, the problem just gets shifted to D! Sure, you can move around in the horizontal plane and maybe find a sweet spot, but you're kinda stuffed vertically!

Right now I get best results with a parlor guitar and an SM57! The little guitar doesn't couple so strongly and the '57 doesn't hear so much crap from the room.

Next project is to do the broadband absorbers, bass traps, and especially a broadband cloud over the playing spot. Until I've done that I can't tame things either, and the good mic's stay in the locker

 

[lppier]

Thanks! I'll go try recording in different positions around my room and see how it goes.

 

[lppier]

Ok an update on this. Turned out that it was the replacement saddle that I put in. I put in a FMI saddle in exchange for a bone saddle. The FMI emphasized the lower-mid range and made my guitar sound more "powerful" and "bassy". Not a good thing for recording. Put in the bone saddle and the sound is alright again. Still have to EQ the recording a bit but nothing too extreme.

Still, a SDC is still pretty tempting.
Does anyone use a SDC in conjunction with a LDC to record acoustic guitar?

Thanks all those who helped.

 

[soundchaser59]

I think it's my guitar - it sounds good but it's a medium jumbo. Will getting a SDC solve my problem?

No it will not.

You are right, it's the guitar. Every acoustic guitar has a resonance, it's just a matter of figuring out what frequency it is and ntoching it out with a good parametric. Changing mics wont help. A good SDC is still going to pickup that resonance. Yes, you may notice a difference, but it wont get rid of the problem. If changing mics solves the problem, then most likely all you did was get a bad mic.

 

[soundchaser59]

Does anyone use a SDC in conjunction with a LDC to record acoustic guitar?

Wouldn't do it any other way.

Mid-Side rig, C414 on figure 8 for the side, C535 for the mid - but any decent SDC will work. I never do it any other way. Sometimes I even mix in a bit of the direct (pickup) signal.

 

[Ironklad Audio]

Does anyone use a SDC in conjunction with a LDC to record acoustic guitar?

i almost always use a 4033 on the body, and an SM81 on the fretboard/neck

 

[lppier]

What do you mean by the LDC on the body? Where exactly do you place it? Just curious, thanks for sharing!

 

[lppier]

Thinking of getting the mxl 604 to complement my at4040. Anyone tried the mxl 604? How does it compare to the 603?

Thanks.

 

[hairylarry]

acoustic guitar

Hi,

I like my MXL 603 on acoustic guitar. I like my AT Pro 37 better. Just a little crisper or more detailed in the upper registers. Still both good.

I like my Naiants fine and choose them often especially when recording audio for video. I like them on a Jecklin Disc.

One mic that hasn't been mentioned is the AT 4054. This is a stage vocals condenser mic that has also found a home in many studios. It's great on vocals and also happens to be very good on acoustic guitar. I have gotten very good tracks pointing it straight up at the guitar while I stand and play above it.

Another good mic placement in over the shoulder near your ear pointing down at the guitar. I like this with my 603 or Pro37.

Dynamic omnis are great for recording acoustic guitar because they can be placed really close without getting a proximity effect. Sometimes I work with a pair of omnis less than six inches from the guitar, one on the twelfth fret and one on the wood behind the soundhole. Stereo and everything.

Ok, now to the important stuff.

Even if I'm recording to my iRiver internal mic I always use a gobo when recording acoustic guitar. I made my own out of rigid fiberglass and burlap. It is just amazing what a gobo will do for your sound. Two's not too many. I use mics right in front of the gobo or peeking over the top. Or I just play into the gobo and mic one of the ways described above.

None of the mics I ever bought made as much difference as a good preamp. I use an M-Audio DMP2 which is about the least expensive quality preamp. It makes all my mics sound better. I have two and never record without them.

And most important is your playing. Practice. Make sure you're in tune. record yourself. Listen. If it sounds boomy maybe you should hit the bass strings a little softer. When recording I often play very soft. Much quieter than I could ever play live. If a string has a twang or a buzz control it with your fingers. To get good acoustic guitar recordings you have to control your guitar and make it do what you want it to do. Iteration is the key. Record, listen, practice, record, etc.

And I don't mean generally. I mean on that part that you're working on recording right now. If it's not good enough it may be the mic or the mic placement and if while you are listening you get some ideas try them. But in the end you are going to have to play the part and make it sound the way you want it.

Thanks,

Hairy Larry

 

[WhiteStrat]

Hi,

I like my MXL 603 on acoustic guitar. I like my AT Pro 37 better. Just a little crisper or more detailed in the upper registers. Still both good.

I like my Naiants fine and choose them often especially when recording audio for video. I like them on a Jecklin Disc.

One mic that hasn't been mentioned is the AT 4054. This is a stage vocals condenser mic that has also found a home in many studios. It's great on vocals and also happens to be very good on acoustic guitar. I have gotten very good tracks pointing it straight up at the guitar while I stand and play above it.

Another good mic placement in over the shoulder near your ear pointing down at the guitar. I like this with my 603 or Pro37.

Dynamic omnis are great for recording acoustic guitar because they can be placed really close without getting a proximity effect. Sometimes I work with a pair of omnis less than six inches from the guitar, one on the twelfth fret and one on the wood behind the soundhole. Stereo and everything.

Ok, now to the important stuff.

Even if I'm recording to my iRiver internal mic I always use a gobo when recording acoustic guitar. I made my own out of rigid fiberglass and burlap. It is just amazing what a gobo will do for your sound. Two's not too many. I use mics right in front of the gobo or peeking over the top. Or I just play into the gobo and mic one of the ways described above.

None of the mics I ever bought made as much difference as a good preamp. I use an M-Audio DMP2 which is about the least expensive quality preamp. It makes all my mics sound better. I have two and never record without them.

And most important is your playing. Practice. Make sure you're in tune. record yourself. Listen. If it sounds boomy maybe you should hit the bass strings a little softer. When recording I often play very soft. Much quieter than I could ever play live. If a string has a twang or a buzz control it with your fingers. To get good acoustic guitar recordings you have to control your guitar and make it do what you want it to do. Iteration is the key. Record, listen, practice, record, etc.

And I don't mean generally. I mean on that part that you're working on recording right now. If it's not good enough it may be the mic or the mic placement and if while you are listening you get some ideas try them. But in the end you are going to have to play the part and make it sound the way you want it.

Thanks,

Hairy Larry

Sometimes when you read a wise post, you say to yourself, "Yep, I knew that..." and just move on. But sometimes you say, "Ooh, that's wise." This is one of those.

From the gobos to emphasis on skill & performance, this post is likely more valuable to ones ability to record acoustic guitar than any of the specific mic advice.

I've run the same circles, and arrived at the same conclusions. Although I now have some nicer mics, I can still nail great results with my cheapy beginner mics by taking the approach described by hairylarry.

This was perfectly put and effective advice. I think you'd do yourself a favor to listen and follow it as well...

 

[Casjam]

For those looking for an inexpensive option:

I've been very happy with my pair of Octava 012 condensors for acoustic guitar recording. Got em 4 years ago and still find lots of use in my home studio.