best acoustic guitar mic

[thehook]

I am looking to mic an acoustic guitar. I am not sure about stereo recording yet but even if I didn't end up with two mics I could use effects and panning to my advantage I think. I have heard some about the sm57 and the mxl603. I am looking for a full and warm sound. got a a couple hundred dollar budget for this.

 

[thehook]

or maybe some real good ones that fit description because choosing best is crap

 

[Big Kenny]

Got phantom power? Audio Technica 3035 will sound better than both of those

 

[Warhead]

The CAD E100 isn't a bad choice either, it's got some bite to it.

War

 

[thehook]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...3/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-4214796-3924142

here is a link to the sound I am looking for, hope it helps

 

[tdukex]

Got phantom power? Audio Technica 3035 will sound better than both of those

I haven't heard the 3035, but depending on the song, my 603s often beats out my $1,000 tube mic. The 603s just plain sounds good on acou guit IMO--at least on the two high-end guits I have often used it on.

And for the $199 price, I don't even need to hear the 3035 to know that I'd choose a pair of 603s over a single 3035--at least for solo acoustic which I record a lot.

 

[scrubs]

get a used SM81 or a pair of 603s.

 

[Track Rat]

AT4033's on acoustic. Yum!

 

[artCROSS]

love my 603s on my guitar. some people say it's too bright, but it works great for me and my guitar. I also use them as OH and to record sound effects/ambient noise for movies.

 

[XLR]

The MXL 603 (bright but rich), MXL V67 (dark but clear), MXL 990 (similar to 603), Behringer ECM8000 (great omni sound but a slightly noisy unless used close) all can sound good on steel str acoustic. I think the 603 and 990 are more sensitive to placement than the 67 or 8000. The 8000 makes a great second mic to use for a little room sound mixed with a main mic, and its self noise isn't a problem there.

Others I've used that give an interesting sound as well are the EV635a (omni, rolled off low end, non-hyped highs), N/D 468 (hypercard for very tight pattern). Both are dynamics.

Tim

 

[Richard Monroe]

You have asked a very tough question. As you have discovered, there are a lot of opinions. You can mic a steel string acoustic with one small diaphragm condenser, one large diaphragm condenser, a pair of either one, matched or unmatched, or one of each. There are a boatload of techniques all of which work for somebody. The limiter is the budget, in this case $200, the guitar itself, the player, the room, the material, the mix, and what you intend to plug said mics into. Most, but not all, agree that a cheap dynamic is not the first choice.
All of us can name $1000+ mics that rock, but that's not where the budget is at. In your price range, I like the Marshall MXL603, but *not* the MXL990, which is more difficult to position, due to its larger housing. I also like AKG C2000B, which is a very versatile cheap workhorse good for a lot of stuff. All you're going to get here is opinions, a lot of them.-Richie

 

[thehook]

which of these mics would get me close to that sound I listed?

 

[thehook]

on that recording are the vocals or guitar recorded in stereo? If so what is a good stereo mic for guitar and or voice? The reason I am centered on this is this is the kind of music I make almost to a T and he gets a good sound.

 

[scrubs]

on that recording are the vocals or guitar recorded in stereo? If so what is a good stereo mic for guitar and or voice? The reason I am centered on this is this is the kind of music I make almost to a T and he gets a good sound.

First of all, 90% or more of tone comes from the instrument itself, the player's fingers, and the room where the recording is made. The mic's job is just to capture that tone. Any of the mics recommended will do a nice job on acoustic guitar.

Secondly, there is no way to tell from a 20Kbps streaming file what mics were used or how the recordings were done. There is considerably more banjo and mandolin on those tracks than acoustic guitar, anyway. Either way, you don't need a stereo mic for acoustic guitar. One or two small diaphragm condensers or a nice large diaphragm condenser will serve you well.

 

[Ding Dong]

I know this may sound stupid to some, but I got really great results with an SM57 running through a Korg FX box (w/very slight reverb) straight into my soundblasted live card. I got a bright, full, sound. The catch is that the guitar was a Larravie (sp?) w/ brand new strings, in a great room, played very well. so take that for what its worth.

i guess this is a agreement to the previous post- that it's the guitar, player, and room that count the most.

 

[XLR]

90% or more of tone comes from the instrument itself, the player's fingers, and the room

This is an important subject and the OP is probably aware of it already but many beginning recordists aren't, so it's good to discuss. If you're getting great tone in a good sounding room, the better the recording gear, of course the better the sound. But a 603 in a good room on a good source sounds better than a Schoeps in the opposite setting.

An ironic thing about using high end mic's and pre's is that if you've got a bad room or thin sounding instrument (or you get a harsh tone from it) not only does the equipment not fix it, it records those negative qualities with much greater clarity than cheap gear.

Tim

 

[Sonic Idiot]

I'd recommend a Studio Projects B1. $99. Buy two of them. They are unbeatable for the price--especially on accoustic guitar. They do a great job on voice as well.

here's a song recorded with a B1 on accoustic.

the mix is wanky, but it might be instructive.

 

[XLR]

For some acoustic gtr parts, detail and clarity is the goal, but for some chunky rhythm parts, a tighter, more percussive sonority can work. An SM57 can get that kind of sound pretty well. This clip uses a pair of 57's:
http://www.homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?p=1436393#post1436393
Tim

 

[MikeDMusic]

reply

I've owned an AT 3035 for about a year now and have been recording it using an edirol ua-20 and garageband. I've gotten some very pleasant results from it...however you have to be careful because although it will capture a full clear sound also can tend to make an acoustic guitar sound boomy...especially when fingerpicking on them there low strings...but overall it's a great mic.

 

[famous beagle]

I'd recommend a Studio Projects B1. $99. Buy two of them. They are unbeatable for the price--especially on accoustic guitar. They do a great job on voice as well.

here's a song recorded with a B1 on accoustic.

the mix is wanky, but it might be instructive.

This is a nice recording. It sounded clear and pleasant. I liked the little synth melody interlude. But, I gotta say ... This tune reminded me of that Oreo cookie commercial ... you know ... "Ice cold milk, and an oreo cookie."

lol ... I like the song, but man ... something about it just really makes me think of that commercial.