How would YOU mic an acoustic guitar?

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JohnWinthrop

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I currently write songs, and wish to record them. I'm purchasing a Fostex mr-8, and was wondering how best to record acoustic guitar.

My acoustic is not electric. I was simply going to pick up the mentioned multitracker and a SM57 and SM58 mic.

Will these suffice to get me a rich, deep bass sound out of the guitar, or should I put in a pickup, run it through an amp, and mic it that way?

I don't care about effects. I just want to capture pure, crisp, LOUD acoustic guitar sound.

Any suggestions?
 
Most often Acoustic guitar is tracked with condensor mics. Sometimes people will use LDC's, sometimes SDC's, and sometimes both. Different people use anywhere between a single mic and many...depends on the sound they're looking for. Not many (if any) will use a pickup and DI in studio...

A 57 will give you pretty decent recordings. It's a good mic. However, it's not a delicate mic so it won't pick up the gentle nuances of an acoustic, nor is it a flattering mic so it might not get the bass you're looking for either. Look into a pair of SDC's or a combo SDC/LDC package and you might find the mics to help you achieve the sound you're looking for...

Jacob
 
Right now I'm using a SDC in front of the 12th fret, angled towards the sound hole a bit. When I get my LDC on Christmas (if my parents don't get it for me, i'll use my x-mas money to get it) I will try the over-the-shoulder technique. It's pretty self explanatary. I'm keeping the SDC pretty close so I get a bit of the proximity effect boosting the lows. I've been told I get a good "vintage" sound this way. Not entirely what I was looking for, but I don't have too many choices with my limited equipment.
 
JohnWinthrop said:
I just want to capture pure, crisp, LOUD acoustic guitar sound.
Click to expand...

If the guitar sounds pure, crisp and loud (w/balanced EQ) in the room, a number of condenser mic's could work well positioned a foot or two out from the 12th fret on an acoustic...

MXL 603s
MXL V67
Studio Projects B1
KEL HM-1
numerous others

Tim
 
my vote

603 sdc 12th fret towards soundhole and backed off for a cleaner sound void of proximity effect. Compression and pre setting depends on song. The 603's pickup pattern work well with acoustic guitar IMO because a lot of harmonics come from places and times(a galaxy far far away) other than the soundhole and their pattern is wide capturing more of the performance's real sound.

I only ever use them for spaced pair or tight xy on drums and mono acoustic guitar but try anything you want.. Sometimes a 57 with too much compression is just what you need.
 
I've had a lot of success with the SM57 by pointing it at the 12th fret angled AWAY from the soundhole about 10 degrees. I place it about 7-9 inches out and so far have had great results...

To paraphrase the old adage: trust your ears. You know what you want better than anyone else does, so just play around with it and see what you get.

P
 
I mic my Taylor 110 with a CADm177 through a Firebox. Placement is something where I am still continuing the research
 
A LDC aimed at 12th fret from some distance is my starting point, if there has to be one. But as always, it depends on instrument/how dominant it should be in final mix/what sound you want to achieve. I'm not afraid using dynamics either (like the SM7), for a more vintage sound. I personally think that small condensers tend to sound too surgical on acoustic guitar for my taste...but hey, that's just me.
 
LDC 8 inches from 12th fret, but I'm dying to try the mid-side arrangement with a figure 8. I also use a small amount of the built in pup signal just to fill in the gaps if necessary, it makes a "just noticeable" difference.
 
I used to always do it with one SDC pointed around the 10-12th fret, angled away from the soundhole. And then another SDC over my right shoulder pointed directly down at the bridge. Lately, I've been like the results I get with M-S using a ShinyBox 23 (think Nady ribbon) as the fig8 and GT66 as the cardiod. Another trick I've been toying with is controlling the boom of the acoustic by covering the soundhole with something, like a cutout piece of cardboard.
 
Yup, it has pretty much been covered. I typically start with a mic 6-12" from the fretboard at about the neck-body junction (12th-14th fret) and mess around with placement until it sounds right. My usual mic suspects are MXL 603s, Shure SM81, or CAD M179. For a full band song, a single mic is sufficient. For a sparse (voice + guitar only) arrangement, I'll usually double mic. Here is a description of a few common 2 mic techniques.
 
You Need Phantom Power

I agree with the others on this thread that the best pure acoustic sound will be with a combination of condenser mics. There are many ways to do this and the best way for you will come from experimentation. You should be able to get a really nice and clean, crystalline sound with a good guitar, fresh strings, and a decent guitarist.

However, your recorder does not provide phantom power. So if you are going to move from the dynamic / SM57 class of mics into the condenser class, you will need to address that. I think the best way is to do it with a decent inexpensive outboard preamp, as that will provide both phantom power to run the mics and will also be a noticeable improvement over the Fostex preamps. Not to bang on the Fostex, but it's an entry level unit and preamps are where compromises usually get made.

Here's my suggestion. Look around for a decent two channel preamp; I'm always plugging the M-Audio DMP3 and will do it again. Mine is quiet and reliable, and for about $150 - 160 it's an excellent value. There are other good entry level preamps available as well, but this particular one is a no-brainer to me.

Then look for a decent entry level condenser mic package; stay with recognized brands because in this price point you can encounter a lot of schlock. MXL, CAD, Studio Projects, all will have decent mics for not much money that will do the trick and help you learn.

I would look for a combination of a large diaphragm condenser and a small diaphragm condenser. My favorite recording position is to point the small unit at the sweet spot, around the twelfth fret and a foot or so away, a little above the guitarist, so it's pointing at a five degree angle down. I then set up a side address large diaphragm mic about three feet away and pointing to the bridge; I try and stay away from the sound hole.

My limited gear (that I love) is a Studio Projects B1 large diaphragm condenser mic and an MXL 603s small condenser, both using shock mounts on a stand or boom. Figure on spending around $160 for the preamp and $ 150 - 200 total for the mics, and toss in a few bucks for cables and patch cables from the preamp to the Fostex - you'll be grinning in no time.

Be careful of condenser mics, as they are fragile and the 603s can be damaged by high sound levels or vocal plosions ("p," or "b" sounds accompanied by a burst of air) - not great for vocals that way.
 
I tried to pm you but it said that you don't allow pm's. i have an mr8 for sale along with a mixer and maybe a mic if you're interested.
 
I've become a fan of M-S micing recently, but with what you've got that ain't possible. So consider this a useless reply! ;)
 
i've heard some good acu sounds made with a 57.
or maby (for similar price and multi purpose) a audix i5
 
I started messing around with stereo mic setups a while back and I'm not sure I will ever go back to the "LDC at the 12th fret approach." I'm using two Shure SM81s in a simple XY setup on a Taylor 414. In the past, I typically used an AT4050. The difference is night and day and I would highly recommend looking at stereo techniques--especially if your mixes are fairly simple and you can afford two matched mics and a good two channel preamp.
 
dwillis45 said:
I started messing around with stereo mic setups a while back and I'm not sure I will ever go back to the "LDC at the 12th fret approach." I'm using two Shure SM81s in a simple XY setup on a Taylor 414. In the past, I typically used an AT4050. The difference is night and day and I would highly recommend looking at stereo techniques--especially if your mixes are fairly simple and you can afford two matched mics and a good two channel preamp.
Click to expand...


Damn. Now you've got me thinking about the SM81s... Well, I suppose cash is like water, right? It sure seems to run right through my hands. :cool:
 
dwillis45 said:
I started messing around with stereo mic setups a while back and I'm not sure I will ever go back to the "LDC at the 12th fret approach." I'm using two Shure SM81s in a simple XY setup on a Taylor 414. In the past, I typically used an AT4050. The difference is night and day and I would highly recommend looking at stereo techniques--especially if your mixes are fairly simple and you can afford two matched mics and a good two channel preamp.
Click to expand...

I now use two AT4060's through RNP - 12th fret & bridge turned slightly away from each other and the fullness of my Martins is now so satisfying. I have tried SDC and the sound is accurate but boring.

I use a little compression. My new fun toy is the RNLA. The coloration touted when using this RNLA is very controllable depending on the settings. Sounds beautiful on guitar, especially my 12 string.
 
LDC and SDC

I am new to this forum, and have read around a bit, I keep seeing LDC and SDC.. i am not hip to the abbreviated jargon.. (please be gentle)
 
LDC=Large Diaphragm Condenser
SDC=Small Diaphragm Condenser
 
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