Micing Acoustic guitar with this selection of mics.

[lurgan liar]

Hey guys....Here are the mics i have at my disposal ...

MXL 990
MXL 991
Shure SM 58
Shure SM 58
Sennheiser e845

Any suggestions how i would go about micing an acouustic with these mics ....

I was going to put the MXL 990 at the 12th fret about 7 inches from the fret board ....

and the mxl 991 at the bridge about 7 inches from it ....

How would you guys do it with this selection of mics?

Thanks in advance

 

[metalhead28]

I like the sound of an LDC a bit further away from the guitar, maybe 1 to 2 feet away, and the SDC up real close. That is just how I do it, it's a matter of taste. I think a 57/58 can help sometimes if you want a punchy strumming kind of sound, but I would always use it in conjunction with a condensor. Also, I always record the pickup on the guitar as well (if it is an acoustic/electric) because it will often be able to add something to the overall sound, if only just a bit.

 

[Purge]

I've been enjoying the results of micing an acoustic with those MXL's. The acoustic I've been using (Yamaha FG461-S) is extremely bright sounding and that 990 especially has been good to me for main-rhythm arpeggiated stuff. I tend to use the 991 when I need to thicken up a heavier rock sound and sort of "bury it" in the mix. I know there are way better mics out there for acoustic guitars, but I've been very happy with these, especially when you consider the price.

As far as placement goes, I've been throwing the mic about a foot away, somewhere between the 12th fret and the soundhole. Admittedly, I haven't experimented much with placement, or with stereo micing...mostly because the sound I've been getting has been just fine in my book.

 

[XLR]

I was going to put the MXL 990 at the 12th fret about 7 inches from the fret board ....
and the mxl 991 at the bridge about 7 inches from it ....

Sounds like a good approach... isn't the 991 similar to the 603s? 20 mm capsule, end-address housing? Depending on the gtr's tone and sound of the room, a little further, maybe 2 ft, might sound good if you want a more natural open sound. For steel str acoustic, I'd start by picking the mic that sounded best at the neck/body joint, and use the other at the bridge. I'd also keep the mic's panned hard L and R to avoid phase issues muddying up the sound. If I just wanted a mono track I'd go with the neck/body joint mic for steel string, the opposite for nylon generally. Haven't used the e845, but I wouldn't use the 58's myself.

Tim

 

[Bigmark]

Simple rule

There's a simple rule 3-1 in recording acoustic guitar Well stereo placement anyway

If your first mic is at the 12th fret at 7" out just multiply by three and you come up with the distance apart these mics should be = 21inches

so if you decide to place first mic at 10 directly out from 12th fret than you would place mics apart 30inches
Simple rule most people follow

Hope this helps

 

[XLR]

Well, there have been numerous discussions on the 3:1 rule here in the last few months that can be brought up with the Search button. The rule was intended to apply to mic's used on different sources, not a single source.

Successful A-B mic'ing of a guitar is often done with mic's directly out from the neck/body joint and bridge, and even closer together, at various distances from the gtr. And true stereo configurations like XY, ORTF and spaced pairs are another thing altogether. The DPA mic site has good info on stereo mic technique.

Tim

 

[pdadda]

I like pointing a 57 pretty close to where the pick hits the strings and blend that in as desired. As far as LDC's, all I have is a crappy Behringer B1. But it sounds much better if I have it pointing over my shoulder down towards the top of the guitar.