Recording Vocals and Acoustic Guitar at the same time

[Centropolis]

I have thought about this for a while and never really come up with a possible solution. And I am not sure if there is one.

I want to recording a guitar player singing and playing his acoustic guitar at the same time. I want to record the guitar with 2 mics (or one mic and one direct). I want to pan one input to the left and the other to the right to make stereo. However, my recorder can only record 2 tracks simultaneously. If I want to record the guitar with 2 inputs, and vocals will take one up, is it even possible to record them all together?

Logically, it doesn't seem to work. But I am wondering if there were any workarounds that my newbie brain cannot think of, other than to record vocals and the guitar NOT at the same time.

 

[Steenamaroo]

If you only have a two input interface then no, you can't record three separate sources live.

You could just do a stereo recording of the guitar and overdub the vocals, or rely on a stereo pair to capture vox+guitar as one.
Alternatively you could just mono mic the guitar and have the other mic for vocals.

Personally I wouldn't entertain the DI approach. Sometimes it can be useful to cut through in a certain type of mix but, for a solo performance, I'd never think about using the DI.

What interface do you have? Maybe it has line or S/Pdif inputs that you could make use of?
Of course that'd mean buying external preamps but let us know.

 

[BroKen_H]

What interface/desk are you using between the mics and the computer/deck?

 

[mjbphotos]

He said 'recorder', so possibly it's a small 2-input Zoom or Tascam.

Not recommended, but you could use a small stereo mixer, feeing the left and right outputs to the 2 inputs of the recorder. Input 2/3 mics/DI to the mixer, pan as desired. But this leaves you wil 'pre-mixed' tracks on your recorder so any changes (EQ, reverb, for example) affect everything in the track selected.

 

[Armistice]

I don't suppose you can persuade yer guitarist to move to the next level of professionalism and learn to play and not sing... and sing and not play.

It's what all the cool kids do.

Apart from that, you're stuck. 3 sound sources, 2 inputs. Welcome to compromise.

Steen's suggestion of micing the whole performance with a stereo pair is where I'd be heading if you really want "stereo" but your guitarist/singer is going to have to be consistent and you're going to have to know where to put them - or put a mic on the guitar and a mic on the voice and perhaps you can spread the guitar a bit via reverb or a stereofier VST... not optimal though.

 

[BroKen_H]

Probably not going to work without a small purchase, like a small stereo mixer. Peavey, Mackie, Behringer, Sampson all make 4 channel mixers under a Ben.

 

[ecc83]

I am with Steen' & co, go stereo.
But this depends upon having a fairly decent sounding room* and if the mics are cardiods go for a "co-I" setup, should they be omnis (unlikely) use a spaced pair setup.

If you want a "natural" stereo recording the mics need to be back quite a bit (hence a decent acoustic) otherwise you end up with a gigantic guitar and singer filling the whole stereo stage! Mind you, in these days of pods, does anybody care about such niceties any more?

*I find co-I stereo is more tolerant of a poor room. Perhaps because you are capturing a "real" acoustic and the brain is happier with that?

Dave.

 

[Centropolis]

Hi, thanks for the comments so far.

Yes, I am still living in the old world using a standalone multi-track recorder. I have tried a couple of times in the past 3 years to try and understand Cubase but without success.

I am currently using a Tascam DP-008EX. Very basic one.

 

[Centropolis]

I don't suppose you can persuade yer guitarist to move to the next level of professionalism and learn to play and not sing... and sing and not play.

It's what all the cool kids do.

Hi, that would be the way I would prefer to do it but the idea is to have him sing and record live everything....with a video camera doing the whole thing. Then I would sync the video with the final mixed audio track. No lip-syncing....with a video performance that's not the actual audio recording.