Setup for acoustic guitar recording

P

paw1

New member
Planning to record a song with only acoustic guitar, female voice and maybe a slide guitar in the background. I want suggestions on how to mike the guitar.

I want to stereo mike the guitar so that it gets some dimension/3D-sound. What I don't want is a setup where one side is noticeably bassier than the other or the two sides sound weirdly different. I simply want a nice sounding guitar that fits well with a centered voice. The panning of course depends on what technique I end up using.

I'm not after a double tracked sound so that's not an option.

The guitar will be arpeggiated with a pick. No strumming.

I have a pair of Oktava MK-12s that will most likely be utilized.

Thanks in adance :thumbs up:
 
Well - this will probably be exactly what you do get. A guitar does have width and as we all know the sound hole area sounds big and dark, while the bridge very thin and hard, while the finger board sounds mellow and has lots of finger noise from the frets. If you record using X/Y techniques you will capture this quite well, and the different sounds will all be there. To prevent the guitar sounding hugely wide, as in the width between your speakers, you'll have to pan them more gently, gradually blending the different sounds into one as they approach the middle. If you use a spaced technique, then you get more of a single sound source, in a nice room (assuming the room is nice sounding)

If you want width and depth, then you can't have your centred voice. You have to experiment and select the sound you want.
 
While experimenting, consider that XY doesn't necessarily need to be done on the horizontal plane.....

Just leaving that there. Blows my mind how many never think of that...
 
rob aylestone said:
Well - this will probably be exactly what you do get. A guitar does have width and as we all know the sound hole area sounds big and dark, while the bridge very thin and hard, while the finger board sounds mellow and has lots of finger noise from the frets. If you record using X/Y techniques you will capture this quite well, and the different sounds will all be there. To prevent the guitar sounding hugely wide, as in the width between your speakers, you'll have to pan them more gently, gradually blending the different sounds into one as they approach the middle. If you use a spaced technique, then you get more of a single sound source, in a nice room (assuming the room is nice sounding)

If you want width and depth, then you can't have your centred voice. You have to experiment and select the sound you want.
Click to expand...

I'm gonna make sure the microphones don't point to the soundhole as the guitar has a lot of bass. I want to capture nice transients so the fingerboard will be important. "If you want width and depth, then you can't have your centred voice." Why can't I have a centered voice if the guitars has width and depth?

Massive Master said:
While experimenting, consider that XY doesn't necessarily need to be done on the horizontal plane.....

Just leaving that there. Blows my mind how many never think of that...
Click to expand...

Interesting that you mention a vertical xy-technique, I was actually considering doing just that :)

Both xy and spaced techniques has been mentioned. What about the "over-and-in-front-of"-technique (yes, I guess it's a spaced technique)?
 
I kind of like a mod between the 'front 12th fret thing and up out and above some- closer to what my left ear hears which I like. Somewhere up there slightly above the neck is a balance or 'warmer and woodier than in front. Possible down side- not as direct or as much 'cut as out at the '12th fret in front.
 
mixsit said:
I kind of like a mod between the 'front 12th fret thing and up out and above some- closer to what my left ear hears which I like. Somewhere up there slightly above the neck is a balance or 'warmer and woodier than in front. Possible down side- not as direct or as much 'cut as out at the '12th fret in front.
Click to expand...

Cool. So how do you pan the microphones? I guess you don't do much because they probably sound quite different.

Manslick said:
Check this:

https://homerecording.com/bbs/gener...iques/acoustic-guitar-recording-101-a-290919/
Click to expand...

That's a good test. Thanks!
 
paw1 said:
Cool. So how do you pan the microphones? I guess you don't do much because they probably sound quite different. ..
Click to expand...
Mostly I'd be recording for my acoustic band, so two or three guitars mando + upright (or electric) bass so, mono all the way. No need (or room) for stereo images. Heck, often enough we're just doing direct off the pickups. Then I get to have fun eking out something that doesn't sound too much like ass' :>)
Occasionally I get a solo or duo come in, frankly I'd be winging it', applying whatever (oops.. wherever') it leads.
 
What I meant is that with the voice dead central, having the guitar with width wide enough to be obvious sounds sort of mismatched - like extended width. If you close your eyes and listen to an acoustic guitar, it typically sounds pretty well as if it's a point source. If you go in close and mic it in stereo, it becomes a synthetic sounding instrument, very unlike a real guitar - almost like an effect. Add in a voice and the sound field perspective just fights with your brain. You hear the voice, this indicates distance by it's tone and acoustic - if the guitar sounds wide, it won't fit. You then reduce the width by moving the pans closer to centre and end up with almost mono.
 
mixsit said:
Mostly I'd be recording for my acoustic band, so two or three guitars mando + upright (or electric) bass so, mono all the way. No need (or room) for stereo images. Heck, often enough we're just doing direct off the pickups. Then I get to have fun eking out something that doesn't sound too much like ass' :>)
Occasionally I get a solo or duo come in, frankly I'd be winging it', applying whatever (oops.. wherever') it leads.
Click to expand...

Sometimes simple is the way to go. If it works it works ;)

rob aylestone said:
What I meant is that with the voice dead central, having the guitar with width wide enough to be obvious sounds sort of mismatched - like extended width. If you close your eyes and listen to an acoustic guitar, it typically sounds pretty well as if it's a point source. If you go in close and mic it in stereo, it becomes a synthetic sounding instrument, very unlike a real guitar - almost like an effect. Add in a voice and the sound field perspective just fights with your brain. You hear the voice, this indicates distance by it's tone and acoustic - if the guitar sounds wide, it won't fit. You then reduce the width by moving the pans closer to centre and end up with almost mono.
Click to expand...

Interesting perspective. Haven't thought about that being an issue.

I'm not going to record this tune just yet as I have to finish up a couple of projects first. Nice to get some input and be prepared when the day finally comes.
 
I really like the mid/side technique but it requires one mic to be figure 8. The sound is my favorite of all acoustic guitar recording techniques. If you can't do m/s then an over the shoulder technique with the front mic pointed around the 12th to 14th fret. As the technique suggests, the other mic goes over your shoulder pointing approximately at the bridge. I've had excellent results with this technique and prefer it to x/y and spaced mic approaches. Mics under $500 I would recommend are the AT 4041 stereo pair. Tremendous mic for acoustic guitar.
 
drbluezz said:
I really like the mid/side technique but it requires one mic to be figure 8. The sound is my favorite of all acoustic guitar recording techniques. If you can't do m/s then an over the shoulder technique with the front mic pointed around the 12th to 14th fret. As the technique suggests, the other mic goes over your shoulder pointing approximately at the bridge. I've had excellent results with this technique and prefer it to x/y and spaced mic approaches. Mics under $500 I would recommend are the AT 4041 stereo pair. Tremendous mic for acoustic guitar.
Click to expand...

That technique looks really interesting. I actually have a figure 8 microphone. Although it's a cheap one I think it may do the trick. I think I'll try this technique.

The recommended positioning/pointing of the front/shoulder technique microphones is very helpful :thumbs up:
 
Here's another approach. Spaced pair. One down at the bridge about 1 foot out and the other at the 12th fret same distance out. The distance between the mics should be 3 feet apart (1 to 3 rule to reduce phasing). Record to two channels/tracks. Use a mid side plugin on both tracks of the acoustic and push the 12th fret track to the sides and the bridge track to the center only. This leaves a hole in the center of the mix in the upper frequencies for the vocalist. Alternatively you could just duplicate the 12th fret mic track and pan one left and the other right.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top