For recording acoustic guitar, there's a couple of questions to consider before looking at your microphone options:

What other instruments are to be in the recording? What recording technique do you prefer?

• guitar on it's own, or guitar & vocals, or mellow guitar sound as in jazz?
  • you're probably looking for a warm, full, natural sound
• guitar in band - for example, with drum'n'bass and keyboards?
  • here the guitar needs to cut through the sounds that overlap its frequency and tonal space

Depends on the room of course, but assuming a reasonably lively acoustic space, you'll get warmer, fuller sounds from a larger diaphragmed condenser mic with cardioid pattern.

Models to consider, depending on your budget*:…

(*Note: prices on this site are intended as a guide to the likely "street price". For more info on each model, click the image.)

Neumann TLM103 ($1300)

AKG C3000B ($300)

Rode NT1A ($200)

For a more detailed, crisper sound, but much easier to separate in the mix from other instruments, use a smaller diaphragmed cardioid pattern condenser mic.

So for the guitar in a band scenario, where the acoustic guitar needs to cut through well…

… if budget is not a problem, consider:

Neuman KM184 ($730) or AKG C414 B-XL ($1000)

However, where money is tighter, here's a couple of alternatives:

Shure SM81($350) or AKG C1000s ($200)

If you like to use stereo miking techniques, a convenient (if not the most flexible) solution is to use a stereo mic such as Shure VP88 ($1200), or Audio Technica's AT825 ($350)

Placing your Microphones
Try this with your acoustic guitar.

• Place your mic directly in front of the sound hole, at about 12-16 inches (30-40cm)
• Start recording, speak your mic position, (so you know which it is when you play back)
• Play for 15 seconds or more.

Now repeat these steps, but with the mic pointing at the 12th fret.

(Another position to try is to point the mic a little behind the bridge.)

Usually the deepest sounds are found near the sound hole; sometimes a bit too muggy or boomy. You'll probably find a clearer sound, with more high-end, somewhere around the 12th fret.

So let's look at the two types of microphone placement I mentioned.

Single Microphone Technique
With a single microphone, to start, place the microphone about 5 inches back, directed at the 12th fret. Then move the mic (distance from the guitar, angle, and relation to fret board and sound hole) until you have the best result. If you still feel the sound is on the "thin" side, you could give it an extra dimension by "doubling" the track. This means recording the same section a second time, then hard-panning both left and right in the mix.

Two-Microphone (Stereo) Techniques
Got two microphones to hand?

• place one pointing at the 12th fret, and the other pointing around the bridge.
• avoid phasing issues by making sure both microphones are:
  • the same distance from the guitar
  • spaced about 3 times further apart from each other than they are from the guitar
• hard pan them left and right (in your mixer, or recording software)
• record

The result should be a real natural, open tone.

Why is this?

Well, we have two ears. So when recording with 2 microphones, the brain recognizes a sound positioned in space in a way which seems much closer to listening to a live performance.

An alternative microphone placement approach is to use an X/Y configuration directed towards the 12th fret:

• place the microphones with their capsules one above the other
• at a 90 degree angle to each other, facing the guitar
• pan left and right

Sometimes you may find this results in a more natural stereo image.

What About Recording From The Acoustic Guitar Pickup?

Its worth while experimenting with the built-in pickup, provide you have sufficient input channels.

Blend the acoustic guitar's pickup with sound from one or more microphones can provide a highly detailed sound. It's up to you.

But often, unless the guitar has a high quality pickup, using the pickup will sound out of place on a studio recording.

Each guitar will be different, and of course if you have no mics to use for the guitar, a pickup will provide a solution.

Acoustic Guitar in Your Mix

When the acoustic guitar is to be mixed into a full-band arrangement with other guitars, especially if these are in stereo, you'd be better using a single-mic technique. The problem is that a stereo acoustic guitar is likely to bring too many sonic components to the mix, resulting in a cluttered sound.

But where it's just you playing guitar and singing, using stereo or at least doubled mono technique will give a fuller, richer result.

What Signal Processing Techniques Can Help?

Sound engineers disagree about whether or not to use compression when recording acoustic guitar. My personal preference is to rarely compress an acoustic guitar - for example, where a player uses extreme dynamics. But other engineers take a different view.

If you do chose to compress, try to use very light compression - a ratio of about 2:1 should be ok. The acoustic guitar is inherently a very dynamic instrument, and it seems a shame to risk losing that.

Of course, these techniques can be used with many other acoustic instruments!

I hope you've found this tutorial helpful as you develop your music recording skills. Pass on your new recording knowledge to others. They'll appreciate you for it.

Tags: Home Recording Studio, How to Record, Guitar Mics, Music Recording