Skip to main content

Dear Boys,

I tried gleaning this info from other threads without satisfactory success. The quest is simple: I would like to hear some very common setups/methods for Micing acoustic guitar (in terms of the Micing - the rest of the signal path is already in place). I am contemplating buying a stereo pair of small diaphram mics for the task - is this down the common path? I've only tried so far with my large diaphram tube condenser. Not satisfied. Give a fella some tips! You guys are the best.

fjell

Topic Tags

Comments

anonymous Tue, 09/13/2005 - 14:29

I use a couple methods with successful results. #1 is the same as frob, except I also take a LDC and place it over my right shoulder, and mix the two to taste. Sometimes, I'll also use the mic on the 12 fret, and have an LDC in front of the bridge about 12 inches out in front. Also, if the acoustic you're using has electronics, try running it through a DI and mic the guitar as well, then blend the two signals. I've never used the stereo pair method before, only because I don't have a good matched pair, but I know it's been done before.

jonyoung Tue, 09/13/2005 - 16:44

For 2 small diaphragm mics, place both about 6-8" from the instrument, one at the 12th fret and angled towards the soundhole, the other where the neck joins the body and angled towards the headstock. Blend until smooth. For a single LDC, 12-14" above and in front of the neck/body junction, angled down.

Davedog Tue, 09/13/2005 - 17:07

All excellent posts and all work quite well. All are dependant on the room, the instrument, and the style of music being played. Try em all.

Here's another. For two ,preferably, matched SDC's....X/Y stereo pair over the right shoulder of the player anywhere from 16 to 24 inches above and an LDC multi pattern mic in 'omni' out in front 12 to 15 inches at the neck connection and slightly over the upper bout.

Here's another. Stereo pair right out in front. Move to taste.

Got a really bassy acoustic guitar? SDC at the soundhole angled towards the neck, SDC at the peghead about 8" out. You have to remain fairly still for this one. Its the same technique I use on a banjo to ferret out the overtones. You'll be surprised how much tone is available at the peghead.

anonymous Tue, 09/13/2005 - 17:54

I truly appreciate all these comments, fellas - in no time at all you've delivered concrete practical advice. I'm off to do my thing (first armed only with my tube LDC to see if I can manage alone with it). You boys rock the nation. Many many thanks. Best of luck in all your projects.

And more advice certainly still welcome!

took-the-red-pill Tue, 09/13/2005 - 22:04

first of all, let me say what a pain it was to turn my computer monitor upside down to see what you look like...

I place a pair of condensers at the 14 fret, 12" apart and 12" out. One is ABOVE the other, not beside it, I want a stereo guitar, not one with fret squeaks and one with boomy sound hole yuk. I point them both where the body and neck join. I make sure both are parallel and the same distance from the top of the guitar to address phasing issues.

It doesn't give a tremendously wide stereo image, but it's better than one, to my ears. They are of course, panned hard left and right.

If I want a wider image, I still record with the 2 mics, but I shift one back 7 MS. For some reason with me that is the magic number that has revealed almost zero issues when summed to mono. I don't do it every time, but it's worth checking out. I also sometimes dick around with *slightly* different compression or eq, just to differentiate the tracks a tad.

That's just me though.

That peg head thing is interesting, Dave, I'd like to try that one.

Cheers
Keith

x

User login