There are a lot of methods to record your acoustic guitar. They allow you to receive a lot of sounds. However, not all players know how to do it properly. No matter what ways you use and how many mics you will use, you have to remember some things. In this post, we will show you some essential tips on how to mic acoustic guitars.
Avoid Placing the Mic in front of Your Sound Hole
Many people choose to place a mic for your acoustic guitar in front of the soundhole. It seems to be the most intuitive position. If you place it in front of this soundhole, any mic positioned there will be washed out because of the bass frequencies coming blasting out the soundhole.
Place your Mic about Between 12 and 16 Inches from the twelfth Fret for the Balanced Sound
This place is for those who want to capture a pleasing sound. It is the most trustworthy method for this purpose. It is sure to give you the true sound of your acoustic guitar’s tone.
Put the Mic above the Sound Hole for the Balanced Sound Adding more Bass a Bit
If you are looking to give more power to the sound, you can move the mic back down your instrument. It does not require you to wash the device with bass. You will get a slightly fuller sound, thanks to putting your mic from 12-16 inches to the soundhole.
Put your mic behind the bridge to make the same effect. This place will pick up less bass. However, it still offers an excellent mid-range. Also, the place allows you to capture more of the pick sounds.
Try with Different Condenser Mics of Various sizes
In general, most sound engineers experiment with condenser mics for their acoustic guitar due to the higher sensitivity they offer. However, dynamic ones will be a better option for certain types of guitars.
The mic you should use depends on the types of sound you want to get. You will get a different sounding texture from the small diaphragm, condenser, and large-diaphragm ones. We recommend you to experiment with different kinds of mics since you may be in multiple places.
Try a Little Mid-Side Action
You should challenge the mid-side recording technique since it can offer you the next level of your recording capabilities. You need to place a single cardioid mic on the top of a figure -8 mic for the mid-side method.
This technique can add detail to your instrument recording. At the same time, it offers a wide range of choices when you mix your guitar into a multitrack song.
Conclusion
Before starting placing your mic, it is essential to keep in mind that the shape and sound of the room may affect your recording. Therefore, you should choose the right place for putting your mic.
Only when you choose the right room to place your mic, you should look for the best sounding place as well as setting up your mic there. Besides, don’t forget to always try new things to find out which performs best for you.
Leave a Reply