Recommend a Mic for acoustic guitar recording

I usually got multi tracked acoustic guitar:
  • Townsend Lab (now UAD) Sphere in 180 mode
  • matche pair of Rode NT5
  • piezo sound
them I mix according to what I need for that song. Often, especially for dense pop song the piezo alone get the work done.
 
Chewie5150 said:
just now I've been working on an Acoustic preset based off @Cooper Carter G66 vid on direct acoustic. I have a TC body rez pedal in the OUT 3 - In 3 loop. I was wondering why I was only getting mono (left) signal unless i had a pitch or delay block later in the signal path to make it more stereo then figured it must be due to the body rez pedal. the loop i have placed after the amp block so I'm guessing this takes it back to mono yes? i tried placing the FX loop before the amp block in the grid which leaves things stereo but sacrifices the tone a lot. the body rez sounds best placed IMO after the amp block but then it affects the stereo signal. thoughts?

I'm not sure if this is related or plays a part in this signal path. I'm running spdif into the Axe from my Apollo. In the Axe i have the I/O settings correct.
Digital input source: spdif
spdif/aes out source: output 1
input 1 source: digital
Click to expand...
Im working on this acoustic axe FX 3 preset things too. Today made one that it's quite decent sounding (for my ears atleast ;D (Taylor GSmini-E).
Need to do same work for Taylor 210CE later but before that below is soundtest clips (Taylor GSmini-E and Axe FX3 preset).
No post-processing and just straight recording (Taylor GSmini-E -> Axe FX 3 Mainout 1 L and R -> Presonus Line in 1 and 2 -> Studio One 6.5 and recorded).

First clip is with my own ballad backing track (video I put things together using FLstudio 21) and second just without backing track only guitar.

(guitar starts at 0.14)

https://maihinnousu.net/s/33538
 
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GuitarChapPappa said:
Im working on this acoustic axe FX 3 preset things too. Today made one that it's quite decent sounding (for my ears atleast ;D (Taylor GSmini-E).
Need to do same work for Taylor 210CE later but before that below is soundtest clips (Taylor GSmini-E and Axe FX3 preset).
No post-processing and just straight recording (Taylor GSmini-E -> Axe FX 3 Mainout 1 L and R -> Presonus Line in 1 and 2 -> Studio One 6.5 and recorded).

First clip is with my own ballad backing track (video I put things together using FLstudio 21) and second just without backing track only guitar.

(guitar starts at 0.14)

https://maihinnousu.net/s/33538
Click to expand...

that sounds really good. Going direct via the Axe? and yet sounds quite natural!! meaning not so 'direct'
 
Chewie5150 said:
that sounds really good. Going direct via the Axe? and yet sounds quite natural!! meaning not so 'direct'
Click to expand...
Yep! Direct Guitar to Axe FX 3 and of course Axe is connected to my audio interface.
I look one video in Youtube first and use that information, but didn't use any IR etc. and made some my own tweaking.

This video I checked

I put that preset to Axe change if someone want to check it and tweak it. If different guitar then small tweaks for (AMP bass/middle/treble) (PEQ) and EQ needs to do). And if don't want that other delay (500ms) then not using or tweaking.

That my preset base for my Jazz guitar preset and some parts I checked from that video. I realize that Jazz guitar preset can work quite okay with normal acoustic guitars.

Here is that preset: http://axechange.fractalaudio.com/detail.php?preset=10897
 
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GuitarChapPappa said:
Yep! Direct Guitar to Axe FX 3 and of course Axe is connected to my audio interface.
I look one video in Youtube first and use that information, but didn't use any IR etc. and made some my own tweaking.

This video I checked

I put that preset to Axe change if someone want to check it and tweak it. If different guitar then small tweaks for (AMP bass/middle/treble) (PEQ) and EQ needs to do). And if don't want that other delay (500ms) then not using or tweaking.

That my preset base for my Jazz guitar preset and some parts I checked from that video. I realize that Jazz guitar preset can work quite okay with normal acoustic guitars.

Here is that preset: http://axechange.fractalaudio.com/detail.php?preset=10897
Click to expand...

thx for the share. I just finished watching that vid and got those free IR's. made a scene with the blocks and values to compare with mine. I'm def getting a really nice acoustic sound here even direct. Love seeing different approaches
 
Chewie5150 said:
thx for the share. I just finished watching that vid and got those free IR's. made a scene with the blocks and values to compare with mine. I'm def getting a really nice acoustic sound here even direct. Love seeing different approaches
Click to expand...
I forgot to take those IR's :D (I take them now)
I usually don't use IR's but maybe I need to check them and use)
 
small bump on this thread as I"m still considering a mic for acoustic recording. I'd rather not spend more than $400-500. Im looking at the Audio Technica AT4040 (499 CAD), also came across the Roswell mini k47 (389USD) but this modelling mic - Slate ML-1is currently on sale at my guitar shop for 399 CAD (reg $1049). should i grab this slate?!
 
GlennO said:
I've had success recording acoustic guitar with this. $300 for a stereo pair of mics. Ingenious design.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MiCreatorSet--austrian-audio-micreator-system-set
Click to expand...
watching vids on this now....I like the idea of dual capture. For my needs this could be just right. Especially as i'm not doing acoustic recording very often so i don't need to drop loads on a super high end mic solutions. so it seems this design is aimed mostly towards content creators?
 
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The sE stuff is great, I just got 2 sets of their matched sE7's for cymbals and acoustic guitars, they sound fantastic. Live the v7 is the only vocal mic I'll use. I would go with a combination of a large diaphragm between sound hole and bridge and a pencil mic around the 12th fret, have done this previously and had really good results. If only 1 mic I'd go large diaphragm like the sE2300 or XS 1 depending on your budget and any other uses you may have for it.
 
Looking at mics reminds me of when i was shopping for FRFR. That was a long fall in the rabbit hole from which i nearly never recovered. I get there are loads of choices depending on budget and myriads of options within each tier. Question for me will be : one vs two mic setup. I get two mic setup is optimal. Actually see a pair of used Rode NT5's at my local shop for $350 which seems like a great deal. There's also a used Audio Technica AT4040 for under $350 there. I see the stereo NT5's often used with the stereo array bar in XY config which is appealing to me at the moment

question: if i'm going for only one mic. Large vs small diaphragm condenser preferred?

I read the Rode NT5's are a bit brighter which in my case wouldn't be a bad thing. My Taylor is a Koa top
 
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I've got a Slate ML1 and a few ML2s and they're just about the last mics I reach for in any situation. I don't know why I still have them, honestly. For acoustic guitars my usual go-to is the Beyerdynamic M160. I know it's higher than your desired budget, though. I've also had good luck with the sE Voodoo VR1, bearing in mind that it's a figure 8 pattern. Side note, I really like that VR1 as a drum room mic with the null aimed at the drum kit!
 
Forgot i had this saved this older vid of Pete Thorn on some acoustic recording tips. He mentions stereo recording more useful when the guitar needs to live on its own space with not much else happening. I think in my case I'm mostly going to be layering acoustic in the mix so thinking mono approach might be better. All the subtleties of a stereo tracking might disappear more in the mix and like he says hearing the guitar as you track you may miss phasing issues etc. makes sense to me

 
Chewie5150 said:
Looking at mics reminds me of when i was shopping for FRFR. That was a long fall in the rabbit hole from which i nearly never recovered. I get there are loads of choices depending on budget and myriads of options within each tier. Question for me will be : one vs two mic setup. I get two mic setup is optimal. Actually see a pair of used Rode NT5's at my local shop for $350 which seems like a great deal. There's also a used Audio Technica AT4040 for under $350 there. I see the stereo NT5's often used with the stereo array bar in XY config which is appealing to me at the moment

question: if i'm going for only one mic. Large vs small diaphragm condenser preferred?

I read the Rode NT5's are a bit brighter which in my case wouldn't be a bad thing. My Taylor is a Koa top
Click to expand...
If only 1 mic go for the large diaphragm, it has many other practical uses in addition to the acoustic where it will sound nicer than the small - speaking in general terms of course.
 
So i have a line on a used AT4040 for a great price. I'm thinking this to start just to get me going on an overall good capture on acoustic and will keep an eye out a good price on a secondary SDC mic perhaps something like the SM81
 
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