Recording Acoustic Guitar

[john]

 

Hi

 

I just bought a new microphone, a Shure SM81, for recording instruments, but primarily for recording guitar. I did consider several microphones right from Rode M5 microphones up to a Neumann KM 184, and/or a matched pair of Rode NT55 microphones.

 

What do you guys use for instrument recording? If playing live I use an electro acoustic, but a microphone gets a so much better sound that for finished recordings I would always use a microphone. I’ve used electro acoustics on demos, but finished recordings are there to last and it just bugs me every time I hear it otherwise!

 

I’ve used SM81s before in studios, years ago, but I always remember them as having a good sound.

 

What do you use? How do you use them?

 

Cheers

 

John

[Bridget Murphy]

Excellent choice of mic.

[GregB]

I record my 12-string, my one and only guitar 😊,  on two guitar tracks simultaneously, getting two perfectly synchronised tracks but with slightly different characteristics:

 

1) DI from the inbuilt Takamine piezo pickup (vibrations in the wooden body), hopefully tailored for the Takamine instrument and outputs a rich uniform sound.

2) Rode NT1 Condenser mic, from 6-12" away,  picks up the sound projection from the guitar body, as well as other natural but indirect sounds that a listener would normally hear ... fingers striking or sliding up and down the strings, the noise of strings on frets, and the indefinable phantom sound of each string vibrating on BOTH sides of a pressed fret etc..

 

The two tracks are then EQ'd differently for tone as well as being individually placed on the stereo stage. This helps give more heft and spread, especially in otherwise quite sparse arrangements ... e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvbuJHLYxzk which is plain guitar + vocal.

 

[john]

NT1’s are great microphones. Pretty versatile. I have an original NT2 which I love. Röde microphones are pretty good across the board.

 

Do you use your NT1 for vocals too?

[GregB]

On 2/7/2024 at 11:04 AM, john said:

Do you use your NT1 for vocals too?

 

Yes. I only have the one mic. Good sound and acceptable price.

 

PS. I was surprised to find it was designed and made in Australia!  Huzzah!

Greg

[Mahesh]

I had the Rode NT1 for a few months that a friend had lent me. Such a good microphone for vocals. Although you'd like your recording room to be well treated. I used to feel so frustrated when it could detect the faintest hint of a distant bark while I'm in the middle of a really good take. Sigh

 

I use the dynamic Shure SM7B now at home for the vocals and they are just a pleasure to record with and built like a tank. 

[GregB]

13 hours ago, Mahesh said:

... and built like a tank

 

Perhaps send it to Ukraine ... they need more tanks.  😶

[Glammerocity]

I used two mics, one close and one about 6 feet away. I can't remember the arrangement but in the studio we had a Neumann and a Shure condenser.

 

If the guitar part was strummed I liked to double-track it, pan L&R then EQ the middle out, so you get the percussiveness of the top end and the warmth of the bottom but it doesn't take up all the frequency space.

[john]

12 hours ago, Glammerocity said:

If the guitar part was strummed I liked to double-track it, pan L&R then EQ the middle out, so you get the percussiveness of the top end and the warmth of the bottom but it doesn't take up all the frequency space.

 

That’s a good tip and it’s something I’ve done very similar to… I like to use one track, and use a high shelf panned L with a stereo slap back delay of that panned R. I use a low shelf on the same original track and pan that right down the centre. This does as you suggest, but I use the centre low frequencies because low frequencies don’t place so well in the stereo spectrum and gives the side bands more clarity and more of a feeling of space. It works great with backing vox too.

[Bridget Murphy]

It's great to hear that you had a positive experience with the Rode NT1 microphone for vocals. Indeed, the NT1 is known for its clarity and detail, making it a popular choice among vocalists. However, as you mentioned, sensitive condenser microphones like the NT1 can pick up background noise easily, so having a well-treated recording environment is essential for optimal performance.