16 Guitar Recording Tips From The Stars

When it comes to mic'ing up his amp, Paul Gilbert likes to keep things simple.

When it comes to recording guitar, everyone goes through a slightly different process.

Over time, we all find ways of working with comfortable 'old' setups and often end up discovering what could be considered unconventional methods. These procedural variations also factor as a major part of what creates unique music.

With this in mind, we contacted four star guitarists - John 5, Paul Gilbert, Adam D and Marty Friedman - and asked them how they go about capturing their guitar performances on hard disk or tape. Their methods certainly work for them, and they might just work for you, too.
John 5

Go organic

On my latest album, I took a more simple approach to my amp setup. At the studio where we record, they have loads of amps set up. I used a Marshall JCM 900 and a Fender Tone

Master. We kind of just fire them up and go. I haven't been using a lot of effects, as I've had such a cool, organic sound - that's how I practise at home.

Doubling up

Everybody doubles their rhythm parts, but I always thought, 'Why don't they double their lead solos, too?'. It's really hard to do, especially with any bends and faster sections, and it does take a very long time, but I've been doing it a different way to make things a little easier. For instance, as soon as I've just finished a song, I'll double the lead part right away, while it's still completely fresh in my mind.

Scouting around

Always be prepared, and know what you're doing. It's like when you're in school; you'll want to study before you do a test, if you're going to do any good in it that is. Well, it's the same thing with anything in life, and recording guitar is definitely included.

Limiting factors

Go straight (direct input), or at least try to limit yourself to only one or two pedals or effects, otherwise you'll only mask your true sound and take something away.

Mic 'n' easy

Electric guitar is the easiest thing to record. It's not like drums or vocals. Distorted guitar is especially easy, as it's already compressed. Use a dynamic mic, don't do anything fancy with it - just point it straight at the amp or angle it slightly and it'll sound great.

Tuning and timing

Recording comes down to two things: tuning and timing. Lots of unsigned bands I hear overlook timing. People think AC/DC, Green Day and the Ramones aren't great players because they don't play fast, but they have their timing nailed and their records are really tight and sound great as a result.

Balancing act

Editing parts is OK, but you need to find a balance and know where to draw the line, otherwise you can waste hours. I used to find that, after spending so much time editing, I lost sight of the original feeling that I was trying to create. You should always try to get the best possible performance in the first place.

Underdoing it

You can get lots of distortion from any amp or plug-in - it's not like 1975 when Marshalls just had a volume control. The problem is that jacked up guitars with loads of distortion will sound like mush. Try to get the song sounding good without loads of distortion and overdubs.

SM57's rule

You either call it 'knowing what works' or blame it on laziness, but I always just throw a '57 in front of the cab. I suppose it's a 'stick to your guns' mentality. I default to that every single time.

Back off

Mic placement is pretty crucial. You can get a million different EQ responses depending on where you throw the mic in front of the cab. I personally have the best luck - or at least I think so - when I back the mic off a little bit. I know a lot of engineers throw it right on the grille to get the bass boost, the proximity effect and all that garbage, but I find that if I back it up about six inches, I get a more balanced EQ curve.

Tight fit

Half the battle is playing the part well. Remember the old phrase, 'You can't polish a turd'? If it sucks from the beginning, it'll suck at the end. There's no way around a bad sounding performance.

A little bit at a time

My brain is not intelligent enough to perform a song well in one pass, so a little bit at a time works better. That way, the player can concentrate on what's going on at that specific moment. It's too overwhelming to play a whole song good.

Marty Friedman

Prepare…
Prepare and over-prepare, and then prepare some more. When you're done, practise everything over again, just once more. Then, by the time you get in the studio everything will just flow out of you.
…Or not

Despite what I just said, sometimes I feel that being totally unprepared makes for a really fun, fresh experience. If you have an unlimited amount of time, you can be as unprepared as you want and simply hope to get lucky.

Refined sugar

I'll have one go at an entire solo and even when there are some parts I like and others I don't, I won't punch in and get caught up in little details. I'll just remember the parts I like and then replay the whole thing again. I'll repeat that process, so the final solo ends up being one take. Engineers like doing it that way, too.

No one approach

Steve Vai and John Petrucci of Dream Theater played on my 2006 album Loudspeaker. John came into the studio, where I walked him through the entire track, then got him to play all the impossible stuff I couldn't imagine doing myself. Steve had no direction; I sent him the song and he sent a bunch of tracks back, which I hacked up to my liking.

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4 Great Tips For Recording And Mixing An Acoustic Guitar Music And Technology

Recording and mixing an instrument such as an acoustic guitar can be as simple or as complex as you like but most important of all we need to get the sound right at the source to set us up for a good recording. Here at our Manchester recording studio , we have learnt the hard way in our early days, so remember - record a bad sound at source and you are starting on the wrong foot and leaving yourself open to a headache of a mix!

First off, if you have a selection of guitars or access to a number of different acoustics, then make sure you utilize your resources. Choosing the right guitar with the best sound for what you need will save you a lot of time later on when mixing. Think about what role the acoustic is going to play in the track; is it to be placed into a loud and busy mix and be heard through it's top end, or is it the absolute main focus of the track? All of these kinds of questions help us understand what we need form the guitar itself but not only that, it will help your decision in step two now you know what you need form the guitar - choosing you microphone(s) and placement.

Today we'll talk through two of our favorite microphone placements, but don't let this stop you being creative and finding a better way to record your acoustic guitar. Use these ideas as a good place to start and go ahead and tweak away!

The ‘XY' Technique

The first is the popular ‘XY' placement. This involves two pencil condenser microphones crossed over at the 12th fret. They will both be aimed at the 12th fret and at an approximate 90 degree angle against each other. Move this placement up and down the fret board and sound hole to find the best sounding point. Remember, every guitar is different and no mic position will be applicable for two different guitars. The microphones should be around 6 inches away from the guitar, but again, use this as a guide and play about with the distance.

When mixing these signals, pan them left and right for a stereo feel, panning harder for a widest stereo image.

Stereo Technique

The second microphone involves, again, two condenser microphones, however, this time we will need a large diaphragm condenser and a pencil condenser. The large diaphragm condenser will be position facing the bridge of the guitar at around 6 inches away and the pencil condenser at the same distance but at the 12th fret. This allows us to capture a good rich low end from the bridge and bright clarity from the 12th fret. The large condensers can be great for capturing low end due to their structure and size. Like the other technique, spread these signals using your pan tool in your chosen DAW. The great thing about this technique is that you can now balance the low end of your acoustic guitar by bringing in the bridge microphone until you are happy with the sound against your 12th fret position.

Single Large Diaphragm Condenser

For the times where the stereo sound isn't necessary, placing a large condenser approximately 6 inches away from the guitar around the 12th fret can still give great results. The reason we recommend the large diaphragm over the pencil is because in the mixing stage, you have the option to keep or cut the rich and full low end that a large diaphragm condenser offers. Remember, when using this technique, it is important to find the point of perfect balance between the low and muddy sound the bridge can offer, to the clarity and sometimes thin sound the neck can give. You have less room for correction, compared to a stereo technique, when mixing.

Be wary of either side of your frequency ranges

A common problem when mixing acoustic guitars is the control on either the top or low end. Managing harsh top and low end can be achieved with a simple compressor. However, before we continue, we must stress; don't over compress. Keep the ratio below 5:1:1 and make sure you're threshold is only cutting up to 3 to 4 dB maximum. Over compression on an acoustic guitar takes away the dynamics from what can be a beautiful sounding instrument. Always listen back to the guitar in the mix and take some time away, to come back with fresh ears and a fresh outlook.

Use these three techniques and feel free to explore and experiment to achieve the sound you desire. Remember to make the right choices at the very beginning and most of all, have fun doing what can be a very satisfying recording experience.

5 Effective Ways To Record Acoustic Guitar

The acoustic guitar is an essential instrument in a wide range of musical genres including Pop, Rock, Folk, and Country. It is also one of the most common instruments to record, as it is the foundation and backbone of many songs.

Whether the guitar needs to fit in the context of an entire band or solo as the instrument behind a vocal, the tone plays a significant role in the success of a mix.

In order to end up with a good tone for the acoustic guitar at the end of a mix, it is important to properly capture the initial performance.

Many times it's sufficient to throw up a single microphone on the guitar and capture a mono signal. In other cases the acoustic guitar needs to fill out more space in the stereo field.

However, it's not always obvious to decide how the performance should be captured and panned.

Some acoustic instruments, like drums and piano, have a natural stereo width due to their physical size and how they are typically heard.

As an example, it is logical to pan hi-hats to one side and the floor tom to the other side. It is also reasonable to pan the piano based on the musician's perspective with the lower notes on the left and the higher notes on the right.

Because there is no obvious convention as to how the acoustic guitar should be captured and panned, an audio engineer has many options. Here are five ways an acoustic guitar can be captured in stereo.

1) Vertical X/Y at the 12th Fret

When miking an acoustic guitar, a good place to start is placing the mic(s) close to the 12th fret.

This location provides a good tonal balance between low and high frequencies. It also provides a good balance between the rhythmic, percussive clarity for the instrument's strumming and the tonal sustain of the strings.

One way to use two mics to capture an acoustic guitar is to place both mics near the 12th fret.

By using an X/Y configuration, one mic can be angled toward the low strings on the guitar and one mic can be angled toward the high strings. In this case, the lower notes on the instrument will be captured at a higher amplitude in the first mic and the higher notes on the instrument will be captured at a higher amplitude in the second mic.

This technique can be a way to capture a stereo image of an acoustic guitar that resembles an acoustic piano with lower notes panned left and higher notes panned right.

If you already have a piano panned this way in your mix, you could flip the panning on the guitar so that the opposite is happening with the acoustic guitar. This is a good way to balance both low frequencies and high frequencies across the stereo field with multiple instruments.

2) Horizontal X/Y at the 12th Fret

This miking technique is a modification of the vertical X/Y at the 12th fret.

Rather than pointing one mic at the low strings and one mic at the high strings, in this technique one mic is angled toward the instrument's sound hole while the other mic is angle up the neck.

The microphone pointed toward the sound hole will capture a signal with a louder low frequency response. The microphone pointed up the neck will capture a signal with a quieter low frequency response.

This is another method to capture a performance where the spectral balance differs across the stereo field, and can compliment another instrument like piano.

In this case, lower strings and higher strings are not spread across the stereo field. Rather, the spectrum for all strings is spread across the stereo field.

3) Horizontal M/S at the 12th Fret

This technique is conceptually a combination of the previous two techniques.

One uni-directional microphone is positioned toward the neck at the 12th fret and one bi-directional microphone is positioned near the sound hole.

The bi-directional microphone should be rotated so that the front and back are perpendicular to the body of the guitar. A Mid-Side matrix is set up with the bi-directional microphone so that the front captures more of the low strings while the back captures more of the high strings.

Between the two microphones, the uni-directional microphone will capture lower frequencies at a lower amplitude than the bi-directional microphone. Therefore, blending between the two mics allows for control over the spectral balance of the captured performance.

The two signals created from the bi-directional microphone can be used to have more amplitude of the low strings on one side of the stereo field and more amplitude of the high strings on the opposite side.

Depending on the desired tonal balance, the position of the mics could be swapped so the bi-directional mic is near the 12th fret and the uni-directional near the sound hole.

4) Ambient Spaced Pair

One reason to choose a miking technique for the acoustic guitar is to have a spectral balance of tone across the stereo field. Another reason to use a stereo miking technique is to use the stereo field to add spatial depth to the instrument. This can be accomplished by using a balance of close and distant mics.

One version of this would be to use a single close mic near the 12th fret of the guitar and a spaced pair of ambient room mics.

The close mic can be panned to the center of the stereo field. Then the spaced pair of microphones can be panned left and right.

Mixing more of the close mic will push the acoustic guitar up-front in the mix.

Mixing more of the spaced pair will add depth and push the acoustic guitar back in the mix.

This technique can work well if you have a studio with a good room sound.

In many situations, other instruments are given preference to the best room in the studio while the acoustic guitar is recorded in an isolation booth. Whenever possible, spend the extra time to overdub the acoustic guitar in the best room.

5) Player's Perspective

The motivation for miking techniques used with drums and piano comes from the common way that these instruments are perceived.

A similar concept can be applied to the acoustic guitar.

In this technique, microphones can be placed in proximity to the physical location where the performer will be hearing the instrument.

One microphone can be placed near the left ear of the performer and one microphone can be placed near the right ear of the performer.

In this case, the performer's head acts as a baffle or gobo between the microphones to increase the difference in the captured signal. The captured signals by the microphones should provide a natural stereo image because they will be similar to the signals captured by the performer's ears.

Conclusion

In summary, recording an acoustic guitar can be a very creative process for an audio engineer.

There are many different options for capturing the sound of the instrument.

When it comes to stereo miking techniques, don't hesitate to experiment with different possibilities to achieve a tonal and spatial balance across the stereo field.
Eric Tarr
Eric Tarr is a musician, audio engineer, and producer based in Columbus, Ohio. Currently a Professor of Audio Engineering Technology at Belmont University in Nashville, TN.

5 Stereo Mic Techniques For Acoustic Guitar (Or ANY Acoustic Instrument)

If you record acoustic guitar , then chances are you've either played around with stereo recording or at least thought about it. But maybe you're not sure which techniques to use and the pros and cons of each.

I think I can help.

I've recorded acoustic guitar more than any other instrument, so I've spent countless hours of quality time with my guitar and a pair of microphones. And I've gotten pretty good at getting great acoustic guitar tone.

What is stereo recording?

Stereo recording is simply using two microphones to capture a two-channel stereo” image of the source. By panning the signals left and right, you can create a sense of space and width and depth, simply by using two microphones instead of one.

Stereo mic techniques can be applied to any acoustic instrument - drum overheads, piano, cello, upright bass, choirs. I've used these same stereo techniques on all these instruments.

So even if you don't record acoustic guitar, keep reading. These techniques apply to all kinds of recording situations, and it's good to be familiar with them.

Mono recording (using only one microphone) is still very useful. There are plenty of times where I'll simply use one microphone on acoustic guitar, especially if it's for a bigger production where the guitar is playing a minor role. If the guitar is a big focus of the song, then I'll probably stereo-mic it.

Check out these two articles for more on stereo vs. mono recording:

1. XY

XY is oftentimes my go-to stereo technique. Why? Because it doesn't lend itself to phase issues. Phase issues can occur when multiple microphones pick up the same source. If the microphones are in different locations, then there's a chance they'll pick up the sound at different times.

Imagine taking two identical tracks in your DAW and delaying one by a few milliseconds. (Go try it if you've never done it.) What happens? Things start sounding thin. That's what happens when your two mics are out of phse.

With the XY technique, the mics are essentially at the same point in time, so any signal will hit both microphones at roughly the same time. It essentially gets rid of phase issues.

Pros - stereo image without any phase issues

Cons - not as wide” of an image as other techniques

2. ORTF

ORTF (it stands for some French phrase) is essentially taking the XY technique and flipping them outwards instead of inwards. The idea here is to create a recording that sounds very close to how the human ears hear.

The mics are approximately at the same distance and angle as our ears. On headphones, this technique sounds incredible. It's as if you're sitting in front of the guitar listening yourself. (For specific specs on ORTF, click here. )

Pros - realistic stereo field

3. Spaced Pair

Spaced pair is just like it sounds. You set up two microphones spaced out, facing the instrument. Spaced pair is the most susceptible to phase issues. I almost never get it right the first time. It requires a lot of attention and listening to get it right.

Spaced pair can give you a huge, wide sound, but only if you get the two mics in phase. The way I normally go about making sure they're in phase is to listen to the mics in mono. I'll pan both tracks to the center, and move the mics around until the mono signal sounds nice and full. If the sound is missing a lot of bass and sounds phasey, I know the mics aren't in phase yet.

Oftentimes just moving one mic a few inches will fix the problem. Once the mono signal sounds full and huge, you're ready. The stereo signal will be enormous. Be careful, though. If the guitarist moves or rotates a bit, you might be back out of phase again.

Pros - very wide sound

Cons - very susceptible to phase issues, center” isn't as clear

4. Over-the-Shoulder

Over-the-shoulder is a technique I've only used occasionally. Essentially you put a mono mic in front of the guitar and another mic over the neck pointing down. While this isn't a true” stereo technique, a lot of engineers use this as their default setup for recording acoustic guitar.

I find it to be a bit fickle. The front mic captures the body of the instrument, while the shoulder mic only captures the higher-end sound and pick noise. That means I can't really pan these very wide without it sounding funny.

It can give an interesting stereo image with lots of fret noise, if that's what the song needs.

Guitarists tend to like this technique because it sounds a lot like the guitar sounds to their ears when they're playing it.

Pros - if shoulder mic doesn't work, you can still use the front mic as a mono mic; grabs more finger/fret noise and air”

Cons - not really a L/R stereo technique, tends to capture a lot of pick noise, phase issues are still a concern

5. Mid-Side

Mid-side is the most complex technique, but it's pretty cool. The setup is one cardioid (or omni) microphone pointed at the guitar and another figure-8 microphone facing perpendicular to the first mic.

The mid mic gets recorded to its own track. The side mic gets recorded to TWO separate mono tracks (record the same signal to two tracks), panned left and right. Flip the phase on one of the tracks.

This allows you to adjust the width of the recording. The more you bring up the side tracks, the wider the sound. The more you bring up the mid mic, the more mono” the sound.

What's great about this is you can change the width after-the-fact. If you're mixing and wish the track was wider, you can make it happen. You can't do that with any other technique.

Like the XY technique, mid-side doesn't tend to have many phase issues, because the mic capsules are so close together. If your room is noisy or not very well treated acoustically, then this technique might not be for you, as the sid mic is picking up everything to the left and right of the guitar (your room).

Pros - very little phase issues, mono-compatible, adjustable width

Cons - more complex/confusing to set up, having too many choices may bog you down later, harder to ‘commit' to a sound

 

5 Tips To Improve Your Home Recordings Right Away

This article was written by guest contributor Pat Walsh, lead guitarist of the band Chaser Eight

As most of us are well aware, we're now living in the age of the home recording studio. An old laptop with some inexpensive gear can now produce high fidelity recordings that can rival those made in expensive studios. Still, many musicians who aren't engineers (me included) can find the task of recording and producing a great track a little daunting. Through a lot of trial and error I have learned a few things over the years while producing tracks for my band, Chaser Eight. Here are 5 tips that home recording enthusiasts can employ right now to start getting more polished recordings.

1. Get a Preamp

Plugging a guitar or microphone directly into your recording interface can often produce a very transparent sound that lacks the warmth and volume that a great track requires. There is an easy and inexpensive way to get a better source sound: plug the guitar or microphone into a preamp first.

A decent preamp one can be obtained for as little as $50 and will immediately add volume and warmth to everything that you record. A few technical things to note: First, if you buy a tube preamp, it's best to junk the tube that comes with it and replace it with a better one (doing so requires nothing more than a screwdriver) which you can buy at a guitar shop.

Secondly, keep in mind that the output of the preamp will require a balanced audio cable such as a TSR or XLR cable. Don't try and connect the preamp to your interface with just an instrument cable, even though it will fit into the input.

First plug your guitar or microphone into a Preamp, like The Tube MP pictured above, rather than directly into the Interface for improved sound quality.

2. Dive In And Constantly Use the Web As a Resource

I notice that friends that are new to this will buy large books about home recording before they start actually trying to do any real recording themselves. These tomes can be solid resources, but for the most part, I think it's best to bypass them at first and just dive right in. Trial and error is the best teacher.

Most contemporary recording software programs, like GarageBand, are very user friendly and don't require a lot of time to learn at a basic level. Just start experimenting, and develop your own base knowledge. Once you've done this experimentation, then it's time to use the web to learn specific tasks. The two best sources of information are YouTube and a site called GearSlutz. They each provide oceans of tutorials and advice on virtually every topic with respect to recording. Maybe you've learned how to record drums fairly well on your own, but you are not sure how to properly EQ a snare drum. Go look it up. Maybe you have recorded a good vocal track but you'd like to know a little bit more about using pitch correction effectively? Seek and you shall find. I continue to learn new methods this approach.

Again, don't try and take in all of this information at once. It will overwhelm you and make the task of engineering great tracks seem impossible. Advanced books and the like are actually more useful after you've gotten a lot of hours under your belt, not before.

3. Invest in One Good Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone

This isn't earth-shattering news to most home recording enthusiasts, but I can't overstate its importance: it is imperative to buy a good condenser microphone.

I strongly recommend that anyone mastering their own recordings, even on a shoestring budget, make purchasing a large diaphragm condenser microphone mandatory. The reason I believe in this item so dearly is that in addition to recording vocals, you can also record acoustic instruments (acoustic guitars, mandolins, banjos, etc.), light percussion (tambourines, bongos, etc.), and a whole host of other things.

I also love to use mine as a room microphone when recording drums. If you start buying separate condenser microphones of various shapes and sizes for all of these different tasks then your wallet is going to take a beating, and the results really won't change all that much. I'm a fan of the Rode NT1A, but if you want to stay under $200 there are plenty of excellent options out there.

This Rode NT1A, a large diaphragm microphone, can be used to record many things besides vocals.

4. Invest In Some Good Mastering Software

One thing that virtually any new home recording enthusiast inevitably says is, my track is done, but it's not as loud or punchy as my favorite band's tunes are.”

Many folks will then turn to professional engineers to master their finished songs. While these consultants often do great work (at increasingly cheap rates), it is no longer required that artists use them. If you are like me and like to record a lot of material, using a lot of outside engineer help is just too expensive.

Nowadays, mastering software is inexpensive, user-friendly, and very effective. I use a product called Ozone by Izotope. You can get it for about $200, and older versions of the product can be had for even less. Other options exist as well, and none of them take very much time to learn. The components of the software, like the Reverb or Compression units, can be used on individual tracks within the recording as well, so these products have many, many uses beyond just mastering the final tune. Of course, professional engineers are going to be better (I don't think Coldplay is going to decide to start mastering their tracks using $200 software), but you will definitely be very happy with the results you get, and they will be on-par with what you hear professionally mastered.

5. Get Decent Monitors, You Don't Need Great Ones

Some home recording enthusiasts fall into the trap of buying excessively expensive monitors for playback. If you happen to be a Rockefeller or a Hilton and can shell out $7,000 for massive monitors with an obscenely powerful subwoofer I'm all for it (and please, let's be friends). But if you are on a budget like me, nothing fancy is required.

My inexpensive M-Audio AV40 speakers, with no subwoofer to speak of, get the job done just fine. The only important thing is to simply know the characteristics of your monitors compared to other speakers. Listen to your tracks (as well as commercial recordings) on headphones, car stereos, and cheap computer speakers and compare what you hear to the sound profile of your monitors. Maybe your monitors don't project certain frequencies especially well so you know to turn those up a little bit when mixing. It is really no more complicated than that. If you follow this rule your tracks will be just as well mixed as the guy or gal who is using an exceptionally expensive monitoring system.

My democracy loving M-Audio Monitors get the job done at a low cost.

7 Advanced Guitar Mixing Techniques For An Amazing Guitar Production Audio Issues

Building upon one of my older articles, Top 10 Guitar Mixing Techniques , here are even more tips and tricks to make your electric guitar sound better in your mix.

1. Long Release on Chords - For a longer, more sustained sound for chords, use a long release on your compressor. Think if it this way: the longer the release, the longer the sustain of the chords.

2. Fast Attack to Reduce String Sound - Compression is used to create shape, it's not just used to control the volume. A really fast attack really pushes down on the initial strum, resulting in a more pad-like sound.

If you combine a fast attack with a fast/medium release you'll end up with a chord that seems to wash over you, especially if you hit the chords(and your compressor) hard.

3. Re-amp if Needed - Re-amping means routing your performance from your DAW into an amp and recording it again. If you recorded a great performance through a guitar emulator and you're not satisfied with the sound, re-amping is a great way to give your electric guitar more depth. It's a perfect way to tweak a great performance that has a lackluster sound.

4. Cut at 800 Hz - I always seem to dip a little at 800 Hz, it takes the cheap sound away. Especially if I'm working with cheap guitars.

5. EQ the reverb - Reverb is the number one culprit when it comes to a muddy mix. This trick is applicable to any instrument, but make sure to filter out some of the low-end of your reverb send when mixing electric guitar. It'll still give your guitar space and depth, but without the unnecessary muddiness.

6. Use subgroups - If you're working with many similar guitar track, grouping them together makes mixing a lot easier. This is one of the most important advice I can give. It's simple but extremely important. Bus, route and group your tracks and suddenly your tracks become more manageable.

7. Use the Right Reverb - Take your time to go throw your reverbs. Choosing the right reverb depends on a lot of things: genre of music, speed of song, type of feel.

You can't get a large open vocal sound with a small jazzy -club preset. You're better off with a hall setting. Also, a fast rock song with a cathedral reverb is going to muddy up the mix immediately. So take your time to use the right reverbs for the song.

7 Quick Tips For Recording Great Amp Sounds

by Rich Tozzoli

Whether you're recording in your bedroom or at a high-end studio, these very simple recording techniques can have a huge, positive impact on the sound you lay down.

1. Put the mic directly on the cabinet.

To get an in-your-face sound, try taking a classic Shure SM57 and jamming it right on the cabinet, just to the right or left of the cone's center. You'll get a little proximity effect, which is basically some added bass response. Use it to your advantage and try to keep the EQ'ing to a minimum.

2. Axis, Bold as Tone

By taking that Shure SM57 (or similar) mic and just slightly changing its angle in relation to the speaker, you're miking off axis.” The tonal character will change a bit; and at this point, experimentation is key. If you can, have a friend move it a little at a time as you listen on headphones or in the control room. You'll hear that magic spot. When you find it, take pictures so you remember the exact positioning.

3. Change your tubes.

If you've got a tube amp, don't just assume the tubes are good. You'd probably change your strings in anticipation of a recording, right? Give your tubes the same consideration.

Always have a second set on hand, and unless you're a complete traditionalist, try a set from a different manufacturer than your originals. All tubes have slightly different attack and breakup, even amps of the same type and rating. Use your ears and don't get lazy.

4. Use more than one mic.

Even if you're recording for yourself, don't settle on using just one mic. If you have to, borrow an extra mic from a friend. It doesn't have to be a vintage Neumann. Place the second mic either on the cabinet next to the first one or farther back in the room. Any functioning mic is worth a try. You'll have more tonal options when it comes time for mixdown.

5. Compress the room.

When that second mic mentioned above is used as a room mic, place it at least 3 feet away from the cabinet —preferably even farther back. Then, when listening back, try applying a massive amount of compression to that room mic. Make sure not to compress the attack out of the notes; just get enough so that it squashes the peaks down a bit. You can always use the compressor's makeup gain to get more volume.

6. Use wide panning.

When it comes time to mix your two amp-mic tracks together, pan the two tracks oppositely; that is, pan one hard left and the other hard right. You'll notice the soundstage in the Left/Right field opening up. Then experiment with putting a very short delay on the room mic, around 30-50 ms. A very nice stereo image can be had using just two simple mics and a delay.

7. Use more than one amp.

If you've got the gear for it, split your signal (either with a stereo FX pedal or DI) and run your guitar into two different amps. Like having two mics, the two separate amp sounds give you more options at mixdown. When recording heavily distorted parts, try to minimize the distortion on a second amp and increase a bit of treble, which helps the pick attack cut through a dense mix.

Rich Tozzoli is a Grammy-nominated engineer, mixer, producer and composer. He has worked with artists such as Ace Frehley, Al DiMeola and David Bowie, among many more, and is the author of Pro Tools Surround Sound Mixing Rich is also a lifelong guitarist and composer. His work can be heard regularly on FoxNFL, HBO, and Discovery Channel, and he's recently released the full-length Rhythm Up.

Acoustic Guitar Recording Techniques

How to Mic Six-Strings Like a Pro

Three stereo miking secrets guaranteed to make your acoustic guitar tracks shine

Ask five engineers how they approach recording acoustic guitar, and you may very well get five different answers, if you get any at all, that is. While many factors influence an engineer's choice of recording techniques - the character of the instrument, the style of music, the player's personal tonal and dynamic signature, and the recording environment - some engineers prefer to keep their approaches a trade secret. But despite all the possible permutations of instrument, style, player, room, and ego, for most seasoned engineers the real secret to recording an acoustic guitar is stereo miking - plain and simple.

Sure, if it's just "spaciousness" you're after, you could record an acoustic guitar in mono and fold in some enthusiastic stereo processing. Or if you're hankering for a dramatically textured sound, you could try combining a microphone with an acoustic guitar pickup. If depth and accuracy are what matter most, however, you'll find that stereo recording with two microphones is an exceptionally reliable way to record full-bodied, realistic-sounding acoustic guitar tracks.

Let's take a look at three of the most popular techniques, and also examine the questions of microphone choice and mono-compatibility. As you'll find, stereo recording can be a complex art, since the interaction between the two mics will determine many aspects of the sound - including tone, image, and mono-compatibility. But like any art, you'll also find that practice makes perfect. So whip out those mics, pull out that guitar, and give these tips a try: You'll hear the difference.

Three Surefire Techniques

In most cases, you'll want to use a pair of cardioid (unidirectional) mics placed close to the instrument. Close-miking - approximately six to 12 inches from the guitar - is used in most pop and other contemporary recordings that feature acoustic guitar.

Cardioid mics are generally best used for close-miking guitar because they exhibit less bass proximity effect (or bass boost) than other directional types when placed close to the sound source. And we all know that acoustic guitars can sound boomy if miked incorrectly.

Let's explore three common approaches to stereo miking and acoustic guitar. Each of these techniques has been used on countless hit records. Be sure to check out the corresponding audio links, and of course, consider these as starting points for your own creativity. After you've mastered each one, feel free to experiment with your own variations on each method.

Spaced Pair, Version A

Two mics are placed apart from each other at the same approximate height, one pointing at the 12th fret of the guitar and the other at the bridge.

With this approach - as with any miking technique that uses two or more mics that are spaced apart from one another - always be sure to follow the "3-to-1 rule." According to this rule, the distance between two mics should be at least three times the distance between each mic and the sound source. This keeps phase cancellations to a minimum, resulting in a smoother sound that also translates well to mono. So, for instance, if you've got each mic seven inches from the guitar, the 3-to-1 rule mandates that you spread the two mics at least 21 inches apart from each other. (One of a few exceptions to the 3-to-1 rule is with the X-Y technique, as described below.)

Spaced Pair, Version B

Our second technique is a variation on the spaced pair. As in the setup above, one mic points to the 12th fret. The second mic, however, is hung from a mic stand at the performer's ear level, pointing down at either the bridge or at the strings just behind the soundhole. For example, if the performer is right-handed, this second mic would be placed over her right shoulder. (Once again, be sure to follow the 3-to-1 rule.)

You can also move this ear-level mic slightly out in front of the performer and angle it back towards the guitar (versus pointing straight down at the floor), for a brighter sound. This technique usually yields a more open - but thinner - sound than the simple spaced pair on a horizontal plane. Check out the links to hear the difference.

If you're not getting the sound you want with a spaced pair placement, try moving one or both microphones slightly to improve the timbre. Because spaced pair placement is subject to phase interference, moving one mic only an inch or two can dramatically change the sound. To learn more about how phase affects the timbre of stereo guitar tracks, go to the mono-compatibility link below.

The X-Y Technique

X-Y, or coincident-pair, is the no-brainer approach to stereo miking. If you follow these steps precisely, and are willing to move the mics around a bit to find the sweet spot, you'll find it's hard to make a bad recording. (That's assuming, of course, that your room, your mics, and the instrument - and, while we're making a checklist, the guitarist - are half-way decent.)
Place the two mics close together so that their capsules are almost touching. The rear ends of each mic are spread apart at an angle of a roughly 90 to 120 degrees. The result looks like a wide V shape, with one mic's capsule positioned directly above the other.
(The 3-to-1 rule doesn't apply to the X-Y technique because the two capsules are so close that sound waves arrive at both at essentially the same time, minimizing objectionable phase cancellations.)

To start, try placing the two mics opposite the 12th fret of the guitar. If you have a really nice sounding room to record in, try backing the mics up to a distance of one to two feet from the guitar. This will capture more room tone and yield a more natural sound. While the best-sounding position can depend upon the guitar, the room, or the mics, typically, placing the mics around seven inches in front of the guitar's 12th fret will tend to de-emphasize midrange frequencies. That's because one mic will be pointing in the direction of the bassy soundhole, and the other towards the top of the neck, an area rich in high frequencies.

As you experiment, you'll find that the X-Y miking produces a much narrower stereo image than the spaced-pair techniques. But you'll also hear how X-Y lends a smoother, warmer, and more natural sound to acoustic guitar.

Choosing the Right Mics

By definition, stereo miking requires a pair of microphones. Certain types of recording situations - such as chamber orchestra, or an acoustic jazz trio - demand extreme accuracy, and in these cases, it's highly desirable to have a matched pair of microphones. This means more than just two of the same model; it also calls for two mics that have been factory-certified to produce virtually identical frequency response. (Some, though not all, manufacturers sell matched-pair mics.)

Fortunately - unless you're, say, capturing an audiophile-quality classical guitar recording - you won't need a matched pair to record acoustic guitar tracks. In fact, you might not even need to use two of the same model of microphone (though if you do you'll get a more consistent timbre in each channel than if you had used two totally different mics). That said, rules are meant to be broken, so feel free to experiment by mixing and matching mic models. And like any musical instrument, every mic has its own sonic character, so try to get your hands on as many different models as possible and experiment.

Generally speaking, condenser mics are the right choice for acoustic guitar. As a group, they offer a far more detailed and realistic sound than dynamic mics. But before you choose a specific condenser, first decide what kind of sound you want. Small-diaphragm condensers (those with a diaphragm smaller than one-inch in diameter) generally offer a better transient response than their large-diaphragm cousins, producing a less colored, more detailed sound. For pop and country productions where guitar tracks will be tucked into dense arrangements with drums and bass guitar, small-diaphragm mics are often the best choice.

Many engineers consider the AKG C480B ($987 with the CK61-ULS capsule), Neumann KM184 ($729) and DPA 4011 ($2,190) to be among the best small-diaphragm condensers on the planet. (All list prices are in US$.) All three sport cardioid (unidirectional) patterns - meaning they tend to reject any sound that isn't directly in front of them - and sound awesome on acoustic guitar. (Cardioid response is also required for most stereo miking techniques, in order for the resulting recording to have a "left-to-right" soundstage.) AKG's C480B is a modular mic, meaning that you can interchange various capsules - each offering a different polar pattern - with the mic body that holds the internal preamp. This mic features a 70Hz high-pass (low-cut) filter, useful for rolling off unneeded low frequencies when recording acoustic guitar.

The Neumann KM184 exhibits an inherent low frequency roll-off at 200Hz, delivering guitar sounds free of low-end "boominess." DPA's 4011 mic - known prior to 1998 as the Brüel & Kjær (B&K) 4011 mic - features a 1dB roll-off in the midrange frequencies along with a 1dB rise between 10 and 15kHz. The result is a crisp, though not overly bright sound. This 4011 has treasured place in many mic lockers (including my own). Check out these links to hear the DPA 4011 on a Guild M20 acoustic guitar, with various mic placements.

There are plenty of other small-diaphragm, cardioid condensers on the market, many of which offer decent performance for a lot less scratch. Some better-known alternatives that other enginneers report good results with include Shure's SM81 ($530), AKG's C1000S ($297), and Audio-Technica's AT3528 ($259).

Large-diaphragm mics - those featuring diaphragms at least one inch in diameter - can also provide outstanding results when recording acoustic guitar. All other things being equal, these mics tend to offer a slower transient response than their small-diaphragm counterparts. This causes a slight de-emphasis in high-frequency detail and tends to give them a rounder, warmer sound - just the ticket for traditional jazz recordings and lean guitar/vocal arrangements. (It's this warmth that makes large-diaphragm mics so popular with vocals.)

The Lawson L47MP Tube Condenser ($1,995) sounds great on acoustic guitar for these applications. I've also used the Manley Reference Gold Tube Condenser ($5,500) with excellent results. On a budget but craving that large-diaphragm condenser sound? Some mics I have used with great results include the Rode NT2A, Studio Projects C3, and the Shure KSM32.

And what about a dedicated stereo microphone? These mics - such as Shure's VP88 and Rode NT5 - typically have a pair of cardioid capsules mounted in one housing. While they may be useful in certain applications, they're actually less flexible than a pair of independent mics - since their diaphragms are physically fixed relative to one another. In other words, if you want to try some of that mic-above-the-bridge, mic-above-the-fingerboard stuff, or any other interesting variations, you'll want a pair of mono mics.

Mono-Compatibility, EQ & Compression

Stereo-Miked Acoustic Guitar Tracks and Mono-Compatibility

When stereo tracks are collapsed to mono, the result can sound dramatically different from the original tracks. This is not only true of the listener's perception of the width of the stereo image and the discrete placement of different elements in a mix: Conversion to mono can also significantly change the timbre of individual instruments, especially if certain stereo miking techniques were used to record the original. (In rare cases, the instrument could even disappear from a mix, should the left and right signals be far enough out-of-phase to cancel each other out when combined to mono.)

True, in the last couple of decades - with AM radio's diminishing role as a music medium - mono-compatibility has become less of an issue. And in fact, some engineers prefer not to compromise their stereo tracks or limit their recording techniques to cater to the lowest common denominator. Still, many engineers choose to play it safe - ensuring that their miking (or other processing) techniques won't sound terrible if played back in mono. However you feel about this issue, you'll be able to make more informed choices on how to record if you know what the sonic repercussions will be for mono playback. So what exactly happens to stereo acoustic guitar tracks when they are collapsed to mono? The answer depends on what miking technique you use to record.

Spaced pair techniques generally pick up a high degree of uncorrelated signal for each track. That is, many frequency components on the left-panned track are more or less out-of-phase with corresponding frequencies on the right-panned track. (This still applies even if you use the 3-to-1 rule for mic placement.)

This is because each of the sound waves emanating from the guitar will arrive at each mic at a different time. Due to that time difference the mic will pick up the wave at a different phase of its cycle. When the stereo signal is collapsed to mono, the constructive and destructive interference of these out-of-phase components combine to emphasize and de-emphasize their corresponding frequencies. The resulting timbre can be markedly different from your carefully crafted stereo tracks and can play havoc with your mix. You might be able to compensate with EQ, but this might exacerbate the problem.

Tracks recorded with an X-Y technique are far less prone to phase problems. Since the capsules are placed so close together, the sound reaches both mics at roughly the same time. As a result, tracks recorded in X-Y stereo are much more mono-compatible than those recorded with a spaced pair.

A Word on EQ and Compression

Aside from the occasional use of a microphone's passive high-pass (bass roll-off) filter, I prefer not to add equalization to the signal I'm recording. You can never tell in advance exactly how yet-to-be-recorded tracks will interact with the guitar you're recording, so any processing you add during recording is just a guessing game. Since you'll probably need to make subsequent adjustments in timbre (and possibly dynamics) at mixdown, you should avoid processing the signal twice. Your tracks will sound more pristine if you hold off adding processing until you have a complete picture of how the tracks will fit together. Instead, if you're not getting the sound you want during soundcheck, move the mics around until the timbre sounds right.

If you want to experiment with EQ as you're tracking, you can record the music dry and add EQ on the monitor returns. This way, you can hear the results of the EQ without committing to it.

Though many engineers will compress an acoustic guitar during tracking, I usually don't like to do so. As with other broadband, percussive instruments, guitar can easily cause a compressor to pump (cause audible changes in level) if it's not set up exactly right. Once these amplitude modulation artifacts are on tape, they are all but impossible to remove. For this reason, I compress acoustic guitar tracks at mixdown - when I have multiple opportunities to get it right. For the money, the best compressor I have ever come across is the highly celebrated FMR Audio RNC Compressor At only $175, it simply can't be beat. In fact, it easily holds it's on with other compressors in the $1000 price range. The RNC, coupled with the FMR Audio RNP Preamp , has tracked some of the smoothest acoustic guitar I've recorded.

Acoustic Guitar Techniques

Recording The Acoustic Guitar

While the acoustic guitar remains one of the most simple instruments by design, it also remains one of the hardest to get a great sound on in the studio. It's really not brain surgery, but knowing some of the basic laws of physics doesn't hurt. Unfortunately, I skipped school that day and didn't learn my physics, so I had to learn how to get a great acoustic guitar sound one mistake at a time. After making those mistakes, I sat down and formulated these laws which are considered to be the Ten Commandments of recording the acoustic guitar (by me anyway).

For the sake of argument I'm going to assume that if you're reading this, you own a 4 track, or an 8 track recorder, a fairly small console, some basic outboard equipment, and you don't own any $2,000 microphones. If you own 13 foot long console and a 48 track digital machine, you can skip this article because you probably know what I'm about to tell you.

Rule 1 • A condensor mic will almost always sound better than a dynamic mic for acoustic guitars. There are several condensor mics that are currently on the market in the $350 price range that sound great on acoustics.

Rule 2 • New strings will always sound better for recording than old.

Rule 3 • Skinny strings sound brighter than fat ones (can you believe I get paid to write crap like this?!)

Rule 4 • The sound you get has a great deal to do with the dynamics of the player.

Rule 5 • Get down on your knees and position your ear as if it were the microphone while somebody else is playing the guitar. Move your ear around to find "sweet spots". You'll learn more from that, than you will by reading this article. Don't try it with an electric guitar!

Rule 6 • If you have somebody that is assisting you on the session, have them move the mic around what you think will be the sweet spot while the player is practicing the part he or she is about to lay down. Have your assistant wear headphones so you can communicate with him while the moving of the mic is taking place.

Rule 7 • A limiter/compressor will almost always help you get a better sound.

Rule 8 • Don't believe everything you read. I only have seven commandments, not ten.

Let's get right to it. If the sound you want to get is a country/pop, strummed sound similar to the Eagles "Lyin' Eyes", here's the formula: Place the microphone about 6 to 8 inches from the guitar's sound hole, but angle the mic toward the area where the fretboard and the sound hole meet. If you point the mic directly into the sound hole, it will be very full - probably much too full, and very boomy. Use a compressor/limiter to knock down any peaks (3:1 ratio), and set the threshold a little lower to give it a slightly "squashed" or tighter sound. Set the threshold higher to just limit the peaks and give a more open sound. You may need to EQ out some boominess. If so, try rolling off some bottom (100Hz), or cutting a couple of db at 300Hz. To add some "silk" on the top end, try something in the 8-10K range, but be careful, to much will add noise to the track. Positioning the mic so it angles toward the pick will give more attack-less sweetness.

For that John Cougar Mellenkamp sound, try medium gauge strings, a little more compression, and try adding a little EQ around the mids - lets say 700Hz-1.2K. That will give you a sound that is a little more "woodsy" (a highly technical term).

"Ya, well what about Melissa Ethridge," you say. Try this on for size. Use a guitar with a built-in pick up and a microphone to boot. You will undoubtedly get some phase anomalies, but that's part of the sound. Experiment with moving the mic closer and farther. That will affect the phase relationship of the two sound sources. Sooner or later, you'll hit on something that will put a smile on your face. You can pan the two signals left and right to get a broad stereo sound, but make sure that if you check the sound in mono, that there's still some signal left. Keep an eagle ear on Mr. Phase, he can be a tricky bugger.

And now ladies and gentlemen, for the most often heard acoustic guitar sound at the 1993 Grammys it's that Eric Clapton classical/gut string guitar! Piece of cake. Once again, use a condensor mic, but place it about ten inches away from the guitar. As a matter of fact, try placing it about 3 to 4 inches up the neck, but aim it at the players picking fingers. This angle will reduce boominess by virtue of the mic's cardioid polar pattern producing a natural roll off when it's aimed off-axis, while simultaneously delivering the attack of the fingers. Try and say that three times in a row! The added distance will pick up some of the guitar body's resonance. A compressor/limiter is a must for this case because of unexpected peaks. A 4:1 ratio is a good place to start, but set the threshold fairly high so that the most of the guitar's natural dynamics are left in tact.

When mixing acoustics guitars for rock or alternative tracks, you will usually have an electric guitar or two in the track as well. My personal preference is to pan the acoustic and electric across from each other. Send one full left, and the other full right. You'll quickly discover that the electric will overpower the acoustic and the most effective way to even them out is to compress the acoustic a little bit more than what you may have already done going to tape so you can bring the acoustic's level up high enough to compete with the electric.

Another simple but effective trick is to have the acoustic and electric guitars play parts that counter each other rhythmically (giving them each their own space), and have them each play in a different octave. That will give you a full sounding track that remains open and airy at the same time. You can also make an acoustic guitar sound bigger or more rock-like by panning the original to one side and a delayed signal (short delays are best) of the same guitar to the other side. That effect can be taken one step further by using the pitch change option on your delay to "de-tune" one of the guitars just a pinch (one cent is a good place to start). The delay will provide the brain with the psychoacoustic information it needs to perceive the guitar as bigger, while the pitch change will make it appear "fatter."

Funny how fatter is always better in the world of recording, but not in the case of the human body. Just a tangential observation must be time to go.

Advanced Guitar Micing And Mixing

Another long guide on the art of mic'ing a guitar cab with 2 different microphones to achieve a fuller sound. Also includes tips for use on mixdown to get that "pro" sound.
Electric Guitar Mic'ing.

There are two fields of thought on Mic usage when mic'ing guitar cabinets / amps. Using a Dynamic mic like a Shure SM-57 gives a very "gritty" sound, but often lacks top end sparkle that makes the sound cut through in a mix meaning you have to apply lots of EQ and / or reverb to get a usable sound. Using a Condenser mic will often give a more detailed sound with more "fizz", but often lacks lower-frequency response and as a result can sound too "thin" and "transparent".

In this tutorial I will outline the setup and procedures for combining these two mic's to enjoy the benefits of both, allowing you to achieve a "richer" electric guitar sound from your home studio setup. I will also be covering some basics on treatment and practices to employ to push that sound even further upon mixdown.

Equipment used:

Guitar Amp - The amp you use is pretty much down to what you have - bear in mind that the bigger the amp, the "phatter" the end sound (in most cases). Also, bear in mind that it is best to drive the amp pretty hard when recording the sound, as the desirable distortion elements will not kick in at low volumes (especially when mic'ing Tube (Valve) Amps. As a result, it is sometimes more desirable to crank up a small amp and record that, rather than using a large amp, but having to run it at lower "power levels" due to neighbors, or the wife :)

If you have a range of practice and "stage" amps, try them out, find the one which one sounds best at the volume levels you can operate at.

Dynamic Mic - In this tutorial I will be using a Shure SM-58 - ideally an SM-57 is more desirable (but I don't have one! :), however nearly any dynamic mic will do the role sufficiently.

Dynamic mics can take very extreme SPL's (Sound Pressure Levels) and as a result, you can shove them right next to the cone to really pick up the "roar" of the amp. Dynamic mics, due to their build design, also have a tendency to have a slower "transient response" - I won't go into detail here, but this is again very desirable to close mic'ing a cab.

Condenser Mic - In this tutorial I will be using a Rode NT-1 (or NT1A ), however any LARGE DIAPHRAGM condenser mic will be sufficient (note that you should use a large diaphragm mic, a small diaphragm mic will not capture the same tonality - feel free to experiment, by all means, but that's not how I work :) Condenser mic's are quite a bit more delicate than dynamic mic's, as a result you shouldn't shove one of these right next to the cone, the high SPL's could possibly damage the mic - keep it at least 4 inches away and you should be fine.

Condenser mics will usually have a very good "transient response" leading to a very dynamic and "open" sound.

Pre Amps / Mixing Console - In this tutorial I will be using 2 mics, one of which (The NT-1) requires Phantom Powering. I personally use my Behringer MX3282a, however any desk should do the job nicely (Even the MX802 is capable for this task). If you have the option of using a high quality channel strip (like a Joe Meek VC3Q for example) then use it to feed the Condenser Mic in this setup and you can use the compression settings to you advantage when tracking.

Recording Medium - Most of you will be recording onto computer, I will leave how to hook everything up and getting your software running smoothly until another tutorial.

Method:

Wherever possible, set the guitar amp up in a separate room to your studio / control room. If you have a vocal booth, nearby spare bedroom or even a cupboard, use that. Set up the amp as usual, dial in your preferred settings and have a quick jam to check that everything is working ok and sounding the way you like it. Remember that if you are using a Tube Amp you need to let it "warm up" for at least an hour before you start recording or the tonality of the sound may change as the valves change in temperature.

Start off by positioning the condenser mic. Using a stand set it up about 12-15 inches away from the speaker and so that the capsule is facing towards one of the cones. If your cab has 2 or more cones then concentrate on just one cone, try not to place the mic's in between the cones as the sound will nearly always be weaker.

Now you need to plug the Condenser Mic into a channel on your Mixer / Preamp. Ensure that the Phantom power on your Mixing desk / preamp is turned Off, this is important, plugging an XLR lead into a Condenser mic when the Phantom Power is on can easily damage the Microphone. Once it is plugged in at both ends (Mic and Channel Strip), then turn on the Phantom Power, wait about 10 seconds for it to level out. Bring the channel fader up to Unity (0dB) and set all the EQ's flat. Start off with the gain all the way down. Get a friend, your sessionist or anyone else to play the guitar while you adjust the gain trim - make sure that the signal does not peak and averages around 0dB on the mixer (Note, we are only dealing with the MIXER here, not the recording medium yet!).

Now we need to setup a "headphone mix". Plug a pair of headphones into the "headphone" out of your mixer / preamp. You should now be able to hear the guitar in your headphones via the Condenser mic - so far so good :)

Turn up the headphone volume nice and loud and venture back into the room where the Guitar Amp is setup. You need the headphones nice and loud so that you hear the sound that the mic is picking up rather than the sound of the actual cab. Now position the Condenser mic so that it is in the sweet-spot. Spend a good few minutes moving the mic around slightly until you are confident it is picking up the best possible sound - it should sound "airy" and "open" - don't worry that it does have much "grit" about it, we will address that in a minute :).

Once you are happy with the positioning, go back into your control room. Make sure you shut all the doors between the two locations and use pillows / towels / duvets / quilts / family pets to block any gaps where sound is leaking through. Now listen to the sound of the cab back through on your studio monitors - if you are happy with the sound, you are ready to move onto the next mic - if not, put the headphones back on and venture back into the "live room" to reposition the mic again.

When you have got the sound you are after with the one condenser mic, you are ready to place the dynamic mic (SM-58 in my case) to add more "depth" and "grit" to the sound. When placing the Dynamic mic ensure that you don't knock the Condenser mic accidentally as you will then have to reposition it to get an optimal sound. Get the dynamic mic right up next to the grill, I place mine about 2inches away slightly off axis pointing towards the centre of the speaker - These close mic'ing techniques are already covered in another tutorial available here at Home Recording Central.

Now that the mic is in position it is time to head back into the control room. Turn the fader all the way down to -Inf on the Condensers's channel and turn the Dynamic's channel up to Unity - as before, make sure the EQ is set to flat and then slowly adjust the gain until you get a strong signal that fluctuates around 0dB. The dynamic mic should sound pretty good by itself - we're done! both mic's are in place and we are ready to record?

Nah, that's far too easy...

Here comes the real catch of using two or more mics on a single sound source - our good friend "phasing" - this bit is FUN!

From here on the Condenser Mic (Rode NT-1) will be running on Channel 1 and the Dynamic Mic (Sure SM-58) on channel 2; just for the sake of simplicity.

Set channel 2's fader to -Inf dB so that you are now not hearing any sound from either of the mics. Bring up channel 1's fader to Unity again and you will now only be getting the sound from the condenser Mic, now, bring up channel 2's fader.. whats happening.. the sounds getting thinner?! Yep - that'll be the phasing.

Phasing occurs because the Mics are receiving two different "waveforms" (like you see on the computer screen in your Sample editing program) - Because the mic's are recording from the same source (the guitar amp) and are very close together, these waveforms will cancel each other out when they are mixed together resulting in a very thin sound as opposed to what the two mics would sound like if they were "in-phase" (which would be "phatter" than just the one mic).

Obviously this is not a good guitar sound, what the hell are you going on about jues, you made me read all this way and you have created a crap guitar sound. Hold on, this bit's a touch fiddily, but you'll be pleasantly supprised when we get it right :)

Have both channels set to unity and both panned centrally - pop on the headphones again and go back into the "live room". Do not adjust the position of the Condenser Mic, that is find where it is, the easiest one to adjust is the dynamic mic (the SM-58), pick it up and move it about very slowly while someone else is playing the guitar - as you move the position of the mic, so the phasing will shift - it will sound a bit like a jet plane going overhead and sounds a bit wierd - eventually you will find the meeting point of the waveforms and as if by magic the signals will go "in phase" - go back into your control room and check it on the monitor speakers - you will know when you get it because the sound will no longer sound thin and lifeless, but all phat and creamy. If you have a very willing friend, it's preferable to send them into the control room to move the Dynamic Mic around while you listen on the speakers. Shout at him to stop when he finally gets it in the right position and the two signals go "in-phase".

Once you have got the two mics "in-phase" you must do your best not to move them - very slight movements shouldn't be a major problem - but large knocks will almost certainly move them enough to put the signals out of phase again - in which case you will need to go back and readjust the positioning (and hit the person who just knocked the mic's :)

Right, so we have a phat, in-phase guitar sound coming though into the mics - excellent, we are now ready to track this sound onto your recording medium (in my case, I use Cubase SX). Ideally we want to record both mics separately so that we can apply different EQ, compression, reverb, delay, and volume settings to each one if we need to. As we are only using two channels, you need not worry about using AUX sends or groups - just pan Channel 1 hard left and Channel 2 hard right - you will now have one mic coming out of each of the two speakers and with a it of luck into the respective Left and Right inputs on your computer.

And away you go, play along to the track, monitoring on your studio speakers - remember not to monitor too loud or it may bleed across from the control room into the live room - if you are getting a bit of "bleed" then you need to use more pillows, etc to block any gaps that the sound is travelling though, or just turn it down in the control room a bit. When you have finished your take you will have two separate recordings - one for each mic.

Hurrah - we're done, you can now pan these signals central on the computer and adjust the level of them and apply a bit of EQ to get the sound you are after. As far as the levels go I will start with the condenser mic up at unity and then mix in the dynamic mic signal until it adds the required amount of "grind" to the sound...

"Okay, this sounds pretty phat - but it's not PHAT! C'mon, you promised PHAT guitar sound!" :)

Okay, here are my tips to using that mic setup to achieve a REALLY phat sound - but these are my tips - so be careful who you give them out to :D

First up is the good old time honoured classic of double tracking. I double track every single guitar part that I record. This very simply involves playing the part as per usual and then going back and recording it again (make sure that you solo the first performance, as it may put you off if you listen back to it when you record the second). Then just pan the first take hard left and the second take hard right. Obviously your playing needs to be pretty tight for this to work, but as long as you (or your sessionist) is fairly competent it will work great - this technique along will improve the phatness of the sound by a great amount. There is also a trick whereby you flip the phase of one of the takes, thus putting it out of phase with the other - this creates a psycho-acoustic illusion whereby there seems to be a very large "hole" in the middle of the stereo field, you'll find that vocals, bass and drums fit beautifully in this gap - tho it is entirely up to you as to whether you like this sound or not.

Next up is the use of compression. I'm not going to give a detailed explanation of compression here, there are plenty of articles available on that subject alone. The things to bear in mind is that you are after a really "crunchy" feel when compressing electric guitar (especially the distorted parts).

Set the ratio to about 4:1 and have the attack around 18-25ms and the release to about 20-30ms. Now lower the threshold slowly - get it to just the right spot and the sound will become a damn sight crunchier, push it too far and it will become too "flat" and "smooth" sounding - this maybe what you are after, but I'm personally not :) Clean guitar sounds can sometimes benefit from a slightly longer release to exaggerate the playing - experiment with the attack and release to get the sound you are after.

Because we used two mics we have the option of either compressing them individually or compressing the combined result - I personally go for the latter option (by placing the compressor on a bus and bussing the two signals to that), but you can easily experiment with different settings for the dynamic and condenser mics. Bear in mind that the dynamic mic is meant to add "grit" and so leans to the side of "over-compression" where as the condenser mic is used to capture the "air" and "fizz" and so probably wants a bit less - however, let your ears be the judge.

I personally wouldn't even touch EQ until you are doing the final mix of the tune when all the instruments are in place - go easy on the EQ, don't use too much and try to cut rather than boost - you may want to apply a Low Pass Cut under 120Hz to make a bit of room for the bass guitar if it's betting a bit lost - also, cutting at around 800Hz can give a bit more "thrash" to the sound.

Go _very_ easy on reverb on the Distorted sound. If you really want to use a bit of 'verb, then choose either a plate program or a small room program and send only a small amount - if you can hear the reverb then you have probably applied a bit too much - too much reverb will only muddy the mix, stealing frequencies away from the other instruments resulting in your mix sounding a mess. Clean guitar is a different story - clean guitar will sound much warmer with a bit of plate, room, or even chamber reverb on it - make sure the decay times are not set too high unless the piece is very laid back - stay under about 2 seconds, and again, don't send too much or it will sound messy and amateur.
Tap delays can also sound really good on clean guitar (not distortion!), use small taps (start with one at around 40-75 depending on the tempo of the track) (remember BPM x 0.6 = Time in Milliseconds) - you can add up to two or three taps before things start getting a bit messy, if you plugin (or outboard) has filters built in, use them to good effect to "filter away" the later taps - if you also offset the taps in the stereo field it can sound VERY pleasing.

As a last pointer, I will recommend that it is a good idea to do a track in "sections" - if there are both clean and distorted parts in the song, then do a first take and get all the distortion parts down, then go back and do another take and get all the clean parts down on a separate track (as in Lane) - this way you will avoid any timing issues or noises created by pressing pedals / stomp boxes - it also makes it easier to apply effects only to certain sections of the song.

Well, guess I've waffled enough - enjoy, and let me know how you get on.

All About Mic Placement For Home Recording Acoustic Guitar

There are many types of microphones, but the most popular type for recording acoustic guitar is the cardioid condenser mic. Inexpensive models such as the Audio-Technica AT2020 or AT2021 start at under $100. If your budget allows, consider popular models like the Shure SM81 or Neumann KM 184. High-end mics can easily cost thousands of dollars. Cardioid mics are usually best for home recording, because they pick up sound primarily from the front and reject sound from the rear, reducing noise and limiting the effect of poor room acoustics. When choosing a mic, be sure it works with the rest of your gear. Condenser mics use XLR cables and require phantom power, which can be supplied by your preamp or computer interface. You can use dynamic mics, which don't require power, but condensers are usually preferred for recording guitar, because they're significantly more sensitive and accurate.

Stereo recording with two mics is a popular way to record acoustic guitar, but you might begin by experimenting with a single microphone. A mono recording often works well when mixed with other instruments, but even if you're recording solo guitar, it's useful to learn how to use one mic before moving on to stereo. A good initial location is the spot where the guitar neck joins the body, about a foot away from the guitar. One way to fine-tune the placement is to listen to headphones while you move the mic around, but headphones can be misleading. You'll probably get a more realistic idea of the sound by recording a short example, and listening back through your speakers.

You can make substantial changes to the way your guitar sounds on the recording simply by moving the mic small distances. You can also try entirely different mic locations—other good starting spots are behind or below the bridge and centered in front of the guitar, but raised above the soundhole. (Directly in front of the soundhole almost never works.)

The distance between the mic and the guitar also has an effect on the sound. In an ideal acoustic environment, you might get a great sound with the mics as much as three feet away.

But in home recording, you often have to place the mics much closer to eliminate undesirable effects of the room. Cardioid mics have a characteristic known as proximity effect” that creates a deeper, bassier sound as you move the mic closer to a sound source. The effect generally begins at about 16 inches. As you move closer, the sound will be more direct and have more bass. Experiment to see what distance works best in your room and with your guitar. You can also experiment with the angle of the mic. For example, turning a mic in toward the soundhole should produce more bass, while turning it away will produce less.

If the guitar is to be featured prominently in your final mix, you may want to record in stereo, using two mics. One common setup, known as X/Y, uses two mics placed so that the capsules are as close together as possible, and angled at 90 degrees. For X/Y miking you can try the same locations we discussed for mono. There are mic holders designed specifically for X/Y that allow you to place both mics on one stand, which allows for easier positioning.

You can achieve a more spacious sound with a technique known as spaced pairs.” There are many variations to this approach, but a common starting point is to place one mic where the neck joins the body and a second mic near the lower bout behind the bridge (see photo). There are many other common mic patterns, but few hard-and-fast rules, so don't be afraid to experiment

Direct Electric Guitar Recording Techniques

When recording an electric guitar, we have the option of using a microphone at the speaker, running directly into the mixer or combining both of these approaches. Each technique offers advantages and disadvantages. Running direct into the mixer produces ultimate separation. If you process the direct guitar sound, you don't risk altering the sound of another instrument since no other instrument has had the opportunity to bleed into a microphone.

Miking the guitarist's speaker cabinet, although allowing for leakage of another instrument into the guitar mic, typically produces the best sound. Using a microphone on the electric guitarist's cabinet captures the essence of the sound the guitarist designed for the part they're playing. Since sound plays such an important role in what and how a guitarist plays, miking the cabinet is often the only way to capture the guitar part in a musically authentic way.

For the sake of understanding some of the more fundamental variables involved in recording the electric guitar, we'll first plug directly into the mixer. When running a guitar directly into the mic input of a mixer, plug the guitar into a direct box first, then plug the direct box into the mixer. The signal going into the direct box can come straight from the guitar or from any effect or group of effects that the guitar is plugged into.

As an alternative, simply plug the guitar straight into the line input of the mixer. When using this technique, the level from the guitar might be a little low, especially if you are using a mixer that operates at +4dBm. Plugging a guitar into Line In works best when using a mixer operating at -10dBV.

Some guitar amps have a line output. Line Out from a guitar amplifier can be plugged directly into the line input of the mixer. This technique lets you capture some of the amplifier's characteristic sound while still keeping the advantages of running direct into the mixer.

Advantages of Running Direct
When you plug directly into the mixer instead of miking the speaker, the recorded track has no leakage from other acoustic instruments that may have been performing at the same time as the guitar. The tracks typically contain less noise than if the amp were miked. Guitar amps have a bad habit of producing their own share of noise. This can be a problem in mixdown.

Sometimes you must run directly into the mixer simply out of consideration for your neighbors. How sensitive are your neighbors to loud guitar amps screaming raucous licks into the wee hours of the morning? Once you've gotten your neighbors angry because of volume, it's all over. It's best to avoid that conflict altogether. If you are recording in an apartment or in a compact residential area, you may have no choice but to record all electronic gear direct and monitor at low levels.

If you must run direct into the mixer and you're experiencing difficulty getting a good sound, try using a direct box that will receive a powered signal straight out of the speaker output of the guitar amp. This will give you the most guitar amp sound you can get without using a mic. Be careful!! Never plug a speaker output into any input until you've been assured by someone whose opinion you trust implicitly that the input is designed to accept a powered output!

Remember, guitars are high-impedance instruments and the total length of cables between the guitar and the amp or the guitar and the direct box should be less than 25 feet. If the guitarist plugs into several effects chained together, then plugs the output of the last effect into the DI, be sure the cables are all as short as possible. If the cables are too long, you'll hear a lot of noise and radio interference along with the guitar track.

If you get into a situation where the guitarist needs to run a long cable length from the guitar to the amp, try this:
1. Use two direct boxes. Plug the guitar into the high-impedance end of the first direct box.
2. Connect a mic cable to the low-impedance output of that direct box.
3. Connect the other end of this mic cable to the low-impedance end of the second direct box. This requires either a special cable with female XLR connectors on both ends or a female-to-female XLR adapter to plug into the low-impedance end of the second DI.
4. Connect the high-impedance end of the second DI to the amp or line in of the mixer.

This procedure lets you take advantage of low impedance within a high-impedance system. If you're connecting two direct boxes together, be sure to use high quality DIs. Each transformer can rob the signal of life and add noise. This technique requires informed judgment concerning the value of adding cable length versus your need for sonic purity. For more information, see The Audio Pro Home Recording Course

Double Tracking A Guitar

Lets talk about the importance of tracking a guitar pass twice (same arrangement) as opposed to simply duplicating a single guitar track. Although you may think its the same it definitely does not achieve the same result.

When double tracking the guitar your goal should be to play the second take as close as possible to the first take. The effect of double tracking will give your sound much more width and richness as opposed to copy & pasting your initial guitar track.

If you zoom in on the wave forms within your DAW you'll notice that each guitar take is distinct. These distinctions is what gives the sound its unique flavor.

When duplicating a track the signals are identical and when played certain frequencies cancel each other out.

Double Tracking vs Duplicating. The Important Difference!

The difference in double tracking is that you get different transient / tones / phase shift from the pick every time you play the same notes. You can't achieve this result by duplicating one recording and slightly moving the duplicated part, it just doesn't sound alive”, it will sound plain and monotonic as shown in the video example. Regardless of how good of a player you are you get rich results by default when double tracking because the reality in lack of the better expression is so fine grained that it's impossible to duplicate any stroke twice. On the other hand if you don't play well you get too much difference in double tracking, which then leads to confusing results when the melody should be same on both takes.”

DUAL MIC GUITAR RECORDING TECHNIQUES! (The Fredman Technique And More)

DUAL MIC GUITAR RECORDING TECHNIQUES! (The Fredman Technique and More)

Today we're going to expand our " microphone a guitar amp " article, talking about some advanced technique, that involves two microphones.

Using more than one microphone on the same cabinet means getting the sound from different points and reproducing it in a more accurate way, since every microphone just takes a snapshot of the spectrum tracked from there, and there will be unavoidably some predominant frequency area, and some other that will go lost.

We could add as many microphones as we want, keeping in mind that the more mikes we use, the harder will get to make them all glue together, but it's pretty common to say that using just one microphone is usually not enough to track the body and at the same time the crispness of a guitar tone.

Today we're going to focus on the three most common dual-microphone techniques:

1) the Fredman Technique: used by Van Halen and the producer Frederick Nordstrom, this technique was used on many albums, for example the In Flames' masterpiece "Clayman":

As you can see it's a "Close Miking" technique, which means that the microphones should be 1-2 inches (3 to 5cm) from the grill, and it's usually done with 2 shure sm57, but nothing forbids to try different combinations.

One microphone should be set straight towards the dustcap or its edge, taking the full body of the sound and many low frequencies due to the proximity effect , while the 45° offset one should take the higher frequencies, adding some grit to the tone.

2) the fizz-killing technique : this technique takes advantage of the phase alignment (click on the link for a dedicated article about the phase). It consists in using 2 Shure Sm57, one straight to the edge of the dustcap, the other near. The core of the technique is to back off the second microphone until the phase cancellation doesn't take away only the "fizz", the annoying high frequencies that make our tone sound like a mosquito. Once we get rid of them this way, only the "beef" of our tone will remain, and the sound will be tight and punchy.

3) The Condenser technique: this technique is used mainly with clean and overdriven guitars, and it consists in setting a dynamic microphone near the edge of the cone, to capture only the mids and the lows, and putting a large diaphragm condenser half a meter away, to catch some room, the higher frequencies and the low-roar of the tubes. These two microphones combined will give a very warm and rich clean tone, especially with tube amps.

Guerrilla Guitar Mic Technique

By Darwin Grosse

In this article, we are going to take a guerilla” approach to guitar miking techniques, using a small (but versatile) set of inexpensive microphones. It might be easy to discuss guitar recording in a vacuum, and I'm sure you could buy a $10,000 Neumanleyfunken microphone, glue it to a tree, and get an excellent guitar sound. However, most of us have budgets, often kept very tight, and getting a good guitar sound with a limited mic collection is a necessity.

The weaponry

These days, the budget microphone class is really quite amazing. When I began recording (back when Giant Lizards roamed the earth), a decent condenser microphone cost two months' pay. Now, you can get both a large-diaphragm and a small-diaphragm microphone for around the cost of, say, three tanks of gasoline. So, assuming we are willing to stay at home for a few weekends, we can probably scrounge up a budget for a decent mic cabinet.”

Using a theoretical budget of around $500 (your mileage may vary, depending on how patient you are in waiting for sales and the like), I assembled the following microphone setup:
• An MXL combo” with two condenser mics, one large-diaphragm (the 2001P) and one small-diaphragm (the 603S)
• 2 Oktava MC012 small-diaphragm condenser mics, with cardioid capsules
• 1 Shure SM57 dynamic mic
• 1 Behringer ECM8000 omnidirectional measurement” mic
• 1 Behringer Ultra-DI box
• 4 mic stands
• 5 microphone cables
• 2 pillows and a blanket (I didn't buy these—I took them off the bed!)

By scouring the sales rack, looking for used microphones and borrowing your Uncle Howard's mic stands, you can probably trim this budget even tighter. In any case, we will use these tools for an attack on guitar recording.

Frontal assault on electric guitars

Everyone knows how to record an electric guitar—you slap an SM57 in front of the amp and hit Record, right? Well, that isn't always the best plan, but it can be a good start. The trick is to find a sweet spot” on the speaker, and set the mic up to capture that sound.

Generally, the center of the cone won't be a great spot for the microphone, since you can get some funny artifacts from the entire speaker pounding on both the mic diaphragm and body. What I've found most useful is to place the microphone off-center, then to adjust the nose of the mic until it is pointing at the best-sounding part of the speaker cone.

In the case of my Line 6 Spider amp, it turns out that the best sound is found around one-quarter of the way across the speaker. The best way to find the sweet spot” is to have someone play the guitar, and move the mic around while monitoring the mic with a good set of sealed headphones. (In fact, one of the most important items for good guitar recording wasn't listed in the above kit; that is, a Really Long headphone cable.)

Two mics

In some cases, and especially for less aggressive music styles, adding a second microphone will help add air” to the sound. Using the large-diaphragm MXL mic, I add a bit of the room sound so the cabinet is able to speak” a little before the sound is captured. By balancing the close and distance mics you can get a variety of sounds that will help a guitar sit better in a mix, but it doesn't take much. In a recent recording I found that having the ambient mic at -15 dB (while the close mic was at 0 dB) gave just the right amount of presence without adding an obvious roomy sound.

The use of a second, ambient mic is especially useful with jazzy guitar sounds, and almost a must when doing funky wa-wa tracks. However, you need to watch out for phase problems between the two mics; if the result of mono-summing the mics sounds like a phase-shifter stuck in one spot, you have to do a little more work on placement. Generally, moving the ambient mic a few inches in or out will greatly improve the sound.

Multi-speaker cabinets

Multi-speaker cabinets are a bit more challenging. This takes more experimentation with placement while wearing headphones. Get a mic in front of the cabinet, and try out the different speakers—you will generally find that one of the speakers is the beauty,” and you will want to focus on close-miking that one. As for distant mic placement, you will probably want to move the mic back; a Marshall stack takes a little more distance to fully form its sound than a Fender Champ does. I've had situations where a loud player will be ambient-miked as far as 8 feet away!

If you want a clue about good ambient mic placement for an electric guitarist, watch where the player likes to stand while warming up and noodling about. Guitarists tend to, unconsciously, gravitate toward the spot in a room where the amp sounds best. Let the player noodle for a while, then drop a mic in that spot and have him go stand in the corner (where he probably has belonged since grade school).

If you want to get creative, use a DI (direct injection) box in addition to the amp output. This can really help a guitar stand out in a mix, especially for those guitar arpeggios in the middle of a power ballad. The addition of some DI tink” on top of the cabinet's roar can help focus the sound when the instrument is exposed. If you get creative during mixdown, you might even find the direct sound is a great source for some reamplification (see my article elsewhere in this issue).

Flanking the acoustic

The recommended arrangement for the stereo recording of an acoustic guitar is to use a pair of small-diameter condensers bunched around the 12th fret. As with the classic” electric technique, this is a great starting point for a guitar recording. However, in some cases, we need either a lighter touch, or more ambience in the sound, since this standard technique tends to have a very up-front quality that might not fit well for all recordings.

One mic layout that I like is a single small-diaphragm condenser combined with either an omni or cardioid mic over the player's shoulder. This doesn't have the clear stereo nature of the dual close-miked sound, but it has a more delicate sound than pure close-miking, and has a great focus point for panning in a complex mix. As with the near/far mic combo for electric, you don't need to have copious amounts of the distance mic in the mix; often, a small amount of ambience (as little as -15 dB) will give depth to the mix that a reverb effect can't match. Also, if you pan the mics a bit in the stereo space, you can get a very player-friendly” sound for an acoustic solo recording. This technique is especially effective if you have a good-sounding live room in which to record.

Delicate jobs

For the most delicate sound of all, I replaced the small-diaphragm Oktava with the large-diaphragm MXL and started playing around with distances between mic and guitar body to get a good balance between the mics. By focusing up the neck, I caught plenty of the body without boomy soundhole blow.” The player was doing some smart finger-picking, and this setup provided a smooth and warm sound with just the right imaging.

Dealing with acoustic guitar ambience is a lot more difficult than with an electric—the sound of an acoustic won't overwhelm a room like a guitar amp can. This is where the pillows and blanket come into play. By draping a blanket over a mic stand, then altering the distance between it and the microphones, you can alter the effect of the room without eliminating the ambience completely. I will often place the blanket on the body side of the acoustic, relatively close to both the instrument and the mic. This seems to tighten up the sound without making it sound like I recorded the track in an anechoic chamber.

I tend to use pillows to control floor reflection. One pillow placed in the spot of the first floor reflection (halfway between the player and the distance mic) will help sweeten the ambience quite a bit; a second pillow placed just in front of the player's feet will help prevent too many splashy” early reflections. The pillows can also be used to alter the response of an omni mic—for example, having a low-mounted omni with a pillow underneath can give you a rich sound without sounding totally reverberant.

In situations where I want a very wide stereo sound, I've split” two microphones using the blanket-on-a-stand. This will force the ambient sound to remain separated left-to-right, and will create an incredibly wide image without the in-your-face sound of close-miked condensers. If you are double-tracking the guitar, try using the left side of one take and the right side of the other—the results will either sound great or threaten to twist your head off.

12-string

One of the more difficult guitar recording chores (for me) is getting a good 12-string sound. Perhaps it is because of the instrument I use—a cranky old Fender 12-string with a body shellacked as hard as a rock, but with a good feel. I've found that the harsh harmonics of the instrument, combined with a rather honky body sound, make it difficult to get a full yet natural sound.

One thing that I find very useful in this situation is using a soundhole-mounted pickup to get a little clarity in the sound. Using this pickup along with a small-diaphragm mic pointing toward the 12th fret tends to work for most applications. Interestingly enough, I found that using the large-diaphragm condenser for ambience, mounted over the player's head and pointing down, gives a more natural sound than one in front of the instrument. I'll also use the blanket and pillows in this application for a little splash control.”

Debriefing

When you have a modest mic collection, you often have to be more experimental with placement than someone with a brimming mic locker. Better-quality mics can make a difference; they generally have a better sound out of the box” and provide more flexibility with placement.

But as guerilla recordists we have to make compromises due to budget concerns. One important factor is where you do the recording. As with real estate, one of the keys to good recording is location, location, location.” Every condo, apartment, house and studio will have a few spots that are perfect for recording. Spend some time tracking those places down, and you will find that your tracks just sound better. The key to great guitar recording boils down to having a good combination of mics, a good ear, and plenty of time for experimentation.

Darwin Grosse is a recording engineer, producer, and sound designer in the Colorado Rockies.

How To Record Classical Guitar

How to record classical guitar part 1: Stereo techniques explained

In this blog post I'll explain several stereo techniques often used to record classical guitar - AB, ORTF, XY and MS (Mid-Side). You'll be able to hear the difference for yourself and vote for whatever sound(s) you prefer!

The microphones used for this experiment were my Oktavas Mk-012 modded by Michael Joly with cardioid and omni capsules.

AB Stereo

The AB Stereo Technique uses two spaced microphones to record audio signals. Recommended spacing between the two microphones is between 40 - 60 cm and the microphones can either be pointed forward or angled slightly outwards. In this experiment I used a combination of all these settings.
AB Stereo, mics pointing forward
AB Stereo, mics pointing slightly outwards

1st Sample - AB Stereo, cardioid capsules, microphone spacing s 40 cm, pointed forward, distance between the guitar and either microphone d 80 cm, height h (distance between the floor and the mics) 115 cm.

2nd Sample - AB Stereo, omni capsules, pointed forward, s 40 cm, d 80 cm, h 115 cm.

3rd Sample - AB Stereo, cardioid, pointed slightly outwards, s 45 cm, d 65 cm, h 107 cm.

4thSample - AB Stereo, omni, pointed slightly outwards, s 45 cm, d 65 cm, h 107 cm.

5th Sample - AB Stereo, cardioid, pointed slightly outwards, s 60 cm, d 65 cm, h 115 cm.

ORTF

ORTF is a stereo technique that uses two microphones spaced 17 cm (spacing between the diaphragms) and angled 110º creating the stereo image.

XY Stereo

XY Stereo Technique uses two cardioid microphones in the same point, angled typically 90º. This is achieved by placing one microphone on top of the other with the diaphragms vertically aligned (see the photo below).

MS Stereo

MS (Mid-Side) is a special technique using one cardioid or omni microphone (Mid) and one bi-directional Figure 8 microphone (Side) in the same point and angled 90º creating a stereo image through the MS-matrix.

This means the signals of both microphones should be rearranged separately with the MS-matrix that can be understood by these simple calculations:
Left channel = M + S
Right channel = M - S

This can be done with an MS decoder or a Direction Mixer plugin (for those using Logic Studio). Alternatively, you can do this manually by leaving the Mid channel in the centre and copying the Side channel, panning one copy hard left and the other hard right, reversing the phase of the latter.