Acoustic Guitar is a beautiful instrument. It has the finesse and space that electric guitar just doesn't most of the time. But why when we record it does it sound so boxy/boomy/thin/brittle??

Honestly, recording acoustic is hard. There are a lot of things to consider from the correct microphone and the correct placement, down to the strings you use and what thickness of pick. But in this lesson, we're going to cover my go to, one stop shop, works 90% of the time, recording set-up. It's super easy, and you just need one microphone.

Microphones

Microphones are funny beasts. They all sound slightly different, they all have different characteristics and they all do different jobs well. The funny thing is, a lot of people think that they can't record their guitar well, because they're using the same mic that they record their voice with. That's just not true!

The vast majority of microphones are capable of capturing a great Acoustic performance, and the secret is postition. Meaning that where you place the mic and where you point it are absolutely crucial.

The default assumption by beginners is usually, 'Point it at the sound hole where the sound comes out.' and you'd be totally forgiven for thinking that. The trouble is, mics are quite sensitive, and this can lead to a really boomy, closed sound.
I've found that usually, with most microphones, the best location is pointing at the 12th fret, from around 6-12 inches away.

As with everything on this course, this is not a hard, fast rule. There will be occasions this won't be the best decision, such as trying to capture a really large roomy guitar sound. There will be times you want to record with multiple microphones. In that case there might be better options. But I think that if you are using one microphone, on most guitars, this is going to give you the best results.

Function

The second part of this lesson focusses on how I personally think of acoustic guitar in my projects. I usually avoid using them as large chord chuggers, and instead take advantage of how percussive and rhythmic they can be. This is purely personal preference and changes depending on the track I'm working on. But I imagine this isn't the first use that comes to mind when you think about recording acoustic guitar, so hopefully it gives you some ideas on how to use it in your own tracks.

There are lots of different kinds of microphones out there, and it's very difficult to write a lesson that covers specific use cases for specific microphones, but generally Dynamic mic's are less sensitive than Condenser mics, and you should adjust your gain and distance from the guitar accordingly.

Again, experimentation, playing with your tools and learning your equipment is absolutely crucial in nailing these skills down. So get creative and try different things out!

For Next Time

Before next lesson, I'd really like you to have a secure grasp on how your microphone works. That means learning where to put it, how much gain to use for each task etc.

I want you to put together a really short, 4-8 bar 'track' using only an acoustic guitar and a microphone.

Record a beat using muted strums and percussion on the body (Carefully!)
Record a bassline (Try and get a bassier recording by moving the mic around)
Get some chords down
Add a melody

The best results will come from recording the guitar in a different way each time. If you have a brighter melody and duller chords for example. I'll leave it up to you to get creative. Good luck!