[TBman]

Let me tell you what I've found even though I may repeat what everyone else has said to some extent.

1. Your ears are connected to your brain. Your brain filters out unimportant sounds so you can concentrate on what's perceived to be important. A mic doesn't have a brain. It records everything. What it records, is really there.

2. Some mics are more sensitive than others. I have a Rodes NT5 that my wife bought me as a gift. It is way too sensitive for what I need and for the room I'm recording in ( 8x10 feet). I've gone back to using my older condensor mics. Some mics have a db button on the side that will cut back on its sensitivity.

3. Turn off the a/c. You'll get that hum in the back ground even if you're in another room. We live in a cape cod style home with the washing machine and dryer in the basement. I record and play in the room directly above the wash room. Guess what you can hear in my recordings when we're doing laundry.

4. Keep the mic(s) back at least 2 feet from the guitar. Have it on the side of the lower bout, not the fret board side or in front of the sound hole.

I record with an older Tascam US-122 usb device with a Presonus BlueTube preamp and two mics in xy config. I also have a small "sound box" that is lined with padding that I put the mics in to cut down on reflections getting picked up. It helps. I plan on replacing the US-122 with a Zoom H5. The H5 has 2 external inputs as well as two built in mics, which I think will be perfect for me. As it is now I am chained to my computer to record. Using the Zoom I will be able to move to a larger room with an environment better for recording quietly.