The Best Way To Mike An Acoustic

Alanbama · #1 07-25-2011, 05:07 PM

As some of you already know I may be keeping a Seagull Artist Mosaic which has no electronics. How is the best way to amplify it? Is a mic the best way to go? Or is some type of pickup system better? You were so very helpful and supportive with my last thread. I know I will get some very good advice on this. Thank You, Alan.

Landru · #2 07-25-2011, 05:12 PM

And I'd love some advice on recording a nice acoustic with microphones.

D string · #3 07-25-2011, 05:20 PM

First of all you need a good mic. I use a condenser mic sometimes called an instrument mic. You will have to place the mic at different locations out in front of the guitar and see which sounds the best. Make mental notes as you go so you can remember the best location. I try to angle my mic back toward the bridge about 16 inches in front of the guitar. There are a million different ways to go with this but sooner or later you will find the best location for the sound you want. Good luck and have fun.

CharlieG · #4 07-25-2011, 05:22 PM

This something that I am also just getting into. I have joined a group that play once a month at a local nursing home. One plays an electric, another plays an acoustic with a pickup. I do not want to change my HD-35 as I play mostly unamplified jams. My option was to get a mic stand and attach a mic holder to the stand post near the level that the sound hole of my guitar will be. Not sure at this point how it will work but think it to be satisfactory.

D string · #5 07-25-2011, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CharlieG

This something that I am also just getting into. I have joined a group that play once a month at a local nursing home. One plays an electric, another plays an acoustic with a pickup. I do not want to change my HD-35 as I play mostly unamplified jams. My option was to get a mic stand and attach a mic holder to the stand post near the level that the sound hole of my guitar will be. Not sure at this point how it will work but think it to be satisfactory.

I also have a HD35 and I have found that if it is placed too close to the mic it will be overbearing with bass. Try moving you mic over to the side of the sound hole toward the fretboard side and about 16 inches out in front.

FranK_S · #6 07-25-2011, 06:21 PM

http://www.recording-microphones.co....-Guitars.shtml

Here you can see the legend Steve Winwood playing a classic tune and also see mic placement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoSn2Y-b6wI

CharlieG · #7 07-25-2011, 06:28 PM

Thanks D-String....like I said I am just getting into this. Will have to experiment with it, will try as you say.

Everettrg2 · #8 07-25-2011, 06:30 PM

Ah yes, the wonderful world of Amplification. I'm a fan of soundhole pickups (Fishman Rare Earth, Baggs M1 etc.) but I work at my church where we always mic the guitars. (except for last night, great jam session with my UST'd Martin)

Condensers are great but there are some factors you have to look at. They take Phantom Power (48v), so you'll need a Mixer that supplies it or a Power supply in your signal chain. They're also highly sensitive therefore are very prone to feedback, so they're not always best for a live environment. Another option would be a Dynamic instrument mic. No phantom power, but less sensitive. The workhorse Shure SM57 is the common vote, used by pretty much everyone for decades. We have five and use them all the time.

My personal favorite though, the Blue Encore 100i. Same price and similar characteristics to the Shure, but I find a much warmer, clearer tone with the Blue. Great, cheap, and rock solid. Can't beat it.

As far as miking goes....

Aiming the mic at the Soundhole will give you a slightly distorted tone (more of an issue with Fingerstyle) I find the best position is about 6 inches (give or take) from the guitar, aiming at the 7th Fret from the soundhole. The 14th or 15th fret, usually. Gives a great sound.

Hope this helps!

Edit: The miking suggestion was for Dynamic mics, for Condensers, just sit it a little ways away from the guitar, Generally 16-24 inches, and adjust volume from there.

moon · #9 07-25-2011, 06:58 PM

In order:

musician
instrument
room acoustics
mic
preamp
AD converter

Decent monitoring gear is also important. Although it doesn't directly affect the quality of the recorded sound, in practice you need to be able to hear what you're doing clearly in order to get the best out of the equipment.

The first thing is to decide on a budget. A Zoom H2 can be a good place to start. Decent sound, good value.

Or, if you're looking for something better, there's no need to spend any more than $15,000, tops.

jpnichols · #10 07-25-2011, 08:31 PM

I agree that a general starting point for miking a guitar is just out in front of the sound hole. Not saying this mike is in everyone's range, but I stand by these for recording acoustics or performing live. Give the clips on the site a listen.

http://www.cascademicrophones.com/cascade_X-15.html

dannyg1 · #11 07-26-2011, 12:01 AM

Guitars have personalities that are not so simple to control sometimes and though tried/true mic placement theory is always the best way to start, I think you'll find that variations on the theme will lead you where you want to go.
For instance, my Recording King OOO is a round shoulder 12 fret with Concert depth ( a big expansive body that's pretty thin compared to most guitars. The bass really leaps out of the soundhole, impossible to mic well there.
At the 12th fret I get a boxy sound and at the bridge, a full sound that's pretty but doesn't remind me much of how the guitar actually sounds.

The solution I found was to mic the guitar from the bottom side, pretty much where an electric guitars input would be. The mic then peeks across the top of the guitar. There, I get the sound of the guitar whole and as I know it.

Experiment and remember that some guitars ring out alot of their sound through the neck and some, even the headstock rings.

Alanbama · #12 07-26-2011, 09:15 AM

So are mikes the best way to go then. I saw a clip on mike that went into the sound hole with a gooseneck on it. I think it was a Sure. And what about Pickups and contact transducers in the body?

ljguitar · #13 07-26-2011, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alanbama

As some of you already know I may be keeping a Seagull Artist Mosaic which has no electronics. How is the best way to amplify it? Is a mic the best way to go? Or is some type of pickup system better? You were so very helpful and supportive with my last thread. I know I will get some very good advice on this. Thank You, Alan.

Hi Alan…
It really depends on your circumstances (for live play).

I find for worship leaders or coffee house players (where there is noise or a need to overcome house volume) it's generally better to have a pickup, and for nice quiet polite concerts of 100 people or less, a decent mic rig may do the job.

A reality is decent mics cost as much or more than decent pickups (the K&K Pure Western Mini is my recommendation as a really natural sounding and very manageable pickup). Both will be in the more-than-$100 category. On top of that, if you use a mic, you are tied to it (2-4 inches all night), where with a pickup one can move around.

And a decent mic requires a decent interface to the mixer, whereas the pickup requires a direct box or preamp with XLR out capability. Both may or may not require a stage amplifier.

Personally after struggling with mics for years I found the K&K Pure Western Mini picukps and have not looked back. Five-ten minute stage setups and I'm good to go.

Alanbama · #14 07-26-2011, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi Alan…
It really depends on your circumstances (for live play).

I find for worship leaders or coffee house players (where there is noise or a need to overcome house volume) it's generally better to have a pickup, and for nice quiet polite concerts of 100 people or less, a decent mic rig may do the job.

A reality is decent mics cost as much or more than decent pickups (the K&K Pure Western Mini is my recommendation as a really natural sounding and very manageable pickup). Both will be in the more-than-$100 category. On top of that, if you use a mic, you are tied to it (2-4 inches all night), where with a pickup one can move around.

And a decent mic requires a decent interface to the mixer, whereas the pickup requires a direct box or preamp with XLR out capability. Both may or may not require a stage amplifier.

Personally after struggling with mics for years I found the K&K Pure Western Mini picukps and have not looked back. Five-ten minute stage setups and I'm good to go.

Thanks Larry. I will be doing live stuff at my Church and hopefully Coffee houses and the like. I have an SM58 that would be fine run through my 4 track for recording, but I'm not too fond of the mic. idea live.

Alanbama · #15 07-26-2011, 09:57 AM

I just ordered the K&K Pure Western Mini. I think this will be a good solution for me. It gets great reviews and i talked to a local luthier here in Birmingham, AL, and he said it's by far his choice. There is 3 transducers that glue under the bridge. He said they do a great job of amp'ing the strings and the guitar. I have yet another question. I dont really like end pin jacks. Would it harm the guitar to drill a hole in the side close to the end pin and mount the jack. What are your thoughts everyone?