Options and Advice for Recording Acoustic Guitar...

[Shades of Blue]

I've decided that I want to start recording my original work. I know I'll need a mic and an interface, but I want to make this as simple and painless as possible. I'm more concerned with making it easy and inexpensive than I am getting ultra great sound quality.

What are your suggestions? I prefer to do this with my Mac, but I'm not opposed to using my iPad. I'd like to be able to blend mic with the guitar pickups as well.

I have Garageband, so would an inexpensive interface be all I really need?

And for the loaded question.....what is a good inexpensive mic for both acoustic and vocals?

[MikeBmusic]

There's a whole section her in the forum for 'Recording', a moderator will move this for you, I'm sure. Take a look, the questions have been asked a lot.

[StringFive]

Grab a Blue Yeti mic, plug it in to your USB port, launch GarageBand...and go! Here's a link to the Yeti. http://amzn.to/2oMVVAX

[JimmerO]

I like using stereo mics. For a hundred bucks you can just buy a Zoom or similar recorder with stereo mics. They sound excellent. I record my musician wife with one all the time.

Microphone placement and the room you use to record are also important. Too close and you'll get pic and finger noise, too far and you won't get soft dynamics. Experiment and you'll figure this one out.

[buddyhu]

An Apogee mic + Garage Band are pretty good. Still takes time to learn placement, and the room acoustics seem to play a bigger role than you might initially imagine. But with practice (and input from the recording subforum), you can probably get something you will enjoy...at least as an initial low-cost endeavor.

[mmasters]

I second the blue yeti mic, best bang for the buck. Simple and easy to use with audacity.

[JayBee1404]

Don't use a pickup to record an acoustic guitar, use one or two good condenser mics, it'll sound much nicer. It's called an 'acoustic' guitar for a reason.

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by StringFive

Grab a Blue Yeti mic, plug it in to your USB port, launch GarageBand...and go! Here's a link to the Yeti. http://amzn.to/2oMVVAX

Thanks! Picked it up and used some coupons with Amazon for $95...great deal!

I think this will be a great easy way to record acoustic and vocals. I have a Fender Mustang III amp that I can used to record electric guitar direct, so I think I'm set!

[Hot Vibrato]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

Thanks! Picked it up and used some coupons with Amazon for $95...great deal!

I think this will be a great easy way to record acoustic and vocals. I have a Fender Mustang III amp that I can used to record electric guitar direct, so I think I'm set!

You might try placing the mic in front of your amp's speaker for a more realistic electric guitar sound - usually electric guitars are done by miking the speaker, rather than using a line signal, but there are no rules. Experiment and do what sounds best. The mic's distance from the speaker plays a big role in the end result. so, again, experiment. Expensive gear is nice, but great recordings can be made with budget equipment. It's more about the song and the performer. That said, if you truly get bitten by the recording bug, you'll eventually want to upgrade. But don't get so distracted with the gear that you forget to play music.