Recommendations for mic placement inside a Carbon-Fiber Dual Neck ACOUSTIC GUITAR

[richardpavelec]

Hello fellow musicians and gear junkies!

I posted this in other threads but feel more at home here’s so...heard me out?

A few months back, I acquired two microphones that were referred to as “overhead-choir, mini-condenser” microphones (about the size of your pinky finger)! One day while monitoring with headphones, I placed one (and later, two) inside the guitar and started noodling (seeing how the mic sounded).

I was TOTALLY blown away by how good this sounded (potentially better than the piezo pickups currently installed). So with this new thread, I wanted opinions on where I might place these microphones? Preferable inside the guitar, but I might consider outside mount if not in the way.

Comments? Advice?

[JonnyBGood]

Internal mics are always tricky to get right and IMO work best in conjunction with other sources, the mic providing a small part of the overall mix. Boxy sound and feedback are the two main problems.

The only way to determine the best internal placement of a mic is to move it around and experiment as there is no way of knowing how *your* mic will react inside *your* guitar. So for that reason I would recommend mounting on a gooseneck which will give you flexibility to try different positions once installed

Mounting externally will give you far superior sound quality but of course has drawbacks in terms of it potentially getting in the way. Take a look at the DPA 4009, probably the best externally mounted guitar mic on the market, for ideas.

If you want to place the two mics inside the guitar you are multiplying the challenges, not least due to phase problems and increased risk of feedback. Miniflex are the experts in this approach and have some clever electronics that enable their dual mic systems to work together.

[richardpavelec]

Originally Posted by JonnyBGood

Internal mics are always tricky to get right and IMO work best in conjunction with other sources, the mic providing a small part of the overall mix. Boxy sound and feedback are the two main problems.

The only way to determine the best internal placement of a mic is to move it around and experiment as there is no way of knowing how *your* mic will react inside *your* guitar. So for that reason I would recommend mounting on a gooseneck which will give you flexibility to try different positions once installed

Mounting externally will give you far superior sound quality but of course has drawbacks in terms of it potentially getting in the way. Take a look at the DPA 4009, probably the best externally mounted guitar mic on the market, for ideas.

If you want to place the two mics inside the guitar you are multiplying the challenges, not least due to phase problems and increased risk of feedback. Miniflex are the experts in this approach and have some clever electronics that enable their dual mic systems to work together.

Yes, everything you said was true. But I have a few goals in mind. I think I am going to go through with this idea. In fact, I already have:

I had a tech cut the 25 foot line on those mini choir mics. For now, we are just getting them out of the way inside the guitar (taping). He drilled two side holes and installed mini XLR connectors. I love the idea of plugging in this way, instead of external mounts, setting up/tearing down mics and cables, etc, etc.

I will be Velcroing the mics to various places in the body, trying for a sweet spot. This guitar has piezos too so YES, I am dual-sourcing.

One thing to mention is I am not really doing all of this for live performance. If the Mics work for that, without feedback, great! But if I can only use this set up and recording atmosphere, I know what will be good. Because I can EQ the signal and also use good compressors.

I will be taking photos, maybe videos, and audio clips later.