Recording guitar, 1 mic or 2?

TBman · #1 11-30-2018, 04:25 PM

I don't have a matched pair so I'm wondering why I bother to record with 2 mics. Can't just one be used in mono, then split to stereo in a DAW? I'm curious if I'd get better results with the mics I have.

Mxl 990
Mxl 991
AKG Perception 150
Rodes NT-5

Are any of mine even recommended for acoustic guitar? Thanks.

KevWind · #2 11-30-2018, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBman

I don't have a matched pair so I'm wondering why I bother to record with 2 mics. Can't just one be used in mono, then split to stereo in a DAW? I'm curious if I'd get better results with the mics I have.

Mxl 990
Mxl 991
AKG Perception 150
Rodes NT-5

Are any of mine even recommended for acoustic guitar? Thanks.

A "matched pair" is by no means a requirement for excellent stereo recording. Nore are they any kind of guarantee of "good" stereo recording ... In point of fact a number of top recording engineers specifically use different mic's

I have done what you describe with BTW a Schoeps CM6 MK 4 (considered by many as a top instrument SDC) and honestly IMO it did not really sound as good as the recordings I did using two different mics, the Schoeps and my Bruaner LDC as a stereo pair

runamuck · #3 11-30-2018, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevWind

A "matched pair" is by no means a requirement for excellent stereo recording.

Yeah, I agree with KevWind.

DukeX · #4 11-30-2018, 07:24 PM

As stated, a matched pair is unnecessary. Mic placement and recording levels are much more important.

rick-slo · #5 11-30-2018, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBman

Can't just one be used in mono, then split to stereo in a DAW?

That would do nothing. When you record a mono track it's already split into right and left sides but it is still a mono sound, not stereo.
Stick with two mikes for a stereo sound. Mikes do not have to be a matched pair.

midwinter · #6 11-30-2018, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBman

Rodes NT-5

Are any of mine even recommended for acoustic guitar? Thanks.

I have a pair of M5s, which are much cheaper than the NT5s, and you can get acceptable sounds out of them, but it takes a lot of work fiddling with positioning.

TBman · #7 11-30-2018, 10:02 PM

To answer my own question it appears that the Rodes NT5 and MXL 990 are a decent pair to record with according to some more google research on my part.

pieterh · #8 12-01-2018, 01:49 AM

I would say still go for two mics - even decaying the signal of a duplicated track on your recording never has quite the same effect as two mics at different positions. What’s more, the placement of two mics means you can record the sonic qualities of different areas of the guitar and blend them together to better mimic what the ear would hear than by just using one.

Doug Young can chip in here or you could check out the many posts he has done here on recording techniques. I am sure there are others too who can give you good advice!

TBman · #9 12-01-2018, 08:47 AM

I'll have to play around with the different desktop configurations that I can do. I have the desktop booms as well as small desktop tripods. The booms may give me more flexibility as to position without blocking my reading area.

DupleMeter · #10 12-01-2018, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBman

I don't have a matched pair so I'm wondering why I bother to record with 2 mics. Can't just one be used in mono, then split to stereo in a DAW? I'm curious if I'd get better results with the mics I have.

Mxl 990
Mxl 991
AKG Perception 150
Rodes NT-5

Are any of mine even recommended for acoustic guitar? Thanks.

Try them all and then use the one or 2 that sound best. Often times acoustic are recorded with 1 large diaphragm down near the bridge & 1 small diaphragm at the neck/body joint to capture different aspects of the instrument. That said, anything goes. If it sounds good it is good! Half the fun is the creative experimentation.

Brent Hahn · #11 12-01-2018, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Mikes do not have to be a matched pair.

I'd probably go with a "matched pair" as in "two of the same thing." But in the mic business, that term usually means the two mics are tweaked to extremes to be as exactly alike as possible. Doing this costs extra, and leaves you with a pair of mics that you shouldn't split up. I've never felt like I needed that.

TBman · #12 12-01-2018, 09:41 PM

I'm going to go with the Rodes on the left pointing at the 12th and the large diaphragm MXL 990 on the right. If I get too much string noise, and I might, I'll swap them.

rick-slo · #13 12-01-2018, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

I'd probably go with a "matched pair" as in "two of the same thing." But in the mic business, that term usually means the two mics are tweaked to extremes to be as exactly alike as possible. Doing this costs extra, and leaves you with a pair of mics that you shouldn't split up. I've never felt like I needed that.

I have a matched pair of Gefell M300s that came with a mike mounting bar you can use conveniently for XY or ORTF.
Nevertheless I rarely use these mike positions where a matched pair of mikes would in theory make the most difference
in terms of a stable, focused soundstage. Also for many years now the mike manufacturing process (at least for decent
mikes) is so precise and consistent that a specially designated "matched pair" is less relevant than it used to be.