Best way to record with Zoom H4n?

[justonwo]

So I've experimented with mic placement to a certain extent. I started right at the sound hole before I did any reading on the subject . . . then tried the mic at the 12th fret. I don't seem to capture the fullness of the instrument very well and I REALLY pick up a lot of string squeak. How far away should I place the mic? Oriented with the mics vertical or horizontal?

I'm not looking for amazing sound quality, but just trying to optimize with what I have. Thanks!

[alohachris]

Aloha,

A few suggestions on how to optimize using the H4n:

Learn about room treatment & treat the area in which you are recording, Portable DIY treatment such as hanging mover's blankets is a cheap place to start.

Don't use the noisy on-board H4n mic's,

Do single or two-track at a time recording only, not four-track,

Use better external condenser mic's plugged into your H4n- such as a matched pair of SDC's for stereo recording of acoustic guitar,

Experiment A LOT with mic placement, there's plenty of info about different miking patterns for acoustic guitars online. X-Y works better in untreated or challenged rooms,

In an untreated space, you will have to close-mic. But if it's too close, you'll have to deal with the boominess of proximity effect. So experiment a lot.

Go online & see how others mic with an H4n. CHeck out the many forums at Gearslutz for similar info on miking guitar,

Check out Doug Young's youtubes to see how to stereo mic an acoustic guitar using SDC external mic's,

Record tracks dry w/ zero or as little EQ as possible going in,

Get the tracks into your computer ASAP & by-pass all the H4n's functions - keep it simple,

Do all editing ITB on a DAW, using a suitable mixing signal chain that includes accurate un-hyped monitors & headphones - in a treated space. But only if you actually want better sound.

alohachris

[Fran Guidry]

Originally Posted by justonwo

So I've experimented with mic placement to a certain extent. I started right at the sound hole before I did any reading on the subject . . . then tried the mic at the 12th fret. I don't seem to capture the fullness of the instrument very well and I REALLY pick up a lot of string squeak. How far away should I place the mic? Oriented with the mics vertical or horizontal?

I'm not looking for amazing sound quality, but just trying to optimize with what I have. Thanks!

Have you tried plugging in a set of sealed headphones or earbuds and moving around the mics? This should give you some ideas of the impact of angle and distance and the basic range of "front of the guitar" mic placements.

Also note how you orient the guitar in order to maintain stereo balance. If you're after a stereo image, by the way, you'll want to use a horizontal mic arrangement.

The distance between the mic and source is a three way tradeoff. Close placement reduces the ratio of reflections, increases bass when directional mics like those in the H4n are used, and localizes the area of the guitar that contributes to the sound. Moving back does the opposite. The distance could range from 2 inches to 4 feet or more depending on what you want to hear.

And as a final suggestion, you _should_ be looking for amazing sound quality. If you create some amazing sound and put the mics in the right spot the H4n will capture it.

Fran

[justonwo]

Right now, I'm keeping it very simple. I just want to optimize the sound of the H4n with the built-in mics. As I get better at it, then I may consider external mics. I don't have a treated room at present, but I did experiment with the sound using sealed headphones and found that I liked horizontal mic orientation right around the 12th fret best. These recordings are made about 12-16" from the fretboard.

Just listening to them, can you guys hear ways to improve the sound?

http://www.jus-tone.com/misc/recordi..._Man_Blues.mp3

http://www.jus-tone.com/misc/recordi...rman-Mic_2.mp3