Yes, Acoustic guitars can be electric and plugged in much like an electric guitar but what if you don’t have an electric one ? Well using a Condenser microphone is the most suitable for recording acoustic guitar than a Dynamic microphone. The sensitivity of a condenser helps capture the sound of Acoustic guitars as accurately as possible.
However, something to think about before recording is the different characteristics that can be picked up by microphones when recording an Acoustic guitar. Depending on the sound you want to capture, for example mid-range frequencies or low-end, depends on the position of the microphones.
You can capture the high frequencies by pointing a microphone at the high frets, near the sound hole of the guitar. This will capture the high-end frequencies of the vibrating strings; doing this will sound great if searching for those high frequencies however it will lack everything else, such as those deep low-end frequencies.
If you are wanting to find those low-end frequencies, pointing a mic around the back of a guitar can produce low-end character. Another position can be the first frets of a guitar or the sound hole. However, placing a mic too close to the soundhole will produce a deep boomy sound, which normally results in unusable audio.
Lastly, placing a microphone midway between the end of the body, and the strings will produce a lot of middle range sounds.
Now here are two Acoustic guitar recording techniques I suggest: the X/Y and ORTF.
X/Y
An option to record acoustic guitar is the X/Y technique.
The X/Y recording technique is where two mics are positioned right next to each other to form a 90 degree angle. However, the microphones cannot touch. This approach provides a more broader, natural sound of what is being recorded.
(2 Rode NT5 pencil condenser microphones on a special bracket to put the microphones in X/Y position.)
A problem that can occur with this technique is phase cancellation: this is where two or more signals of the same frequencies are out of phase/out of sync. From what I understand this technique makes it so there should be no time differences in recordings.
Positions are a thing to keep into account. For example how far away you sit from the mics and where the focus of the guitar should be.
When I first did this technique a couple of classmates and I experimented with positions to see if seating our guitarist at different distances would sound any different. For this we recorded each take. For the first position he sat the body length of the acoustic guitar, away.
For the next position he got closer to the mic. Both times he made sure that the mics were pointing around the 11th and 12th fret.
We found that the first position had less bass/low frequencies and the high and mid frequencies shone through. Compared to the second position which sounded muddy and had more bass/low frequencies.
ORTF
ORTF is another recording technique that can be used for recording Acoustic guitar. ORTF combines both the volume difference as well as the timing difference as sound arrives at the two microphones spaced 17cm apart and at a 110 degree angle. The result of this technique should be a realistic stereo range that has reasonable similarity with mono playback.
(Mics on a Stereo Bar that is used to help replicate the X/Y and ORTF technique.)
This technique requires the microphones to be as similar as possible, preferably an identical type and model, such as a pair of cardioid microphones. The microphone should be mounted at an angle of 110 degrees.
Also, ORTF captures less ambient room characteristics. This means that the microphones can be placed farther away from it’s sound source(acoustic guitar), resulting in a blend that may be more appealing to the ears.
As with all microphone placements, the spacing and angle can be manually adjusted slightly by using your ears until you find the best sound, which may vary depending on room acoustics, sound source characteristics, and other factors.
Bibliography:
Benediktsson, B., n.d. How To Get A Kick-Ass Acoustic Guitar Recording - Audio Issues. [online] Audio Issues. Available at: <https://www.audio-issues.com/recording-tips/get-kick-ass-acoustic-guitar-recording/> [Accessed 11 May 2020].
DPA. 2019. [online] Available at: <https://www.dpamicrophones.com/mic-university/stereo-recording-techniques-and-setups> [Accessed 11 May 2020].
Strong, J., n.d. X-Y Pair Stereo Microphone Techniques - Dummies. [online] dummies. Available at: <https://www.dummies.com/art-center/music/recording-music/x-y-pair-stereo-microphone-techniques/> [Accessed 11 May 2020].
Tarr, E., 2015. 4 Common Stereo Microphone Techniques — Pro Audio Files. [online] Pro Audio Files. Available at: <https://theproaudiofiles.com/4-stereo-miking-techniques/> [Accessed 11 May 2020].
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