Home Studio Basics: Recording Acoustic Guitar
Audio Basics and Key Microphone Placement for Recording a Demo
Nov 14, 2009
The fact is that it is impossible to capture the pure sound of acoustic guitar with a microphone. It is quite possible, however, to make even a home demo sound great in its own way. The key is to devote ample time to a musical understanding of the artist, as well as experimenting with as many different microphone placements as possible.
Musical Comprehension of the Artist: Know the Guitarist, Know the Songs
Having a great ear towards what is unique about the artist is what makes a great producer. Before the session date, the producer should devote a lot of thought to the specific genre, style and personality of the artist. Having recognized the many essential layers of the artist, the producer can determine what kind of sound and atmosphere best fitting for the demo. Recording a good home demo is the first step, but being able to pinpoint the appropriate sound and atmosphere for the music will give the artist a unique vibe, help them stand apart from the others, and benefit everyone involved.
For example: if the artist is playing technical jazz or classical guitar, the strings should be brand new, a metronome should be used and the producer should aim for a crisp, clean professional sound; if the artist is playing delta blues, however, the strings should be worn, the metronome replaced by a tapping foot, and EQ adjusted to find a good muddy, authentic sound. In fact, go ahead and record it in an old shed out back.
Again, the artist should be playing in as similar a situation to their practice conditions as possible. If this requires alcohol, provide it; make the studio smoker-friendly if necessary; some musicians can’t play very well before or after the sun goes down…etc. When setting up, remember that the guitarist should be sitting and playing in a position exactly the way they practice. Build the mic around their comfort zone (precise placement is discussed below); have the guitarist get situated and make sure they’re playing comfortably before setting up the microphone position.
Ideally, the artist should begin recording after a good bit of practicing to warm up the finger muscles, followed by an hour so without playing. This way their fingers aren’t too hot or too cold — just right. Of course this is solely up to the artist: the amount of control the producer has over musicians’ diligence is limited, but if time is an issue, pre-session practice is worth emphasizing.
While on the subject of practice, it’s important to acknowledge the most annoyingly difficult aspect of recording acoustic guitar: finger squeaks. Finger squeaks are caused by quickly jumping from one place to another on the neck; they’re merely noticeable during practice, but painfully brought out by any microphone and can ruin a quiet, peaceful song. The newer the strings, the louder the squeaks. If at all possible, the artist and the producer should discuss finger squeaks and try to model the fingering arrangements to eliminate them. Believe it or not, it can be done.
The Nature of the Room: Acoustic Guitar Microphone Placement
The best advice on any type of microphone recording is to a) use as many microphones as you have and b) allow as much time for experimentation as possible. That said, it is helpful to think of the floor of the room as a pond and the sound wavesas flat pebbles thrown or “skipped” across the surface, bouncing off and falling back down repeatedly. This may explain why a hardwood floor creates such a different sound than a carpeted floor. Also, anything in between the acoustic guitar and the farthest wall will obstruct the sound waves, however subtle the sonic result. That being said, take this information objectively; it’s not necessarily bad to have carpeted floors, or objects obstructing the sound waves, it just depends. Create a sonic environment perfect for the artist’s specific sound.
Put one or two mics on the guitar and any extras at different points around the room for ambience. It is almost universally true that the primary microphone should not be more than twelve inches away from the surface of the guitar. The question is: which part of the guitar? The answer depends on a number of things: is the artist using a pick of any sort? If (s)he is plucking the strings with his fingers, which part of the string is being plucked? What is the style of music being played?
There are three commonly-used placements for acoustic guitar mics: 1) over the highest frets, 4-6 inches away from the sound hole, 2) somewhere over the sound hole itself, usually on a rim and not in the direct center, and 3) on the bridge. Play with these positions and pick the best one for each song. Then, the hardest part is getting the artist to stay as immobile as possible between takes so as not to lose that perfect microphone/acoustic guitar placement.
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