Acoustic Guitar/Vocal Setups

[EvanMidds]

Hey All,
Just curious if you have a go to mic combo, at least for a starting point, when recording an acoustic guitar/vocal performance. For me a Joly modded MK012 on acoustic and the SM7 on vocals generally works out great. Take care.

[Gregg Juke]

Hey Evan,

Generally use an sdc around the 12th fret and a vocal mike of choice, but we've been experimenting with adding a mid-side pair a bit lately; it adds some pretty cool depth, and doesn't need to be mixed in-your-face to be effective.

When working with an electro-acoustic, it can help to add a little of the direct pick-up signal as well.

GJ

[drumsound]

XY around the 12th fret and a figure 8 for the vocal to eliminate bleed. Check for phase issues!

[reedblack]

Phase issues are always a problem between the two mics unless you are very careful. One option is to use a single omni and place it carefully to get the right mix. Giving the player a louder headphone mix will allow them to mix themselves to a reasonable level (but they must have good ears and abilities...).

Another good option is two figure-8's, with the vocal mic's side-null pointing towards the guitar and vice versa. The rejection of the nulls of figure-8's are much greater than those of a cardioid or other pattern, and the lobes are far narrower too, allowing you to get almost shotgun-mic precision.

Watch out for proximity effect! Figure-8's have the most pronounced low-end lift.

-Reed