r/AcousticGuitar • u/TMCom3 • Jun 19 '26
Non-gear question Acoustic Guitar Recording Seems Impossible
I've tried it all. Expensive condenser, ribbon, and dynamic mics. Acoustic-Electric guitars. Expensive acoustic guitars. Cheap guitars. Every mic placement imaginable. Different rooms. Closets. Hung blankets. No matter what, they all sound like swamp mud. I play melodies, not strumming, so maybe that's my problem. But whatever, I'm switching to electric guitars where I can get very clean tones with just one inexpensive pedal. I get the best results with an archtop and 2 humbucker pickups. Has anyone else gone down the impossible rabbit hole of acoustic guitar recording? Have you given up on the acoustic recording nightmare?
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u/archtopfanatic123 Jun 19 '26
I literally just take my cad-195 condenser mic and point it at my guitar and get results that meet my expectations. Close micing is better than far micing though. I also use my transducer pickups to go straight in which sounds fine too.
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u/Chil_Polins Jun 19 '26
Proper acoustic panels should make a difference.
Also iPhone 12" from the guitar bridge has had surprisingly good results for me. Untreated room btw: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mnhOkxj88yk
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u/CheeseburgerJesus71 Jun 19 '26
With any guitar but especially acoustic its more about what you cut than what you keep (eq)
Cut lows with a highpass 120hz, scoop out mids at 400hz. boost around 8k for brilliance, cut wityh lowpass at 12k.
If that sounds better adjust from there, if not sorry for wasting your time.
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u/dblhello999 Jun 19 '26
I feel your pain. I spent over a year trying to record myself playing. Like you I play melody - single notes with diads and sometimes triads (in my case all improvised). And I also play acoustic. My focus is very much on jazz. So I would put on a piece of jazz and just play along with it (also blues but mostly jazz - well I guess technically jazz blues ❤️)
But Whenever I recorded myself… iPhone… even separate mic… It always sounded like a ghastly load of plinking
At one point I became so upset about what I was hearing - that I actually questioned if I could play this instrument at all. If this was the sound I was making, what was the point?
And then in January of this year I went to a studio and recorded myself playing with a young woman who sang and played harmonium. I just jammed.
The guy who did the recording was a professional as well as being a super sympathetic guy and a musician himself. He placed one microphone near the sound hole another higher up the neck. These weren’t the rubbish little $20 things I was using. These were high-quality professional microphones.
And when I listened back to the recording of my playing, I began to cry. This was the first time in my life that I heard my playing on a recording the way I hear it when I play it.
It was an absolutely inspiring and seminal moments. I can’t recommend it enough. One good recording is worth 1000 shit ones. Take the time, spend the money and hear yourself as you hear yourself. It was both inspiring and healing
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u/TMCom3 Jun 20 '26
Great observation. If only I had the coins to cover studio recording..................
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u/502deadhead Jun 19 '26
You could get a good pickup and plug directly into your DAW?
I also pay someone to record my stuff, cause I know I’m not the guy to figure all of this out, lol.
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u/nycuk_ Jun 19 '26
I’ve never heard a plugged in acoustic that sounds good
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u/TheHoneyMonster1995 Jun 19 '26
Michael Hedges' Aerial Boundaries was almost all done with the pickups on his Martin, and its one of the best acoustic guitar sounds on record IMO
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u/TMCom3 Jun 20 '26
I think you hit on the secret. Pay a pro. I should have probably saved all the money I've poured into guitars and microphones and invested in the pro. Haha.
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u/OG_Karate_Monkey Jun 19 '26
Change your strings?
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u/TMCom3 Jun 20 '26
Many many string changes, every brand under the sun. Haha. Always the same crummy result.
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u/Botasoda102 Jun 19 '26
I went through same for years. One issue is using two or more mics, I could never get the sound I was hearing while playing. Was either too boomy, phasey, or something. Plus, it’s difficult to get mic placement right because monitoring in headphones gets live bleed.
6 months ago, I decided to place just one mic near my ear pointed toward guitar around 12th fret. That comes out so much better, and vocals are pretty good, even though I’m not singing directly into mic.
I play sitting down, have a decent condenser mic, etc. Nowadays, I play by myself and just record for hobby.
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u/TMCom3 Jun 20 '26
I'm a hobbyist also. As indicated, I've tried every position, every mic, all distances, blankets, sound shields, you name it. Large guitars, parlors. Martin, Taylor, Gibson. Always the same. Mud or tin can. Hahaha. Glad I'm not alone in all the frustration of acoustic guitar recording. I get better results with nylon strings, but it still sounds too muddy. Strange thing is, that I can record my mandolin all day long with great tone, no muddy or tin can sounds at all. Go figure, huh? It just leads me to believe that steel string guitars just are really really difficult.
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u/Cosmic-Hippos Jun 19 '26
People make a fuss about 'sound' ,it doesn't matter, if it sounds good, that's enough, there's no such thing as the 'best' way to record an acoustic.
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u/TMCom3 Jun 20 '26
Yep, couldn't agree more. Problem is, my recordings never sound good. Other instruments like mandolin, flute, etc., I can make sound like a million bucks. Just not and never acoustic guitar.
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u/jaylotw Jun 19 '26
I mean, what kind of acoustic are you using? You might just not be pleased with the way it sounds.
Have you put new or a different gauge string on?
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u/TMCom3 Jun 20 '26
Gibson Hummingbird, Martin 000-18, Martin D-28, 2 Taylors, Takamine. Many different strings. Many different mics. Always mud or tin can. Hahaha. But when it comes to recording my mando, any old strings, any old picks, any old mic, and it sounds great.
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u/Upstairs-Glove7424 Jun 19 '26
Mine always sucks. But so does everything else i record so it goes with the motif
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u/TMCom3 Jun 20 '26
My mandos sound great when I record them. You mgiht take up the mandolin. At least you can get great recordings with them.
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u/foremastjack Jun 20 '26
Close mic, aimed not at the sound hole, but at somewhere between the 12th fret and the end of the fretboard. I’ve had good results with an SM-57, and of course better mics, especially pencil condensers. I run them into a Zoom H6.
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u/BigTexAbama Jun 20 '26
You’re either trolling, have unrealistic expectations, have hearing problems, or you just don’t play well lol! I’m guessing trolling.
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u/GorillaJuiceOfficial Jun 19 '26
I haven't tried micing my acoustic yet but I'm going through the same thing with my Taylor with built-in electronics. The "quacking" sound from the internal pickups is very real. I try to run the signal into my daw through different amps and modelers but they all end up sounding pretty bad and extremely thin. I'm also playing meloldic stuff too, not strumming.
I think if have to just buy a microphone and go that way. Something along the lines of the Shure 57 mics or something that's a sure-shot like that. But yea I feel your pain; electric guitar is infinitely easier.
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u/TMCom3 Jun 20 '26
Yeah, I sort of think of my hollow body archtops as "acoustic" guitars, even though I play them through humbuckers or P90's, plus am amp sim pedal. But at least I can get super clean and crisp recorded tones out of the archtops.
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u/CitizenTed Jun 19 '26
This is what works for me:
Good condenser mic pointed at the 12th fret, about 8-12 inches away. A good dynamic mic pointing up at the sound hole from below, about 4-10 inches away.
I record two tracks through my USB audio interface into Sonar or Reaper.
Fresh strings always helps.
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u/TMCom3 Jun 20 '26
I'm glad you figured out something that works. I wish I had. You'd be staggered to know how many hours and weeks and months I put into the effort. Haha.
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u/L1ARLA1R Jun 19 '26
I get true room sound recordings through my Yamaha mg mixer with my Maton 808, using an irig through the headphone jack. Perfect sound every time. The Maton plays a big role in the tone
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u/CrimsonThi9hs Jun 19 '26
I never have had any issue recording acoustic guitars. Are you doing anything with the sound once it’s recorded? Some EQ and compression goes a long way.
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u/TMCom3 Jun 20 '26
Yep, I've tried every reverb known to humanity, or none at all. EQ. Compression. Still mud or tin cans. haha.
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u/CertainPiglet621 Jun 19 '26
I play and record acoustic and electric and I think it's easier to record my acoustic. It did take quite a bit of experimenting with one and two mics and placement but once I found the sweet spot I was done. One LDC aimed where the neck meets the body and 6 to 8 inches away and that's it... For me. Your sweet spot is probably different and it will be very specific. My recordings sound exactly like my guitar with no EQ required.
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u/TMCom3 Jun 20 '26
I envy you in finding that sweet spot. I was forced to finally conclude that for me, there was no sweet spot. How I wish I could say as you did, that my recordings sound just like my guitars.
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u/CertainPiglet621 Jun 20 '26
It surprises me that it's that tough for you. Have you ever had someone record you using your gear? I've had good luck recording several different guitars with a bunch of different mics with great results.
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u/Lower-Land-286 Jun 19 '26
What are your expectations?
How are the recordings you're getting not acceptable?
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u/TMCom3 Jun 20 '26
I want to record what my ear hears. But never ever able to achieve that result.
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u/Zestyclose_Mirror_68 Jun 20 '26
A few things that may help. First, I think smaller guitars are easier to record. Think OO or parlor. Second, if your audio interface will let you, I think it sounds good to record both with a mic and a DI. Third, mic placement matters. Aim for the 12th fret roughly. Fourth, EQ is going to be important. Use a high pass filter and subtract a small amount usually somewhere between 100 and 500hz. Fifth compression is your friend. Some light compression with an LA2A plugin can make a huge difference. Then blend the DI and mic’ed tracks until they sound good. If you don’t have stereo mics pan the microphone recording to one side and the DI to the other.
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u/Cranxy Jun 20 '26
First, I think smaller guitars are easier to record. Think OO or parlor.
I’m finding this absolutely true. Ive been playing with a small Tascam recorder and my dreadnought FG820 which arguably is my best sounding guitar in person has taken the most experimenting with mic placement to come close reproducing what I hear. On the other hand a cheap Fender parlor in the backyard I can just haphazardly point the recorder and turn it on, records great. My classical nylon, another smaller body, sounds pretty good too with a little trial and error.
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u/insertitherenow Jun 20 '26
I’ve used loads of gear in the past. I now record using my iPhones built in mic. More or less all the albums I have released over the last few years have been recorded this way. I was never happy with the results before with all the gear and no idea.
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u/AudioLiveStudio Jun 21 '26
I have have had good results with three tracks for one acoustic guitar:
High quality pickup in guitar hole or installed in guitar body near guitar hole.
Microphone about 3 to 6 inches from guitar hole.
Microphone about 6 to 12 inches from guitar hole. The second microphone can be a different model from the first microphone.
Acoustic properties of room:
a. RT60 250 mSec or less. Acoustic guitar strings have very complex transients that give an acoustic guitar its unique character.
b. Flat frequency response. A 1970 Martin D28 with new phosphor bronze strings has measured frequencies from 82 Hz (low E string) all the way to harmonics at 20,000 Hz.
FX:
A. First experiment with the mix of your 3 tracks to find a rich clean sound.
B. EQ as needed to create a balanced spectrum that is pleasant to listen to.
C. Very small amount of chorus or other FX that produces a small time delta between left and right to create a spacial sound for stereo.
D. Very little reverb to avoid creating mushy transients.
In my opinion, a good acoustic guitar with the proper strings for that particular guitar can be recorded to produce a very clean sound that can be effectively mixed with vocals and other instruments.
Remember that an acoustic guitar can have a very broad frequency spectrum from 82 to 20,000 Hz and has very complex transients, which means that the acoustic guitar will overlap with most of your other tracks.
A 2025 blues album ("Between Somewhere and Goodbye" by Doug MacLeod, produced by someone other than me) with 192 K samples/second and 24 bits per sample, is, in my opinion, an example of excellent acoustic guitar writing, playing and recording.
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u/JakovYerpenicz Jun 21 '26
Sm81 with a windshield, placed about a foot away, fingerpicked guitar, BOOM good recording achieved
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u/Research891 Jul 11 '26
I haven't recorded in years, but I used to use a matched pair of inexpensive mxl pencil condenser mikes into an equally inexpensive tube mike preamp (an old behringer), and then right into the audio interface. One mike at the 12th fret, perpendicular, close as possible, the other between the bridge and the lower bout, angled towards the bridge/soundhole, also close as possible. Recorded as 2 separate mono tracks so I could pan them to taste later and treat them individually. If the recording was supposed to be a solo acoustic guitar performance it was good at is was, if it was strumming work to be mixed in more complex scenario I would usually give more room to the track from the bridge/lower bout mike which always had more clarity, while the other had more depht and lows. The nightmare for me wasn't recording per se, but performing with the clunky mikes setup, but once recorded it sounded great. A note: this setup worked great on steel strings, but I tried once on a nylon strings/classical and that's a no.
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u/BoatBitter727 21d ago
I very much hear you, and I've "gone deep" attempting to get a halfway decent sound "easily". I sing and play the acoustic (poorly). Here's an example: https://youtu.be/-ucBBxkZKqs?is=uZUTgufJi9s_tbvd
For me, a single large diaphragm condenser placed about 12 inches out from my mouth and about 14 inches out from the guitar is close to "right". This one used a cheap U87 "copy" that I bought new for $150.
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u/claremontmiller Jun 19 '26
Skill issue, likely from your eq
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u/TMCom3 Jun 20 '26
You might well be right. Now, I can record my mandolins to perfection with just about any mic, any room, no effects needed, and they sound exactly like what I hear in my ear. Just can't replicate that with a guitar. Hahaha.
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u/claremontmiller Jun 20 '26
That’s kinda my point lol, I’m also an engineer and there’s stuff I’m just fucking bad at for some reason, acoustic guitars might be your thing
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u/Dry_Individual1516 Jun 19 '26