Recording acoustic guitar in a home studio presents unique challenges. You probably don't have acoustically treated rooms, or a locker full of expensive mics.
So in this guide, we'll cover a variety of techniques to capture the best possible sound in a less-than-ideal recording environment. We'll explore different microphone placements, stereo recording methods, and compression and EQ to achieve a professional sound at home.
Challenges of Home Recording
Unlike professional studios, home recording environments often have unwanted background noise, poor acoustics, and limited space. Understanding these limitations and working around them is key to getting a good sound.
We'll discuss how to minimize background noise, manage room reflections, and choose the right microphone placement.
Mono Recording with One Microphone
If you only have one microphone, mono recording can still yield excellent results. Here are some key mic placements to consider:
Mic Placement Options
None of these microphone placements are right or wrong. It depends what you're going for. Want to hear more of the strumming/pick attack? Maybe more toward the bridge is better. Looking for a sooth sound? Maybe try pointing a mic toward the neck.
Distance from the Guitar
Miking distance trades off a few factors. With directional mics (which you'll likely be using), the closer you get to the guitar, the more bass frequencies you'll pick up. So you can move the microphone back if there's too much low end (or use a roll-off switch, if your mic has one). However, if you have a lot of room noise (I have a major highway not to far away), you'll get more noise the further you move the mic away.
And the further away the mic is, the more room reverberation you'll pick up. That might be ok, depending on how your room sounds.
I find miking from 15" - 18" away to be a good compromise for my guitar and room. You might find differently.
Using A Pickup
If your acoustic guitar has a pickup, it might be a good choice for recording in a noisy environment. Depending on the pickup, the sound you get might not sound like a natural acoustic in a room. In this case, experiment with loading up an acoustic guitar IR.
Acoustic IRs
Acoustic impulse responses (IRs) act as EQ curves that can help you more closely approximate the EQ of a natural guitar sound. Acoustic guitar IRs are made by capturing the sound of acoustic guitars (duh).
I use ReaVerb (a REAPER stock reverb plug-in) to load IRs, as shown in the image. On the recorded track, add ReaVerb with the FX button. Click on 'Add' and navigate to your IR file to load it up (search the internet for 'acoustic guitar IRs'). Turn the dry control all the way down.
Using Reaverb As An IR Loader
Using a Mic and Pickup Combination
If your acoustic guitar has a pickup, you can record both the mic and the pickup simultaneously and pan the mic/pickup left/right for a fuller sound. However, this can introduce phase issues. To find out if you have phase problems, click the mono button on your master fader, on and off. If the guitar sounds thin or hollow, that's a phase problem.
Mono Button On
To fix phase problems, align the waveforms of the two tracks in your DAW. In other words, zoom way in on the tracks and look for a transient (a sharp, sudden sound). You may notice the timing is very slightly off between the two tracks. Use nudge (press 'n') and move one of the tracks until they line up. Check in mono again to make sure.
Double-Tracking Acoustic Guitar
For a wider stereo sound, you can record two separate performances and pan them left and right. If you want width but only have one mic, double-tracking is a good choice.
Keep in mind: Precision is key: Sloppy playing can make the song sound well, sloppy. In other words, make sure the timing on your two performances is spot-on.
You can vary the mic position or guitar voicings between the performances for some extra flavor. Small differences add to the sense of width.
XY (Coincident Pair) Stereo Miking
The XY technique involves placing two microphones close together at a 90-130 degree angle. This method provides a natural stereo image with good mono compatibility.
The point is to get the two mic capsules (the thingy inside the mics that picks up the sounds) to be in as close to the same spot as possible, even though the mics are pointed in different directions. This minimizes phase problems because the sound reaches both microphones practically simultaneously.
When listening, pan one mic to the right and the other to the left.
Key points:
Pros: Tight, punchy sound with minimal phase issues.
Cons: Less stereo width compared to spaced pair techniques.
Best use case: Rhythm parts that need tight timing.
XY Mic Technique From Above
The further you pull the mics away from the guitar, and the wider the angle, the more width you'll have in the sound. However, in short order, you'll be pointing beyond the width of the guitar. So keep the pair close enough to the guitar to hit your favorite mic spots. I usually point one between the bridge and the sound hole, and another at the guitar body, just below where the neck meets the body.
In pro studios, this technique is usually done with matching, small diaphragm condenser mics. But use whatever you have. I won't tell anyone.
If your mics have thick grills, it might be difficult to see where the capsule is. So check in mono and adjust a little bit if needed.
Spaced Pair Technique
The spaced pair method uses two microphones placed apart from each other and pointed at the guitar. This technique creates a lush, open sound but may introduce phase issues.
The 3 to 1 Rule
To minimize phase issues, follow the 3 to 1 rule, which is really more of a guideline. Basically, it means the mics should be 3 times further apart than they are to the guitar. Are the mics 20 cm from the guitar? Then they need to be 60 cm apart. OK?
But as always, pan the mics left and right and check in mono to make sure it sounds fine.
Spaced Pair from Further Back
For an even airier, wider sound, you can move the microphones further from the guitar. This setup captures more room ambiance, making it ideal for softer, fingerpicked passages.
Remember, as you move the microphones back, they'll also need to be further apart.
But . . .
The ration of room acoustics to guitar will go up, and well as the level of environmental noise compared to the guitar sound. If your room doesn't sound good, or t's a noisy environment, maybe stick with closer mics.
If you're picking up noise that's fairly constant, like the sound of the refrigerator, you can use a noise reduction tool such as ReaFIR to reduce it. But once you get into noise reduction territory, you can easily degrade the sound if you overdo it. Or just unplug the fridge 🙂
Acoustic Environment & Treatment
Closets are fine for acoustic guitar, if they have lots of clothes in them. You'll probably have to limit the mic distance from the guitar. If it's to dead sounding, you can always add reverb. But if there's too much sound bouncing around in a bare room, it's difficult to reduce the reverb.
A room with furniture and lots of absorbent materials (rugs, blankets, wooden floors) can be a good choice to record in.
Acoustic treatment is its own thing. You're not going to make any significant improvement with egg cartons. Short of getting someone in who really knows what they're doing and spending lots of money, just do one simple thing.
Move the mic/s closer to the guitar. That minimizes the role room acoustics play. Yes, it may mean you have to use more EQ on your recorded tracks. But that's not a big deal.
Mixing and Processing Acoustic Guitar Tracks
Equalization (EQ)
When I EQ almost anything, I mentally divide the sound into lows, low-mids, high-mids, and highs.
Identify and adjust key frequency ranges:
Low-end (80-240 Hz): Provides body but can be boomy.
Woofiness (240-800 Hz): Often needs reduction for clarity. But too little and the sound is hollow.
Presence (800Hz-4 kHz): Brightness. Enhances pick attack.
Sizzle or shimmer (4kHz-12 kHz): Adds airiness.
These ranges are approximate and will vary from recording to recording. Use them as guidelines. Add and subtract to taste.
Compression
Acoustic guitar can be very dynamic. It's a percussive instrument that can have lots of sharp peaks. So I will sometimes use two compressors in series on an acoustic. A fast compressor to take down any errant peaks, and a slower attack and release time to level out the signal and bring some of the body of the sound up.
An LA-2A type compressor from Tukan -- the LA-2KAN
Apply a fast compressor (1176-style) to tame peaks. I often use NC-76 from Tukan.
Use an optical compressor (LA-2A style) for smooth leveling. I often use LA-2Kan from Tukan.
These plug-ns are both free and available via ReaPack.
Other Important Factors
Happy recording!
