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Guide to Recording Guitars
From WikiRecording
This article details microphone placement and recording tips, for information on mixing guitars see: EQ Mixing tips, Delay, and reverb
These microphone placement charts are from Shure's Microphone Techniques for Studio Recording
© Shure Incorporated. Used with permission.
Acoustic Guitar
Various microphone positions for acoustic guitar.
© Shure Incorporated. Used with permission.
© Shure Incorporated. Used with permission.
| Microphone Placement | Tonal Balance | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 8 inches from sound hole (see diagram position #1) | Bassy | Good starting placement when leakage is a problem. Roll off bass for a more natural sound (more for a uni than an omni). |
| 3 inches from sound hole (see diagram position #2) | Very bassy, boomy, muddy, full. | Very good isolation. Bass roll-off needed for a natural sound. |
| 4 to 8 inches from bridge (see diagram position #3) | Woody, warm, mellow. Mid-bassy, lacks detail. | Reduces pick and string noise. |
| 6 inches above the side, over the bridge, and even with the front soundboard. (see diagram position #4) | Natural, well-balanced, slightly bright. | Less pickup of ambiance and leakage than 3 feet from sound hole. |
| 2-5 inches off the body from midway between bridge and lower left edge of the body of the guitar. | Natural, well-balanced, a bit woody sounding, very little string noise. | A good natural sound, sometimes really good when coupled with another mic that picks up more string noise. |
| 8 inches in front pointing at the 12th fret of the guitar | slightly stringier sounding, less bassy, more high end. | Usually with this position one would use a small diaphragm cardioide condenser, can provide a good contrast to another mic that picks up more low end. |
| Miniature microphone clipped outside of sound hole. | Natural, well-balanced | Good isolation. Allows freedom of movement. |
| Miniature microphone clipped inside sound hole. | Bassy, less string noise. | Reduces leakage. Test positions to find each guitar's sweet spot. |
Electric Guitar
The electric guitar has sound characteristics similar to the human voice. Thus, a shaped response microphone designed for voice works well.
Electric Guitar Micing Diagram from Shure's Educational Pamphlet Microphone Techniques for Studio Recording. © Shure Incorporated. Used with permission.
| Microphone Placement | Tonal Balance | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 4 inches from grille cloth at center of speaker cone (Diagram position #1) | Natural, well-balanced | Small microphone desk stand may be used if loud speaker is close to floor. |
| 1 inch from grille cloth at center of speaker cone (Diagram position #2) | Bassy | Minimizes feedback and leakage. |
| Off-Center with respect to speaker cone (Diagram position #3) | Dull or mellow | Microphone closer to edge of speaker cone results in duller sound. Reduces amplifier hiss noise. |
| 3 feet from center of speaker cone (Diagram position #4) | Thin, reduced bass | Picks up more room ambiance and leakage. |
| Miniature microphone draped over amp in front of speaker. | Emphasized midrange | Easy setup, minimizes leakage. |
| Mircophone placed behind open back cabinet. | Depends on position. | Can be combined with mic in front of cabinet, but be careful of phase cancellation. |
