I need a mic for recording Guitar

[ernstinen]

hey Tom,

I use a Shure SM-57 and a Gauge ECM-87 to record my acoustic tracks. I place the Gauge about a foot away from the 12th fret and I place the 57 about a foot away from the bridge and record them as a stereo pair. I've been very pleased with how they work together.

hth,
- Big Blue

Yay! Big Blue, another SM-57 fan! Never tried it on acoustic, but I just love that mic. Worth many times its price!

I also have a Gauge ECM-87, and I'm still learning how to use it because it's so sensitive with no pad, but I've done a few acoustic guitar tracks with it, and have gotten good results. Plus, it was freeeeeeeee! Those Gauge guys have something going there. --- When I ordered my new Focusrite preamp/audio interface from AudioMidi.com, they took the time to ask me about my mics, and I told them the whole story of the Gauge startup, where two Grammy-winning engineers formed the company and personally select the best mics and ship the rest back to China. SOME Chinese mics are pretty good --- I've also heard good things about Studio Projects condenser mics.

Ern

[Kolstad]

I think the Rode NT1As can be had for about $220 nowadays. That's what I use. Very good frequency response, very clear, and picks up a mouse fart (if you're into that). I use it in front of an ART Tube MP preamp before it goes into my Presonus interface. Very clean with no coloration. Some don't like no color, but sometimes I dig it. Good luck!

+1 on the Rode for acoustic guitars. You get clean and crisp with that, a light plectrum, and by pointing the mic just above 15th fret. Track with a good compressor at mild settings. You'll get more overtones from the acoustic at higher frequencies, so track at least with 24bit/48khz. Sometimes a psychoacoustic processor at very mild settings can sound good too (like the software version of the BBE Sonic Maximizer), but depending on the genre.

[mojobone]

hey Tom,

I use a Shure SM-57 and a Gauge ECM-87 to record my acoustic tracks. I place the Gauge about a foot away from the 12th fret and I place the 57 about a foot away from the bridge and record them as a stereo pair. I've been very pleased with how they work together.

hth,
- Big Blue

This is exactly what I do at home, 90% of the time, heh.

[ernstinen]

hey Tom,

I use a Shure SM-57 and a Gauge ECM-87 to record my acoustic tracks. I place the Gauge about a foot away from the 12th fret and I place the 57 about a foot away from the bridge and record them as a stereo pair. I've been very pleased with how they work together.

hth,
- Big Blue

This is exactly what I do at home, 90% of the time, heh.

Holy Smokes! NOW we have two great inexpensive (not cheap) microphones which we all agree on! Hallelujah!

I tell ya, an SM-57 is a workhorse. PLUS, I recorded my Takamine last night with a Gauge ECM-87, double tracked, and it sounded great. I put the Gauge about 1.5 feet from the 14th fret. Really nice, full sound, but be careful not to overload that mic! Very sensitive.

Ern

[waltzmastering]

In addition to some great suggestions you already have the Audio Technica small diaphragm 4051's are great for acoustics. You can get them used for under $200

Also agree on a great sounding wood guitar. Never been a fan of plastic guitars or any di on acoustic. 2 cents.

[mazz]

I thought the Ovation worked on Zappa's "Revised Music for Guitar and Low-Budget Orchestra" on the album "Studio Tan", but otherwise, not a big fan of Ovations either.

http://www.amazon.com/Studio-Tan-Frank- ... gy_m_img_a

[mojobone]

All Ovations aren't created equal, either; Glen Campbell has been recording with them for years, (mainly the Adamas line) but not exclusively, I've noticed. I think the principle advantage to using them is on outdoor stages where they're less susceptible to weather. Any case, if it sounds good in the room there has to be a way to mic it.

[thokus]

Mojo is right .. The 1971 Balladeer ovation sound waaaaay better them the newer Celebrity model... it plays better , real easy action ... I most certainly will trade the Celebrity for a wooden guitar ..
I bought a Sterling Audio ST55 .. So far it sounds pretty dang good .. campared to what I had, anyway .. Good price too, $159... I'm gonna check out the Shure SM-57, next .Its got good reviews from you guys and other sources, and cheap too.... Im workin on a couple songs with the ST55 now .. I'll post em on peer to peer in the next week or so .. Got 2 funerals this week which is really gonna crunch my time with work and music .. but Man you guys .. I sure thanks you for the input..
Tom

[ernstinen]

Hey Tom: The Shure SM-57 is a dynamic mic, which you should be aware of. BUT, it's so versatile, that it's my choice for a live vocal mic! And it's the studio standard for miking guitar amps and snare drums.

Speaking of vocals on a 57, after you learn to tame the "plosives" or pops by how you sing on it, IMHO it sounds better than a 58. I actually read a famous hard rock singer (can't remember who it was) sang all his vocals in the STUDIO on a 57, like Phil Collins uses a Beyer dynamic in the studio (or used to). Hey, whatever works! --- when I was recording engineer at a video studio that recorded live bands, singers tried all kinds of mics. Since I was isolated in a different part of the building, I listened to the quality of the vocal sound through monitors. I would say 75% of the time, the vocalists with the best sound used an SM-57, and 20% of the time it was an SM-58. The other 5%? Some fancy-schmancy $500 mic that paled in comparison!

Good luck in your search!

Ern

[mojobone]

Fact: the Shure SM57 and SM58 have the same capsule, and pretty much the same guts. Biggest difference is the screen; it's why the SM57 is more sensitive to plosives.