LDC on acoustics

I can be quite happy with the guitar sound the LDC gets me, but I use an SDC for acoustic guitars because I find they sit a little better in a mix. Also, I prefer not to have the same mic for vocals as acoustic guitar, so they don't push exactly the same frequencies. Maybe I'm being superstitious, but having two slightly different tones on a track works for me.

I'd be curious to know which mics were used on some of my favorite acoustic guitar tracks on some favorite records. What does Knopfler use, What did Tony Rice prefer, CSN&Y?

Jimmy Page used multiple mics, Lyle Lovette used a C24, (stereo C-12) on Road To Ensenada, Pete Townsend on Tommy? Hmm, this could get interesting..

That's definitely the goal

Just beginning to research.. Knopfler's producer, Chuck Ainley says they use an SM 57 and a U67. I would've guessed a U67 myself, it doesn't get any bigger. The SM57 surprised me though.

Stephen Stills on "Suite Judy Blue Eyes"? U 67 again!

I don't really have a go to setup for acoustic gtr. - so much depends on the application.

If it's more of a solo acoustic and vocal thing, it's a 67.

If it's a dense pop thing, an sm81 or 451 can really pop it through a clouded mix.

Flat picking is usually a km54.

I rarely will mic an acoustic stereo or with 2 mics. One time I did was for a Warren Haynes record I tracked - and got great results with a km84 at the body/neck joint and a Sony c37 behind the bridge. It didn't hurt that he is a total badass and could make a cardboard box sound fantastic. Also, we cut it all live and there was a mando player with a schoeps, a gtr/dobro/banjo player with a km54, and his vocal mic all going. The leakage was fantastic with those particular musicians and how they were arranged in the room.

Just wish I had mixed it...

Ragan said, "Don't be surprised! U67 and SM57 are some of the most popular guitar mics in history". I was surprised because I've always associated SM57's with miking guitar cabinets. I would've guessed they'd used a 67 and maybe a KM84.

Even when I have a pair of KM84's, I tend to use one, it's just so much easier than two, what with phase issues and then it gets tricky balancing levels. Maybe I'll try the LDC/SDC thing again, next time I'm tracking. I'm hoping to get to try the Soyuz 0-13 FET for just that purpose soon.


Every track I've ever posted here had the KM84 as the acoustic guitar mic, with maybe one exception.

If they're singing while playing, it's gotta be a dual diaphragm mic on Fig 8. just for the isolation. I'll put a regular cardioid on the vocal. It's sort of a compromise sonically, as I prefer omnis for mono guitar or else 2 cardioid SDC's at bridge and 12th fret. I'll compensate by trying to have a pair of nicely balanced room mics if it calls for it, close enough (delay to avoid comb filtering) just to fill out the picture and give some space.

I've been tracking acoustic this week, MaxMod U67/KM84 -> Tabfunkenwerk V72s -> Zulu -> CAPI BT50 (litz wire & red dots) -> modded Ross Martin AD. Fantastic results. Tons of vibe. Ended up with mostly the MaxMod U67.

A classic. I use that position a lot too. Same everything except the 67 instead of 87.

For the right song/artist/arrangement I really like what I get from a nice tube LDC on acoustic guitar. For solo guitar and voice - singer songwriter stuff I nearly always reach for a LDC for both. With a good room and a performer that can balance themselves well I like to use a single LDC. Otherwise I tend to use two LDCs each in figure 8; and I point the nulls where one normally would to get some isolation. I'm equally happy using the LDCs not in figure 8 however - I don't fret over the bleed if I'm getting the sound I want out of the mics.

I don't have access to something nice like a KM54 so I might change my mind on a LDC if I did.

For me a C12 style mic - or U47 LDC on acoustic is magic. I use a Lucas CS1 and a CS4 and I'm super happy with the results. Big, lush, smooth. Sounds like the real thing in a room, only better with magic pixy dust sprinkled all over. Super simple to get results - put the mic up and go.

...and it sounds better than I expected.

Ooh. I have and MK U67 and a Tab F V78M. This may be a combo I need to try. 

It's a nightmare. Half the time I do this I'm in the room with them on headphones so I don't have particularly good realtime monitoring. Despite stressing the importance of positioning it can change, even if seems like they didn't move (sturdy mic stands are a must for this gig). They're probably not leaving the chair without a good, solid take so I emphasize just going for it and disclaim being able to edit it as I'm not in control of their bodies - I might get away with it, I might not. 

Had a girl do this with me for a song, 12 string guitar split into an amp with some octave and dist FX for a psuedo organ sound and then the 12 string mic'd and her singing. We overdubbed some electric guitars (I played and she instructed me on the parts) and she was delighted, really loved it. However her label saw her as a "folk" artist and were appalled and basically bit her head off. She came back and stripped off the guitars and wanted to redo the vocal in parts. However some of the vocal bleed was in the pitch shifter on the amp, which wasn't noticeable with the vocal track on, but became obvious without it. Anyway - couldn't do it without it being horribly noticeable and she was very annoyed. The lesson for some might be "always make sure you leave yourself as many options as possible", for me it was "When a label or any other unwarranted opinion is involved, delay sending the mixes as much as possible until the artist is confident enough in their decisions to withstand the inevitable, useless criticism they receive".