Recording an Amplified (Electric) Guitar
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Mic is aimed
directly at center
of loudspeaker
Top View
Fig. 3
Mic is positioned
4” from grill
Side View
4”
While the electric guitar can certainly be recorded directly, there are times when
there is simply no substitute for the sound of a real amplifier. Guitar amps have
particular gain stages that facilitate the popular “crunch” guitar sound. While
digital modeling and processing systems certainly have their place, they may
not have the same level of realism as the sound from an amplifier. A small guitar
amp can be just as effective for this application as a stack, because you don’t
necessarily need to “crank” the volume. Instead, you want to increase the amp’s
initial gain to achieve the desired amount of overdrive.
Typically, a guitar amp is close miked to achieve the highest direct sound.
Placing the microphone roughly 4 inches from the grill, aimed directly at the
center of the loudspeaker will produce the most “edge” to your sound. By an-
gling the microphone slightly off axis and towards the wall, you can add more
“room sound.” Experimentation is a key factor in achieving the sound you are
looking for. (see Fig. 3)
Placement of the amp is another important factor. If the amplifier sits on a
carpeted floor, you are more likely to reduce the amount of brightness in the
sound. Similarly, elevating the amplifier off the floor may result in a loss of
low end. If you’re looking for a big reverberant tone, placing the amp and
microphone in the bathroom is another popular technique. The hard tiles and
other reflective surfaces can do wonders for a dull sound. In this case, move
the microphone back a few feet from the loudspeaker and crank it up!
Recording Acoustic Guitar
While it may seem obvious, your best results for capturing the acoustic guitar
(or any similar stringed instrument for that matter) begin with a properly tuned
instrument and strings that, while not old, aren’t so new so as to create tuning
issues due to stretching.
There are two optimum points for microphone positioning - either near the bridge
or by the twelfth fret. While it may seem natural to place the microphone in front of
the instrument’s sound hole, doing so usually increases low frequency response to
the point of making the instrument sound “boomy.”
Twelfth Fret Placement: Placing the microphone roughly 2 - 4 inches from the
twelfth fret and aimed directly at the strings will generally produce a warm, full
bodied sound with good tonal balance. Using this technique, the sound hole’s
contribution will be moderated since the microphone is not pointed directly at it.
Bridge Placement: Similarly, you can position the microphone so it is 3 - 6
inches from the guitar’s bridge. This will generally produce a somewhat brighter
tonal quality. You should also be prepared to experiment positioning the micro-
phone slightly off-axis should you find yourself capturing too much low frequen-
cy response from the guitar’s sound hole.
The acoustical characteristics of your room will also have a pronounced effect
on your results. A “live” room will produce an overall “brighter” guitar sound,
while a “damped” room will produce more of a mellow tone. If you have two
microphones, you may wish to experiment using one in close proximity to the
guitar as previously described, with the second microphone on a stand a few
feet away to capture the room’s ambience. Blending the two sources can pro-
duce excellent results.
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Fig. 2
Bridge Placement
12th Fret Placement
