13
Recording an acoustic guitar
Minimize the room resonances and
capture the sound of the guitar itself
The acoustic guitar is a familiar instrument that can
be conveniently played at home. But when played in
a typical room, the sound may resonate excessively,
blurring the tonal characteristics or possibly causing
specifi c pitches to be inappropriately accentuated.
Try closing the curtains or draping blankets over the
backs of chairs to dampen the resonances of the
room. On the other hand, a completely dead sound
is not desirable either. You can use reverb to add
spatial ambience.
Record a good balance of the
strings and body resonance
The enchanting sound of the acoustic guitar is a
combination of the rich mid- and low-range body
resonances together with the highs produced by
the plucked strings. But if the body resonances
are excessively emphasized, the result will sound
muddy. Place the mic about 20–40 inches (50 cm to
1 meter) away from the guitar to get a well-balanced
recording. It’s also important to avoid moving
the instrument during the performance. If tonal
characteristics seem to waver, pay attention to your
playing posture.
One-Point Advice
This also works for
ukulele
In the case of instruments that have
a substantial diff erence between
loud and soft notes, turn the [MENU]
→
“Limiter” setting “On.” Even when
loud notes are played, the input level
will be automatically adjusted to
prevent distortion.
Aiming the mics at a point
between the sound hole and
the neck joint will give you
a well-balanced recording.
You can vary the tonal
characteristics by changing
the angle.
Well-balanced strings
and body resonance
You can use blankets to
reduce unwanted acoustic
refl ections from the walls.
This is also a very useful
technique when
recording vocals.
Use a blanket to reduce
unwanted refl ections
If you feel that the mid and
low ranges are too strong,
point the mic toward the
neck so that the string
vibrations will be picked
up more strongly.
Emphasizing the
sound of the strings
Cr
eat
e
a CD!
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