Recording your acoustic guitar can be exciting, but rushing in can provide disappointing results. There are a few important points to consider before you hit Record to get the best, most accurate representation of your guitar and the sound you’re going for.
With that in mind, let’s look at some questions you should ask yourself before recording your acoustic guitar.
1. What Kind of Guitar Am I Using?
Now, you might think this one’s a bit obvious—you’re recording an acoustic guitar, duh! But, there’s a little more to it than that.
There are factors such as the body shape/size, materials, strings, and how you’re positioning your guitar. A nylon-strung classical guitar is going to sound vastly different from a steel-strung dreadnought, despite the fact that they’re both acoustic guitars. You can’t force one type of guitar to authentically sound like another (despite your best EQ efforts) and it’s worth knowing that before you dive in.
Also, do you have an acoustic guitar or an electro-acoustic guitar? Do you know what the difference is? If you’re looking to record your acoustic guitar unplugged, then this doesn’t matter as much. However, you can get a lot more creative when recording if you have an electro-acoustic guitar, so it’s worth knowing which type you have.
By understanding exactly what instrument you have, you’ll know how to get the best out of it.
2. What Kind of Room Am I In?
A key factor before you record your acoustic guitar is making sure you’ve got the right space to record. Smaller rooms will have a lot less echo or reverb than larger ones, which will impact the clarity of your performance. Different rooms will have different amounts of soundproofing, which will affect how much excess noise is in your recording.
If you’re recording at home, you can soundproof your room by making sure your doors and windows are all closed (it’s always the obvious things that are overlooked) and investing in acoustic foam to absorb any excess sound. Ideally, you’d want to be in a room without windows. But if that’s not the case, you could cover your windows and face your microphone away from them.
There isn’t a perfect room to record in for everyone, and it largely depends on what you want to capture. However, there are always good practices you can take to ensure that you can drown out any excess noise.
3. What Microphone Am I Using?
If you want to capture your acoustic guitar as accurately as you can, you’re going to need two things: the correct microphone(s) and the correct microphone placement.
Firstly, abandon any in-built microphone if you’re looking to get a quality sound. Secondly, if you’re completely new to recording an acoustic guitar, you might want to start with a USB microphone, which requires a lot less setup and technical ability to record with.
The next step is getting an XLR microphone which, when used right, will give you the best results. If you’re unsure on which microphone is best for you, we’ve got a useful guide to help you decide between getting a USB microphone or an XLR microphone.
When it comes to condenser vs. dynamic microphones, you’re usually best suited to condenser microphones for recording your acoustic guitar unplugged. Large-diaphragm condensers, like the Aston Origin, or small-diaphragm condensers, like the Shure SM81, are perfect for this. If you’re recording your electro-acoustic guitar with an effects pedal via an amp, you’re better suited to using a dynamic microphone, like the Shure SM57.
But, where do you place your mics? Let’s get into that…
4. How Am I Using My Microphone?
Once you’ve got the correct microphone, you’re going to want to think of microphone placement. On the surface, recording acoustic guitar sounds easy, right? You just stick your mic in front of your guitar!
There’s a little more to it than that, however, and it’s worth having a basic understanding of where to position your microphone to get the best, most accurate sound of your guitar.
Using the right microphone in the wrong position is still going to give you substandard—or downright poor—results. For example, if you place your microphone directly in front of your acoustic guitar’s sound hole, be ready to listen back to a muddy sound that won’t reflect your guitar’s tone or the nuances of your guitar playing.
Fortunately, whether you’re a complete beginner or you want to check if you’re on the right track, we’ve got a neat guide outlining how to record your acoustic or electro-acoustic guitar.
5. Am I Ready to Record?
Nowadays, it’s so much easier and convenient to record at home that, oftentimes, we get so excited at the idea of recording that we jump right in before making sure we’re ready.
When you’re satisfied with everything else, the last thing you need to be sure of before you record your acoustic guitar is whether you’re ready or not. The biggest factor in getting an authentic performance is how comfortable and practiced you feel.
No matter how good your guitar or mics are, or how perfectly you’ve soundproofed your room, none of this will realize its full potential if what you’re playing sounds unfinished or dishonest.
It may take time and experience to fully be comfortable when recording yourself. It’s worth practicing well beforehand and sharing your music, not when you’ve stumbled through it the first few times, but when you feel it’s ready.
Try Recording and Singing!
The more you take these factors into account, the better your guitar playing and recording will be. If you’re starting to get comfortable recording your acoustic guitar, then why not try recording another instrument at the same time, such as your vocals?
This can be a great way to improve your singing and multitasking abilities. It can help you master multi-track recording as well, which is a great skill to learn.