Acoustic Instrument Recording Experiments

I’ve been dipping my toes into recording with mics again, after using guitar amp sims, IRs, VST instruments, and samples for years.

I started to convince myself that recording acoustic guitar at home and remotely would be viable. I quickly learned that choosing guitar picks was integral to the sound. I initially went with the brightest pick that I could find, a thin 0.60mm Dunlop Ultex. I thought the 3U Audio Black CM1 was a good starting point. 

Yamaha FG700S played with Ultex pick, recorded with Black CM1 mic.

I then experimented with darker tones by switching to picks like a 0.70mm Dunlop Tortex in the clip below. I wanted to minimize my small bedroom’s sound, so I started to use my dynamic mics. I wasn’t happy with the noise floor of a cranked mic preamp in my setup. I added a Cloudlifter CL1 to my setup, and got comparable output/noise to my other SDC mics. The Beyerdynamic M201TG works well on acoustic guitar for a dynamic mic, and it’s hypercardioid pattern rejects some room sound.

Alvarez AMPE915EAR Parlor played with 0.70mm Tortex pick, recorded through Beyerdynamic M201TG, Cloudlifter, and Warm Audio TB12.

I have also gotten interested in recording drums with minimal microphones. I am not a drummer, more of a guitarist who decided to hoard drums. I will try out mono overhead, Recorderman, and Glyn Johns-style mic setups for my lo-fi compositions. I’ll stick with Superior Drummer with my more conventional ideas. I’ve been recording just 4 pieces so far: a Gretsch Energy 22”x22” bass drum, a Pork Pie 6.5”x14” Big Black brass snare, a 22” K ride, and a set of New Beat hi-hats.

Drums with mono overhead.

I expanded my condenser mic collection to capture both stringed instruments and drum overhead: 3U Audio Teal CM1 SE, Oktava MK-012, Beesneez Lulu, and Beesneez BU87I C.

BeesNeez BU87I C recording my Alvarez ABT610E Baritone Acoustic.

3 U Audio Black CM1 and Teal CM1 SE microphones used to record Alvarez AMPE915EAR parlor acoustic.

To be continued.