Recording an acoustic guitar can seem like an impossible task to do well. With the advent of electro-acoustic guitars recording an acoustic sound got a lot easier, but it simply doesn’t sound as natural as the real thing. To record an acoustic guitar to an excellent standard you will need a good quality microphone, mixing desk, equalizer, noise gates and cables. Oh, and of course your actual recording device. A lot of these things can be replaced with computer software making the only things you really need, your guitar and your microphone.

What you need to do is get your microphone set up on a stand, preferably suspended from a cradle. This will ensure that no knocks or unwanted noise arise while you record. You should set your equalizer to enhance bass and high end tones, while decreasing mid range tones just a little. Then, all you need to do is pop on some decent headphones for studio use, click that record button and start playing.

You will find that the sound you record is still a little noisy but if you have the right software you can run post recording processing effects which will help clear up your audio. You will also find that adding a little chorus or reverb will work wonders to the way the acoustic guitar sounds, producing a very haunting effect. If you are unhappy with your source recording before you have begun any production techniques then you should have a play with your equalizer settings and try again. It is essential that you get the purest source recording possible to work from.

Once you are happy with your production, you can spend time engineering it to sound just the way you want. Recording acoustic guitars isn’t impossible but unless you have a little bit of studio experience you are going to find it difficult. Hopefully, with this article we have helped clarify exactly what you need to do to get the perfect sound.

Filed under: Guitar