One Mic and EQ: my new method

[Higgs F. Boson]

Lately I've been playing around with recording solo voice-and-acoustic guitar stuff (folk and bluegrass) using one large-diaphragm condenser, about a foot in front of my chair, roughly midway between my mouth and the soundhole. I then use software EQ to get the proper balance between vox and guitar.

I'm encouraged by the results. I suspect this is because it's such a simple, lunk-headed approach that I can actually grasp it. It's mono, of course, but that just means no phasing problems to worry about!

I call it the "Robert Johnson - Hank Sr." protocol.

Anybody else use this method?

[woodman]

That's certainly the most organic way to record that kind of music, and if you have encouraging results, it means you're doing something right! How's the room you're recording in? If it's kind, you may be on to a good thing.

I'm by no means a polished solo acoustic performer, but I had great sonic results in a particular bathroom about two houses ago ... the floor was very reflective, that old-timey mosaic porcelain tile, but the walls were broken up by shower curtain, towels, shelves, window curtains and so forth. For brief moments, I would think I could actually sing! I really think the live floor had a lot to do with it. Great for singing in the shower, too — wo!

Why don't you post some of your stuff here? I'd love to hear what you've got going.

[String Tree]

"I call it the "Robert Johnson - Hank Sr." protocol."

If that is what works best for you, stay with it.
Nothing wrong with that!

[beep.click]

Originally Posted by woodman

How's the room you're recording in? If it's kind, you may be on to a good thing.

This.

[Higgs F. Boson]

I don't have anything post-worthy yet, still tweaking things - mainly finding a good room in the house, as you say! May try the bathroom next. I used to mic up amps in the bathroom in my old house for that nice 'verb.

99% of the home recording I do is MIDI/Direct/close-miked, so I have VERY little expertise or experience with room acoustics.

[davmac]

I'm looking forward to hearing the results of this - I did some tests on mic positioning a few months back (http://damacleod.wordpress.com/2011/...oustic-guitar/). This was just the guitar itself though. There were a couple of odd positions that were pleasantly surprising/usable - particularly placing the mic about 5-6" in front of the nut.

[Boundforglory07]

You should try two of the same mics at the same distance and pan them to each side. It should still sound organic

[Old Cane]

Originally Posted by woodman

That's certainly the most organic way to record that kind of music, and if you have encouraging results, it means you're doing something right! How's the room you're recording in? If it's kind, you may be on to a good thing.

I'm by no means a polished solo acoustic performer, but I had great sonic results in a particular bathroom about two houses ago ... the floor was very reflective, that old-timey mosaic porcelain tile, but the walls were broken up by shower curtain, towels, shelves, window curtains and so forth. For brief moments, I would think I could actually sing! I really think the live floor had a lot to do with it. Great for singing in the shower, too — wo!

Why don't you post some of your stuff here? I'd love to hear what you've got going.

I'm afraid my sonic results in the bathroom is not something anyone wants to hear. This is a family show.

[LightninMike]

bathrooms are an old trick engineers would use to get vocals to have "that" warmth.... acoustics can benefit in there as well....

as far as a simple recoding, one mic is as easy as it gets.... and can be very effective to get a simple clean sound
to take it to the next level, set a vocal mic and a condenser on the guitar.... plus the ambient mic.... time disparity will be minimal as the ambient mic is picking the room and winds up being more of a "reverb" to the two direct mics.... you also could set a stereo pair up high in the room to get the upper order harmonics of the room....

now you might say, Holy Crap that's a lot of mics for a voice and a guitar.... true, but try it and take a listen.... you wind up with a more full sound that sounds as if it were done in a "pro" studio, not your bathroom