Join Grammy-winning producer Jacquire King as he shares his expert techniques for recording acoustic guitars, focusing on singer-songwriter setups. Using a large-diaphragm condenser and a pencil condenser mic, King highlights the importance of capturing both warmth and brightness for a balanced, three-dimensional sound.
King discusses strategic microphone placement, aiming for the 12th fret area to achieve a well-rounded capture without muddy low frequencies. By choosing microphones with different tonal characteristics, he creates depth and avoids phase issues.
The session also covers preamp selection, with King demonstrating how different preamps like API, UA 610-B, and Neve 1073 can shape the guitar’s tone, lending clarity or warmth depending on the track's needs.
Finally, King emphasizes a hands-on approach to mic positioning and encourages experimentation with different picks to fine-tune the acoustic guitar’s character before resorting to EQ adjustments.