# Can someone recommend a good mic for recording acoustic guitar and voice?



## noobfret (Nov 25, 2007)

I'm thinking of recording my playing(acoustic guitar) and possibly some singing too. It's a way for me to determine how good or bad I am. I'm looking for a mic which records good quality and which software should I use for the recording?


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

audacity is a good free program- easy to use and works just fine-
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

i would look at something like a shure sm58. cheap and functional.
but it depends on your soundcard, or how its connected to the pc, you might need additional hardware
i used a panasonic mic from radio shack into a soundblaster live! card for a couple years for voice and acoustic guitar- was good enough at the time, but i could never go back lol. for what it was tho, i got good enough results, when i listen to those recordings im kinda blown away- simple and cheap, but not so bad.


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## Beerhunter (Jul 22, 2008)

I would go with an AKG414 or the U47 which was already mentioned.


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

on a budget, the Rode NT1-A is killer, on a real budget the CAD large diaphragm mics are great for the money.... on no budget get a Sure 57.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

I've had great results pointing a Shure 57 at the soundhole and a 58 at the peghead of my acoustic - but no mic in the world can make my voice sound good... :smile:


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## noobfret (Nov 25, 2007)

I actually got a digicam with a built-in mic for about $97 tax incl, the quality is OK, it should be sufficient for my practice for the time being.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

mrmatt1972 said:


> I've had great results pointing a Shure 57 at the soundhole and a 58 at the peghead of my acoustic - but no mic in the world can make my voice sound good... :smile:


thats exactly what i do-
i aim the 58 towards my head and start yelling, it grabs my voice, and a good bit of the guitars as well.
i sometimes also throw a condensor a few feet away if im in the mood to get all fancy and stuff, but i dont think it really improves much- just adds some character- if my room sounded better itd help.
my voice sucks too. ahh well.


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## Lemmy Hangslong (May 11, 2006)

I highly recommend the ElectroVoice Raven... for about $25 bucks more than a Sure SM58... it has far better upper mid and top end responce and clarity... les compressed sounding.

Far better michrophone for vocals and guitar... or snare for that matter.
Worth checking out.

Cheers
Craig


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

I just picked up an SM57 the other day and was wondering the same thing.


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## Andy (Sep 23, 2007)

You're going to need a killer mic pre to make most dynamic mics usable with an acoustic guitar, like 60dB+ of clean gain.

I'd personally go for the Audio Technica AT2041SP mic pack. I paid $140, and that includes two very decent mics, especially considering the price -- one large diaphragm and one small diaphragm.


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

for singing - for the $$$ you can't beat the Shure SM58....I've also used it for home recording - and it works well for that too - although I've found cheaper mic's (i.e. L&M's APEX brand) to also be able to do the trick nicely.

as for recording gear - if you don't mind 1 track at a time - and you're on a budget - get a MAC .....ILife Garage Band is a really funky little home music production tool - simple - versatile ...you can even import MP3's - i.e. backing tracks from Itunes - or MPEGs - separating the voice and video...I do that all the time for recording myself playing along to backing tracks and making MP3"s


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Years later I still prefer Sennheiser and currently use a basic e865 model condenser mic as my main one. Gives me a more "air" than sm57s and sm58s, as roadworthy and durable as they are. Works well on acoustic instruments and voice.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Guest (Dec 5, 2008)

I like the 58-Beta. It's more resistant to feedback and has a warmer character. Great for acoustics and vocals. In front of an amp I prefer the 57 over the 58 or 58-Beta.


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