As a young musician first starting out tying to record instruments in my makeshift home studio, I had no clue what I was doing. I would just throw up a mic somewhere near the guitar, amp or piano I was recording and hope for the best. Fix it in the mix I thought.
Fast forward 15 or so years and through trial and error, education and experience in studios and live sound, I can tell you I record completely the other way round. If you get the sound of an instrument “right” at the source, you save a hell of a lot of time trying to tackle those recordings at the mixing stage.
In this post I aim to give you clear instructions on how you can achieve great results recording instruments in your home studio or band room. With the microphones and music technology available today, there is no reason why the average musician can’t make great recordings at home – as long as you know what each instrument needs, you can deliver great tracks to your mixing engineer.
I will be covering the following instruments:
In recording electric guitar we are putting up a microphone in front of the guitar amp. There are many different opinions on exactly where to put the mic, but generally I implore you to use your ears.
But here are a few tips to get you started:
A microphone in front of the centre of the speaker will pick up a lot of high frequencies as that is where the most treble is produced. Moving the mic to the edge will give you a duller sound. Experiment with the position until you find a balanced sound with good levels of treble and mid frequencies.
There is no real need to put the mic right up at the speaker cone. This will give you a very direct and sometimes harsh sound that doesn’t sound very natural. Back off the mic 10-30 cm or so should give you a full-bodied, natural sound like you hear with your ears in the room.
You can even add another mic like the picture above to add an extra flavour from further back. More on that below.
This one is no secret but for me is the key to a great guitar sound when recording. Using two mics with different frequency characteristics and blending them together will give you a full tone that really holds it’s own in the mix.
A few great mic combinations could be:
But generally you could use any combination. I like to use one dynamic (often an MD421 or Beyerdynamic M88 TG) and one condenser. The dynamic provides a solid foundation with a lot of body, while the condenser provides more subtle dynamics and air.
In order to eliminate phasing issues (where delay between signals causes timing artefacts), either make sure the microphones are the same distance from the speaker OR that you align the tracks in your DAW with a delay plugin. The first option makes sure you are hearing the combined signal properly while recording, the latter gives you more flexibility regarding tone and placement of the second mic.
You really want to get the sound right at the source while recording. I can’t stress this enough. There is nothing more annoying than pulling yourself out of the mixing zone to re-record a part that is just not responding to your EQ efforts in the way you’d hoped.
That being said keeping your options open is a good idea and it has saved me on countless occasions. Sometimes the recording stage is stressful and you make mistakes or don’t pay enough attention to every single signal. Or you might need an extra layer of guitar or double track panned hard left and right.
So recording a clean, unaltered guitar signal before it goes to the effects and amp is a good idea. You can re-amp the signal later, sending it through any pedals or amps you desire.
To do this, connect the guitar lead directly to a DI box and use the parallel output to connect the rest of the signal chain (effects and amp). The XLR output goes directly to your interface.
Another option would be to use a splitter to connect the clean signal to a Hi-Z (high impedance) or instrument input of your interface, and the other to the normal signal chain and to the amp. As long as the cables are not too long, you shouldn’t have any noise issues. If you want to go the safe road, get a DI box.
The Shure SM57 is probably the most popular mic ever, and is used for recording guitar, any kind of amp, drums, hell, even vocals sometimes. It’s so durable you could drop it 100 times and it will still work.
It works great for recording high-gain guitar amps. Stick it up in front of the speaker cone and you’re away.
I find it can sound a little flat and lacks depth and detail so generally I steer clear of the SM57 when recording guitars. However, using a second microphone to complement it, you can get very good results. But try it yourself, pretty much every rock album from the 1990s featured guitars recorded with an SM57.
The MD421 delivers a crisp, clear and honest electric guitar sound when used for recording amps. It responds well to harsh tones such as distortion and gives a full body to clean guitar sounds.
This is the mic you see dangling from the amp on stage at your local concert venue. It was specifically designed for electric guitar amps and delivers on practicality and sonic quality.
The M88 TG is a lesser known option for recording guitar amps but an absolute gem. It has a slightly vintage quality that sounds immense on a crisp fender blackface and responds to overdrive and distortion well.
It’s kind of like putting a mic through a preamp with mojo, giving it a different vibe. They’re not that cheap, but well worth the cash.
The C414 is an honest and extremely versatile little bundle. If you can get your hands on one of the vintage (1980s, god I’m getting old!) B-ULS models, you will appreciate the neutral frequency response. Also works great on overheads, vocals, percussion – it is so versatile, it works with pretty much anything.
The only ribbon on this list, the M160 is one of THE go-to mics in recording studios for guitar amps. The slightly duller tone of the ribbon really matches the otherwise harsh sound of a driven guitar, evening it out nicely. A lot of engineers swear by it so it should be on your radar.
Acoustic guitar may in fact be the simplest of all instruments to record, yet there are a few aspects to consider in order to get some really good tracks on tape. It’s all about getting the right balance between high and low frequency components and a good relationship between the guitar’s body resonance and string sound.
When recording acoustic guitar, cardioid condenser microphones are your best bet by far. You will need the clarity and detail they provide. The sparkle of the strings and jangle of the strumming is best brought out by microphones that are sensitive to high frequency transients. Condensers are the best for this, and the cardioid pattern picks up primarily from the front of the mic, while rejecting sound coming from the back.
Some good quality mics for recording acoustic guitar are:
My pick of the above for bands on a budget would be the Røde NT5 or NT55, simply because they deliver the most bang for your buck. The only difference between the two are the interchangeable capsules to change from a cardioid to an omni polar pattern, as well as the -10/-20 dB pad and 75 Hz high-pass-filter.
Many musicians won’t be able to afford a C414 or KM184 – but if you can, then definitely take some time to evaluate these mics. They will improve your acoustic guitar recordings immensely.
This is the best way to start when searching for your perfect acoustic guitar sound while recording. Putting the microphone at the 12th fret just delivers a balanced sound with enough string jangle and body resonance and is suitable for both strumming and fingerpicking playing styles.
But in audio we still rely primarily on our ears so feel inspired to move the mic around a bit and experiment with the positioning. Depending on the guitar, the guitarist and the room, you may find the 12th fret position needs improvement. That’s what recording audio is all about – finding the perfect microphone position by using your ears.
A properly mic’d acoustic guitar recording in stereo can form a solid foundation for any folk or singer-songwriter recording. With the majority of listeners consuming music on their headphones these days, the importance of good stereo recordings is immense. So once again, we have to get it right at the source.
In order to achieve a great stereo acoustic guitar recording, make sure you get yourself a stereo bar. By screwing the mic clips to the bar you make sure the diaphragms of the mics are always at the same distance from the sound source, ensuring in-phase recordings. Using two mics on two different mic stands won’t give you this security – and you have to use two stands.
Microphone techniques to consider for stereo acoustic guitar recordings are:
This one is simple. Just align the mics in parallel with the front at the same point and distance away from the sound source and about 15 cm apart. The stereo effect comes from the sound waves arriving at slightly different times AND the two mics picking up sound from two slightly different locations.
The XY microphone technique also uses a stereo bar but instead of setting the mics up in parallel we cross them over at 90° so that the diaphragms are at (almost) exactly the same point in space. One mic is placed above the other pointing at the bottom end of the acoustic guitar while the other at the strings.
Start with a 90° separation and see how it sounds. Adjust for a wider angle if your ears call for it.
The stereo effect here comes from the mics picking up from different angles, giving 2 distinct aspects of the sound while ensuring absolute phase coherence, as the diaphragms are in exactly the same point in space.
No one actually knows why it is called ORTF (that’s a lie actually, I just can’t be bothered looking it up, it’s just not important), all we know is that it is almost perfect for mimicking the hearing characteristics of a human. The microphones are placed on a stereo bar approximately 17cm apart at an angle of 110°.
Actually, I did look it up to get the angle right. It’s named after the Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française. There you go.
The great thing about the ORTF technique is that it gives a fantastic wide stereo image while retaining excellent mono compatibility. This means you can combine the two signals into mono (by panning both to centre for example) and you still get the same sound with negligent phase cancellation.
The ORTF technique works with both the volume and timing difference between the sound waves arriving at the left and right microphones. This technique is also great for recording drum overheads, strings, piano or as a stereo room mic.
You can use ORTF to record acoustic guitar as it picks up the body with the left hand mic, the strings with the right mic AND it can be summed to mono if need be later on. If you have a solo guitar in an intimate song, by panning the microphones hard left and right you get subtle movement in the stereo mix as the guitarist plays different parts of the fretboard or moves naturally with the song.
Try it out – it’s great!
The NT5 / NT55s are a great pair of microphones if you are on a budget. They provide clarity with their slightly boosted high-end frequency response and are perfect for recording subtle acoustic guitar parts at close range like finger-picking or finger strumming.
Use them for drum overheads, strings or choir vocals. They come in matched pairs meaning the build quality and tone is next to identical. They will not disappoint at this price.
The SM81 is also a very good mic for recording acoustic guitar. It has a slightly more neutral frequency response and so works well on already bright guitars. May be an option for the aggressive strummer. Not available in matched pairs but the quality is so good, you probably won’t need them matched.
Whether you find an older B-ULS version or buy a new XLS one, the C414 will give you a very good acoustic guitar sound. The B-ULS is more neutral, whereas the XLS version has a high-mid boost to bring out more definition and presence. A very good all-rounder mic for around 1000€. Use it for drum overheads, vocals, anything really.
These might be out of most of your price range but the KM184s shouldn’t be missing from a list of acoustic guitar mics. Compared to the Røde NT5s which are great for the money, the Neumanns are silky smooth and have a lot more definition.
Unfortunately, the improved audio quality is like comparing a polished and shiny guitar surface to a roughly sanded one. BUT – you gotta put them in the right place, regardless of how expensive your mics are! Start where you are now and invest more when you really need it.
The bass guitar sound can really make or break a recording. It is an understated instrument, but a mix in which the bass is just hanging in there, no real definition or depth, always sounds as though it is missing something.
This usually comes down to one of two factors – a poorly recorded bass amp, or phasing issues. Phase cancellation in the bass signal will cause it to sound thin and empty, and it won’t hold it’s own in the mix. Follow these guidelines and we won’t need to worry about that.
The very first step involves getting the right sound coming out of the amp. Set up the amp and have the bass player play their part while you listen intently in front of the speaker. Tweak the amp EQ if needed to achieve the desired tone. Try to avoid adding more bass, just leaving it at the centre setting is usually fine. It will tend to just make the bass signal sound muddy and boomy.
You want to be satisfied with the sound of the bass before you set up any mics. Get it right at the source and you won’t have to compensate with any other techniques or EQ later on.
We recording musicians have gotten lazy. With laptops and plugins and editing tools and virtual instruments we just need a snippet of our part we can loop and then send through all the fancy effects our DAW. As I said above – we’ll just fix it in the mix.
But that’s not how it works. You can’t expect to achieve a larger than life bass tone if you’re not even starting with a real-life bass recording. Capture the sound of the bass speaker moving air!
Like the guitar amps, use a combination of mics you have at hand. I can recommend one mic up relatively close to the speaker and another backed off 30 or 50cm to let the low frequency waves develop.
The first could be a dynamic mic like an Electro Voice RE20, a Sennheiser MD421 or a bass drum mic like a Shure Beta52A. The second could be any large diaphragm condenser like an AKG C414 or Neumann U87. They’re both a bit pricey so any cheaper brands like Audio Technica or Røde will do the job too. Even a small diaphragm condenser will be better than no second mic at all.
For the dynamic mic, you want to get up close and position it midway between the cone and the edge of the speaker. This will give you a balanced direct sound with a solid body.
Position the condenser further back from the cab and point it at the centre of the speaker. The addition of this signal will open up the sound with nuances from the transients and more dynamics.
This is again just a starting point. The dynamic mic might benefit from more treble and need to be pointed closer to the centre of the speaker. Or the condenser might need to be moved around a little in order to find a better spot. Make sure you use your ears and experiment a little. There is no correct place, only good and not so good results!
If you haven’t figured out how to deal with phase cancellation, now is the time to do it. Bass guitar and drums are the two instruments where it becomes most prominent. Most DAWs will have a plugin or button allowing you to flip the phase of a channel, inverting the waveform.
Combine the two signals in your DAW and flip the phase of one of them. If the bass sounds fuller with more low end, then leave it flipped. If it suddenly sounds tinny and metallic, flip it back.
Experiment by moving the second mic (the condenser) back or forwards a little while the bass player plays. You should be able to find a point where the bass sounds solid and rich. Flip the phase for good luck and see if it improves the sound. If not and you like what you hear – you’re done!
Just make sure the bass sounds full and rich like it does coming out of the speaker in the room. It’s your job to recreate that sound.
Most modern amps have a direct output these days, but if the one you’re recording doesn’t send the bass signal through a DI before it goes to the effects and the amp.
It’s a good idea to record a clean DI signal and combine it with the microphones later on while mixing. This is super important when dealing with an otherwise distorted bass sound, as the distortion often removes the definition of low end notes. Adding the DI signal at a lower level in the mix can really save the bass sound.
Otherwise it is always good to have a clean signal that can be re-amped later on. If you have a direct output or a DI and a channel free – definitely DI the bass.
As a general rule, if you have active pickups (with a battery), you will want to use a passive DI. If you have passive pickups, go for an active DI. For more information on active and passive DIs – check out this great article.
Passive DI: ART Zdirect – 45€
Active DI: ART Xdirect – 65€
The modern go-to mic for live bass drum, the Beta52A works well with bass amps due to it’s low frequency response and scooped mids. It won’t sound muddy (unless you just throw it up of course) and will give you nice definition in the mid frequencies.
An all-rounder instrument microphone good for any kind of amp, drum or brass instrument. It handles loud signals well and is generally quite neutral. I would recommend using it alongside a large diaphragm condenser to put a bit more low-end into the mix.
The M88 is an all-rounder for instruments of all kinds, especially loud ones. They take the grit of a distorted bass amp really well and will give you a nice rounded tone without being too harsh.
Also works well on kick drums and guitar amps.
Also a kick drum mic like a few of the others, the Audix D6 is one with a lot of punch. It is quite bright for a low-end mic and could do wonders for a mellow sounding bass (opposites attract) or bring out the top end of a slapped or driven bass to sit nicely in the mix.
The RE20 is a microphone with character, which can also be used in a variety of ways. It gives a sound source with high bass content and sound pressure level a very balanced sound.
It is also often used for bass drum, toms and even vocals and is regularly used for radio announcers.
Whether you’re recording keyboards, upright piano or grand piano (lucky you!) there are several techniques you should be aware of that can improve your recordings substantially.
For a balanced piano sound for classical music, you want to achieve a warm and natural sound. For jazz, percussive elements and clarity are usually important. Pop music generally requires a bit of both.
Make sure you start with a good instrument that is tuned. You don’t want to mess around with a piano that is off on certain notes – there is no way you can fix that in the mix. Piano tuning costs around 100€ but will improve your recording exponentially. You won’t have to fork that out again for at least a few years anyway.
The nuances of piano give it a wide dynamic range which calls for a relatively high level of mic preamp gain. So amplifying the piano will amplify everything else – including the reflections from the room. If recording at home, try to dampen the room acoustics with heavy curtains, blankets or bedspreads. Aim to reduce the reflections coming from any large wall surfaces or windows. A carpet on the floor will do wonders too.
We want to capture the high dynamic range and nuances of the piano, so the best type of microphone is a condenser. Preferably cardioid, as most are, you want to pick up the transients and dynamics of the instrument arriving at the front of the microphone while rejecting the sounds from the back coming from the room.
That being said, if you are recording in a space with great reverb you could experiment with omnidirectional microphones, but these will probably be better for capturing the room sound. Use two pairs if you can – one for the direct piano sound and one for the room.
As mentioned above, classical music calls for a balanced, natural sound. So we place the microphones not too close, but not too far away from the strings. Position the microphones under the open piano lid, one pointing towards the bass strings and one pointing towards the high strings where the hammers are situated. Make sure they are roughly an equal distance away from the strings and pointed at mid-way between the centre of the piano and the edge on either side. As the bass strings are longer, putting the bass microphone further along the strings away from the keys will capture more low end and less of the hammer sound.
Experiment with different positions closer and further away while the pianist is playing until you find the points that give you the most balanced and natural sound. The closer the mics are to the strings, the more high-mid frequencies and direct sound, the further away, the more the room comes into play and the sound is warmer and more mellow.
Remember, we don’t need measuring tape or a protractor – we use our ears every step of the way. There is no wrong position if it sounds great!
Jazz usually requires a much more direct and percussive sound. So we could start by positioning the microphones directly above the strings and hammers pointing straight down. We want to capture the high mid frequencies coming off the strings. Depending on the piece being played you could move the microphones up or down the scale.
Augment the sound by adding room microphones to capture reflections if your room sounds nice. Generally big rooms do (more than 30 m2), smaller rooms should probably have their reflections dampened.
For pop and rock piano recordings you should probably try a mix of the two methods above. The genres generally call for a clear but warm piano sound. Putting the mics close but not too close to the strings up near the hammers (but not too close) should produce a sound that holds its own in the mix.
That being said, if the piece is for solo piano with vocals, it might be better to follow the classical music approach to create a larger than life sound. If the mix is very busy with a lot of other instruments, you might want to focus on a percussive direct sound that cuts through the mix. In this case I would suggest starting with the jazz piano method.
Whatever you do, don’t push record until your ears are satisfied!
An upright piano is a lot more limited in the range of sounds you can achieve during recording, yet it does make the process a lot simpler. There is no reason why you can’t get great results recording an upright piano that sits well in the mix or holds it’s own as the central part of a song.
As with the methods above, getting in close will give you a direct, bright sound, while microphones further back will make the piano sound warmer.
Using two cardioid condensers, place one on either side pointing down, each an equal distance from the respective edges of the piano. That’s your starting point. Experiment with closer, further away, further left, further right until you find that patch of air that gives you the perfect sound. Pan each mic left and right.
Most upright pianos can be opened below the keyboard. Open the flap and prop it up with something to keep it from hitting the player in the shins. Putting an extra mic down here will boost the low frequencies of the piano recording as the lower strings start down here and extend up to the top. Once again, experiment with different positions until you are satisfied with the sound. Take your time!
The mide-side (MS) technique is a great way of achieving a good piano sound using only two mics that can be perfectly converted to a mono signal. All you need is a cardioid condenser and a figure-of-8 patterned condenser. The figure-of-8 captures sounds from both the front and back of the microphone equally.
Find the best position using only the cardioid condenser with the methods mentioned above and lock in the mic stand. Add the figure-of-8 mic at exactly the same position but with the two sides pointing left and right, 90° away from the front of the cardioid microphone.
In your DAW, pan the cardioid signal to the centre. Add two inputs for the figure-of-8 mic and record arm both. Pan one of them hard left and the other hard right. Flip the phase of the right channel. Voila, you now have a full-blown stereo piano sound that can be summed to mono in an instance retaining all sound characteristics without phasing artefacts.
This technique works because summing to mono will make the figure-of-8 channels cancel each other out as they are then exactly 180° out of phase. For more information on phasing, check out this article.
Another technique you should definitely check out for recording piano is the ORTF technique mentioned above in the acoustic guitar section. It gives a very wide stereo image with good mono compatibility. Also perfect for using as a room mic further back in a large space or hall with good acoustics.
Experimenting with an extra mic or two in the room may bring you closer to the perfect sound so don’t be afraid to deviate from these methods. Remember, if it sounds good, it’s all good!
You could spend thousands on microphones for recording piano and it would give you a very expensive sound, as long as you use the methods above, your ears, and find the spot that gives you a great tone.
But for all those who just don’t have that kind of budget or would rather spend it on mixing and mastering, here are a few that punch well above their price range.
Very neutral small diaphragm condenser microphones with interchangeable capsules for cardioid, hypercardioid and omnidirectional polar patterns. Get a matched pair for under 600€. Great for piano, strings and choir recordings.
Not quite so neutral as they have a prominent mid-high frequency boost but still very good for their price. The NT55 has interchangeable capsules for cardioid and omnidirectional polar patterns. Matched pairs can be found for under 300€ (NT5s) or around 700€ for the NT55s. Also very good for acoustic guitar and drum overheads for bands on a budget.
The Shure SM81’s are a good option for neutral a piano sound as their frequency response isn’t quite as bright as more modern small diaphragm condensers. Also great for acoustic guitar, hihats and strings. Get a pair for under 700€.
Keyboards! I almost forgot. You obviously don’t need any microphones for this one but there were a couple of things I wanted to mention to save you some hassle later on. Getting a clean keyboard signal recorded is easy, but so is picking up unwanted noise as well! So, hear me out.
A DI box converts the line level signal to a mic level signal so you can plug it in to a microphone input on your interface. If you have line or instrument inputs on your interface, you can connect the keyboard directly. But, be warned, if you have long cables or the power supply of your keyboard or your room’s power is somehow compromised, you will pick up unwanted noise in your signal.
This might not be noticeable until you start mixing due to the hectic of setting up all the instruments for a band recording. To take the safe route, record keyboards through a DI box. A simple Palmer PAN 04 stereo DI will do the trick.
When recording keyboards, I sometimes find that when a pianist plays loudly with a lot of dynamics, some models can produce distortion artefacts that have nothing to do with the amount of gain I add to the input signal on my mixing desk.
The fix for this is to turn down the master volume of the keyboard a notch or two, say to 80% rather than full-bore. This gives the output signal enough headroom before maxing out the output signal coming form the keyboard. And by the way, this was no cheap keyboard, but a Roland FP-30. So just something to consider when tracking keys.
So that, my friends is it. We have had an in-depth look at how to record electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, piano and keyboards. I have given you a method for each instrument, techniques for setting up the microphones, a list of budget, but high-quality mics and a few extra tips and tricks here and there.
I truly hope this post has helped or will help you produce great recordings when you track your demos or next album in your home studio or band room.
Should you need a mixing engineer to refine those raw tracks into a coherent mix with sonic clarity, atmosphere and punch, do not hesitate to get in touch! I offer online mixing and mastering as well as recording and drum editing.
Nick Braren is an audio engineer and musician with over 15 years experience in the studio, on stage, back stage and front of house. He is the owner and operator of Upaya Sound, guitarist and vocalist of Vandemonian, father of 2 and husband of 1. When he’s not in the studio or in the band room he’s either travelling in his van or at the beach – or both.
