This is a really informative video on how to record acoustic guitar. The producer gives a comprehensive run-down of his signal chain, offers a lot of practical advice and tidbits, and gives a number of different sound samples based on mic position and guitar position.

Gear used in video:

• Neumann km-184 microphone
• Kirkland TX acoustic guitar
• B-bend pickup
• Avalon VT 737 preamp
• Focusrite Isa 828 preamp
• Mackie d8b mixer

Techniques & Tips in the Video:

• Get the best guitar you can get
• Use a combination of microphone and built-in pickup – mic is more natural, pickup is a more direct with better low-end sound
• A damp room with no reverb at all is the best
• Mic and position depends on how you choose to play (fingerpick vs chords vs picked) SO TRUE
• For mic check there’s just no standard way, put a mic in front of your guitar, test, move, test, try another mic, test, move, test, EVERY TIME
• Suggested adjusting volume of click track on headphones so it doesn’t get picked up by the mic (I’ve ruined good takes with that myself, great advice!)
• Suggests when recording acoustic guitar play on a carpet without shoes on to cut down on ambient noise

Signal Chain:

• Neumann km-184 mic to
• Aavalon VT 737 preamp
• Guitar pickup (b-bend) to Focusrite Isa 828 preamp
• Both preamps to A/D (analog to digital) converter/mixer: Mackie d8b mixer
• Mackie digital signal to recording software: Steinberg Cubase 4

What rocks about this video:

• Shows ENTIRE SIGNAL CHAIN
• Shows what each signal sounds like separately, and together
• Shows difference in sound between fingerpicking and playing chords with a pick
• Shows difference in acoustic recording sound with different mic positions
• Shows difference in sound when guitar moves, to illustrate why the musician should sit still
• Wikid accent dude

This how-to video for recording acoustic guitar is put out by ServeTheSong.net – it covers the basics of the X-Y mic pattern placement.

Gear in the Video:

• 2 Oktava condenser mics, model not mentioned
• Pro-tools
• Acoustic guitar model unknown
• Signal chain setup unknown

Techniques & Tips in Video:

• Using two mics to record in stereo and pick up more of the sound the acoustic is creating
• X-Y Mic Pattern – When using two condenser mics of this style try positioning them so that lines drawn out from the tip of each would cross at a 90 degree angle. The sweet-spot where these imaginary lines cross is the perfect place to pick up a stereo recording of your acoustic guitar
• Mic positioning – Suggested positioning the microphones five to six inches from the neck of the guitar, around the 12th fret.
• Staying stable during playing is important with this type of mic recording, as the sweet spot can be lost easily with some upper body movement
• Doubling up of tracks: playing the guitar bit twice to create a natural reverb/chorus effect, then panning one hard left and one hard right

Video Pros:

• There is a nice combination of video of the musician & mics, with screen capture of the pro-tools set-up
• Video audio cuts to pro-tools recording so you get to hear what the musician actually recorded, instead of just the video-cam mic

Video Cons:

• No explanation of the signal chain equipment used, the preamp gain, or any of that juicy stuff
• No links to high quality recordings for download, as Youtube is not the best way to review audio quality (this is more important when specific gear is mentioned, but always a big plus to an audio review or tips video)