- Recording the Classical Guitar : Recording Magazine

8/11/2019 - Recording the Classical Guitar : Recording Magazine

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Recording the Classical GuitarAn in-depth look at recording the classical

guitar...By Robert Auld

Imagine that I am a typical pop music

engineer, and I get called up for advice on

how to record a classical guitar:

Rrrrring!

Hello, AuldWor ks Recording, Bob

speaking....OK, you have a solo guitar

recording. Piece of cake; just put an SM57 in

front of the amp and yer done....Whaddaya

mean theres no amp?...Oh, you got some of

that Bach and Segovia stuff, huh?....Well,

gee, I dunno. Most of the sound comes out

that hole in the front, right?....You tried

that....It sounds boomy?....Didja try

switching in the bass rolloff?...You did...It still dont sound good...Well, I really dunno what to

tell ya...

All right, stereotypical pop music engineer. But you get the point; classical acoustic guitar is a

verydifferent animal from its amplified descendant. Just sticking this months hot microphone in

front of it will not necessarily satisfy you, or the guitarist (whether that is you or a second

party).

Whats going on in there?

To get a handle on how best to record classical guitar, lets start with some acoustical analysis.

Here is how Harry F. Olson describes the instrument in Music, Physics and Engineering (1):

The acoustic guitar consists of six strings stretched between a combination bridge and tailpiece

fastened on the flat top of the body and the end of a fretted fingerboard. The body is made of

two flat parallel boards, fastened together along the outer edges. Vibrations of the strings are

transmitted from the tailpiece to the top of the body. The bottom of the body is mechanicallycoupled to the top by means of a post. The cavity of the body, coupled to the outside air by

meansof a hole, constitutes a resonator. The top and bottom of the body and the cavity and

port combination form a multiresonant system for coupling the vibrating strings to the air.

One consequence of this multiresonant system is a directional sound pattern that varies with

frequency, sometimes almost from note to note. At low frequencies, the directional pattern of

the guitar is a figure of eight, which is characteristic of an acoustical doublet. That is, the top

and bottom of the body vibrate approximately in phase, connected as they are by the sound

post. In the mid-frequency range the directional pattern starts to show lobes, as the top and

bottom are no longer in phase, so we get cancellation effects. In the high-frequency region,

most of the radiation comes from the top of the body. There is very little coupling between top

and bottom in this range because of the large mass of the post and bottom, so that the amount

of high-frequency vibration transmitted to the bottom is very small.

Clearly, if we try to close-mike the acoustic guitar, the results will vary greatly depending on the

exact position of the microphone relative to the body, the register in which the instrument is

played, and the amount of proximity effect inherent in the particular microphone we havechosen.

When we add in differences between instruments and variations in playing styles, it is no wonder

that there seem to be as many different acoustic guitar recording techniques as there are

engineers.

Give me some space

When recording solo classical guitar, we do have a way out of this mess: we can move our

To have a Sound Tools system in which the final product is a CD would be

amazingto have it pop out of a little black box onto your desk!- Evan Brooks of

Digidesign

Tracking

Acoustic Guitar

Electric Guitar

Bass

Other Guitars

Drums &

Percussion

Vocals

Horns &

Woodwinds

Piano

Strings

Psychology &

Coaching

Classical Music

Other Instruments

Minimalist

Techniques

Magazine Extras

Mixing &

Mastering

Tracking

Your Studio

DIY

How Stuff Works

Forthe

Songwriter

For the Beginner

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2/8


3/8

rougher off-axis response than omni or figure-eight types, especially in the case of the large-

diaphragm models commonly used for studio vocal pickup. For that reason, a pair of the

Chinese-made condenser studio mics that are so popular right now may not be the best choice

for recording solo classical guitar. Small-diaphragm condenser mics, such as the Shure SM81 or

Crown CM-700, will probably give more predictable results, given their more uniform polar

patterns and smooth overall response.

There are also a few dedicated stereo microphones that will record in the X-Y pattern. Audio-

Technicas AT822 and AT825 are examples of inexpensive (under $500) X-Y stereo mics. For a

bit more money (under $900) you can get the RDE NT4. The high-priced Neumann and AKG

stereo mics mentioned previously can also be set for X-Y stereo.

ORTF

A close relative of X-Y stereo, ORTF also uses two cardioidelements, but they are spaced about

seven inches apart and angled away from each other 110 degrees. This quasi-human ear

spacing ensures excellent imaging on headphones and also works well with loudspeakers, at theexpense of some mono compatibility. ORTF picks up about the same amount of room ambience

as X-Y stereo, but seems to spread it wider in the stereo imageno doubt a function of the

spacing between the microphones. The cautions against using microphones with poor off-axis

response in X-Y stereo also apply to ORTF, for the same reasons.

Dedicated ORTF microphones are fairly rare; Schoeps makes one, but I am not aware of any

others. However, it is common to implement ORTF (or a close approximation) using a pair of

conventional microphones mounted on a stereo T bar.

Mid-side (M-S) stereo

Mid-side stereo uses a middle element (usually cardioid, though it can theoretically be any

pattern) facing straight at the sound source, and a bi-directional(figure-eight) element facing

sideways. The middle element is responsible for the monophonic element of the sound, and the

bi-directionalmic picks up left and right. The two elements are then matrixed together to

produce the L/R stereo output; this fancy-sounding but very simple operation can be done on

any mixer with polarity inversion on its inputs, or in a dedicated box.

The big advantage of M-S is that you can adjust the ratio of the two elements for more or less

room ambience and stereo spread without moving the microphones. With the right setup, this

can even be done remotely during a live performance, or afterwards at mixdown. (To accomplish

the latter, you record the mid element to one track and the side element to another, leaving the

matrixing until later.)

Mono compatibility of the mid-side array is as good as it gets; when the two channels of a

matrixed M-S recording are combined the side part simply cancels, leaving the monophonic mid

element. For this reason, M-S stereo has been very popular with broadcasters. Off-axis

coloration is much less of a factor with M-S stereo than with X-Y or ORTF setups; the mid

element is pointing right at the sound source and the side element is a figure-eight pattern mic,

inherently smoother off-axis than other directional microphone types.

M-S stereo can be implemented with two conventional microphones, but it can be a bit awkward

to do. Sennheiser is one manufacturer that tries to make it easier, with a special bracket forholding the respective mics from the MKH series in proper orientation.

Dedicated M-S stereo microphones are more practical, and there are a number available. At the

reasonable end of the price scale, Sony offers the ECM999 (under $500), which is reputed to be

a very good value. Moving up to just under one grand, there is the Shure VP88, a full-fledged

stereo field recording mic that happens to be a very good quality music recording mic as well.

And if price is no object, the Neumann SM 69FET and AKG C 426 B can be used in M-S

configuration. Many broadcast organizations use them in just that way.

Surround sound

When recording solo classical guitar, the main point of surround sound will be to reproduce the

sound of the room. The front channels can be fed by almost any of the stereo techniques

described previously, and the surround channels can be handled by a pair of mics out in the

room. Spaced microphones are usually thought to be superior to coincident stereo pickups for

reproducing surround ambience; their output decorrelates better.

If a front center channel feed is considered necessary, combining spaced microphones for the

left and right front channels with a center channel microphone would likely work. Mono

compatibility (and stereo downmix compatibility) would be variable, depending on things like

relative microphone positioning and balancing.

Classical guitar with other instruments

If you are recording the guitar with other instruments of about the same loudness, such as other

guitars, flute, etc., the recording becomes an exercise in recording a group of musicians in a

given room. If the room is large enough that you can record everybody with a simple stereo

pickup, it is largely a matter of moving the musicians around relative to the microphone array

until the balance is satisfactory.

If the room is too small for recording everybody with a pair of microphones, you will have to use

more microphones, closer to the musicians. In the case of the guitar, try not to get any closer

than necessary, and pay special attention to proximity effect if using directional mics. A cardioid

mic with a healthy bottom end can get boomy pretty quickly if too close to the body of a guitar.

Be prepared to use equalizationand reverb as needed. This is not an ideal recording situation,

so dont be afraid to try whatever methods might help the sound.

If you are recording a guitar concerto with orchestra, the orchestra will be far more powerful

than the guitar, and you will have no choice but to spot-mic the guitar. I would recommend using

a small-diaphragm cardioidcondenser with a smooth top end (Shure SM81, Crown CM-700,

etc.). Point the mic right at the guitar from about 18 to 24 inches away. As your objective is to

give the guitar a little boost over the orchestra, this should do the trick without overdoing it. If

you feel the guitar spot pickup is too monophonic sounding, use two microphones in the same
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position, pointing at the guitar, about 6 to 7 inches apart. Pan them left and right. This will give

you a stereo spot pickup, which may blend better with the stereo orchestra pickup.

Classical guitar and sound reinforcement

Due to the need to prevent feedback, especially from on-stage monitor speakers, use of a sound

reinforcement system often requires close microphones on virtually all instruments, especially a

soft one like classical guitar. Even with careful choice of microphone and placement, the result

will be a compromise. If the sound reinforcement microphone seems well chosen and placed,

using a microphone splitter for your guitar recording feed should work adequately. If the sound

reinforcement mic is something along the lines of an SM57, you might be better off setting up a

separate guitar recording mic if possible.

I know of one classical guitarist who uses a high-quality portable sound reinforcement system

for performing with classical groups that would otherwise overbalance him. He uses a Schoeps

cardioidcondenser mic on a short stand, a high-quality mic preamp and a small, powered

loudspeaker made by Meyer Sound. This little purpose-built system sounds very good andblends well with the acoustic chamber groups with which this artist performs. When recording

those groups, I have not found it necessary to spot-mic his guitar; the Meyer speaker is picked

up adequately by the main stereo microphone. You may want to experiment with setting up a

similar system if the situation warrants.

The recorder question

The main requirements for recording machines used for recording classical guitar are: wide, flat

frequency response, low noise, low distortion and little or no wow and flutter. Most digital

recorders will be satisfactory, provided data compression is avoided. This does not mean you

cannot get good results when recording with a MiniDisc recorder, but if your objective is a

commercial quality master, the MiniDisc should not be your primary machine.

In the analog domain, a professional quality open reel machine operating at 15 ips tape speed is

probably the minimum. Analog cassette is not recommended, mostly due to the wow and flutter

typical of that medium. Also, acoustic guitar is one of the instruments most likely to reveal any

weakness in analog noise reduction schemes. The sharp transient attack and limited sustain of

the guitar work against the psycho-acoustic masking of tape hiss.

In conclusion

The normal objective in recording classical guitar is to create a realistic illusion of how the

instrument sounds in a good room. Using good stereo microphone technique in an acoustically

suitable room is the surest way to accomplish that.

This does not mean that you cannot use the techniques of the pop music studio to modify the

sound of the instrument. But if you want the classical guitar to sound like itself, typical studio

close-miking techniques are not ideally suited to that purpose. As always, choosing the right

tools and techniques for the job can make a big difference in the final result.

(1) Music, Physics and Engineering by Harry F. Olson, 2nd edition (New York: Dover Publications,

Inc.), p. 114.

Robert Auld is an independent audio engineer who works in New York City. Reports on his

further adventures may be found at www.auldworks.com.
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Documents

- Recording the Classical Guitar : Recording Magazine