In this article we will look at how you can record an unplugged song in your own home studio. We will talk about ways to record, microphone placements for both, Guitar & Vocals and also how to mix them.

 

Ways to Record

 

Most of the time in a budget home studio setup we see only 2 mic Preamps or even one mic preamp and a line Input. And that is all is needed to record an unplugged cover. So in this article we will be only using 2 inputs and 1 or 2 microphones depending on what you have available at your home studio.

 

 

Now there are 2 largely talked about and used microphones, DYNAMIC and CONDENSER.

 

 

You can get Brilliant results using any one of them. But I would personally recommend Large Diaphragm Condenser Microphone with Cardioid Polar Pattern because they sound very natural and are versatile. But keep in mind these microphones are highly sensitive and catch noises and reflections very easily. So if you have a noisy environment go for a DYNAMIC Microphone as it is very good at rejecting unwanted noises.

 

 

Now there are 2 approaches to this type of recording. One is recording the guitar and vocals simultaneously and the other is to record guitar first and then layer the vocals over the guitar track.

 

Approach ONE is recommended if you want to capture the liveliness and energy of the performer, but there is also a drawback of guitar spill into the vocal microphone so there is less isolation.

 

Approach TWO is recommended if you want more control over how the final mix translates and sounds as it gives you guitar and vocals both completely isolated without any spill. It also gives you the option to record guitar in stereo.

Recording Guitar with One Microphone

 

If you only have one microphone available you can use approach ONE only if your guitar has a direct out. We will connect the direct out of the guitar to the line input of the interface to record guitar and use the microphone to record vocals. Place the microphone slightly below your mouth level and tilt it a little upward so that guitar spill can be minimized while still capturing the warmth from the singer’s chest.

 

 

Also if you have an acoustic guitar that has an output and you would like to use approach TWO, then you can record 2 tracks simultaneously, track 1- line input from guitar & track two – microphone input and then blend the signal of both the tracks using pan, volume and EQ.

 

 

If you have an acoustic guitar with no output, then track the guitar parts twice layering the second take on top of the first one and then pan one LEFT and pan one RIGHT to get that wide STEREO sound.

 

 

 

NOTE: Please do not copy and paste the first take, as that won’t give the stereo image as both are exactly the same waveforms.

Recording Guitar with Two Microphones

 

Now if you have 2 microphones available you can use both the approaches, the first and the second.

 

For the first approach place the capsule of the microphone facing downward on the guitar away from the vocals and near the 12th fret facing the Sound Hole around 6-8 inches from the guitar. Then place the vocal microphone slightly below your mouth level and tilt it upwards so that guitar spill can be minimized while still capturing the warmth from singer’s chest, as we mentioned earlier.

 

 

For the second approach, as now you have 2 microphones to record your guitar you can use various patterns such as X-Y, Vertical X-Y, Spaced Pair (This gives the widest Stereo Spread).

 

X-Y Pattern: In this pattern place the 2 capsules of the microphones at 90 degrees around the 12th fret at about 6 inches away from the guitar such that one capsule faces towards the neck and one faces towards the body of the guitar.

 

 

 

Vertical X-Y Pattern: This pattern gives a very controlled Stereo imaging. In this pattern place the 2 microphones such that their capsules make 90 degree angles with each other and one faces up while the other faces down. Place the intersection of the microphones roughly at the 12th fret and 6 inches away from the guitar.

 

 

 

Spaced Pair: This pattern gives a very wide stereo image and very wide sound. In this pattern place the 2 microphones fairly apart from each other, with one on the body of the guitar and one on the neck of the guitar. Place the microphones 6 inches away from the Guitar and make sure to place them 3 times away from each other of the distance between the mic and the guitar to avoid any phase issues. Be sure to check for any phase issues before you start recording.

 

Recording Vocals

 

Now onto the VOCALS. Recording vocals in a home studio on your own can be very tricky.

 

First thing to remember while recording vocals is we want to record the signal as DRY as possible. As a reverb can be added later but can’t be removed from the recorded signal.

 

So if your room is pretty dead then that’s good as the vocals will be dry enough. But if not and is very lively then find a corner and place a blanket or some pillows behind you. Remember don’t place the Blanket or Pillows in the corner behind the mic, but place them behind you as the microphone is going to reject the signal coming from behind as we are using either a Cardioid pattern Condenser Microphone or a Dynamic Microphone, so mainly the front image is what we need to worry about.

 

Now to track a good and natural sounding vocal take, do not get too close or too far from the mic. I particularly recommend standing 6-8 inches away from the microphone and placing the microphone straight in front of the mouth.

 

 

If you get too close to the microphone you will experience Proximity Effect, and also slight movements will create a huge change in the input level.

 

However, if you stand around 6 to 8 inches away from the microphone it captures the most natural sound of the vocal and also records a consistent input level, however this always depends on how good your microphone technique is.

 

Also pay attention to the GAIN in the DAW. Do not move the fader in the DAW to increase or decrease the volume while recording. Use the gain knob on the audio interface and increase it until you get a strong signal around -10 dB to -18dB. Try not to go hotter than this. Note, the Peak should never go above -6dB.

 

This is not a universal rule but it is just a time tested level and you can always experiment with it.

Conclusion

 

Recording a guitar and vocal at home can be a challenging experience but the more you practice the easier it becomes. Make sure you stay brushed up on modern and classic recording techniques to ensure you are using your knowledge to get the most from your recordings but don’t be scared to try something new or different. Just remember that ‘if it sounds good, it is good’. Hopefully some of the tips I have provided in this article can give you some food for thought when taking on your next recording.

 

About the Author

 

Brijesh Sarin is a 21 year old Self Taught & Independent Singer-Songwriter and Audio Engineer based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. And has a Youtube channel that publishes Cover songs, Guitar & Recording Tutorials, Unboxing videos and a lot more. He has also worked on a Music Video with Bollywood Singer Palak Muchhal and Music Producer Palash Muchhal and has Released 2 Original Songs Worldwide.