Everything FM japmn said.I also usually use a SDC on about the twelfth fret and a ways from the guitar. I mic the body behind the bridge with another mic to get more body tone. The SDC picks up string sounds and the other mic the acoustic boom. I have used everything for the other mic, but tend to go with a flat dynamic like an SM-7 or a LDC. AKG 414s work nice there. I have also done acoustic with a single mic, especially when recording groups with more than one acoustic instrument, but with a single acoustic overdub, the L-R trick that FM japmn mentioned makes for a really big acoustic that doesn't crowd the mix. It's nice.

It can sound great. depends on how I want the guitar to sit in the mix. Being able to spread the mics wide to make a hole for stuff in the middle can be fun. I also like the sound of a condenser on the upper frets and a mic on the body (not the hole, usually down where knobs would be on an electric) to get a dark/bright mix. I have a little Sony ECM 44b wired lav mic that can be taped to the body (or clipped to the hole if you are into the hole.. I'm not) in various places that mixes well with a mic for this. It's great on a Uke, which can be hard to get a good full sound on unless you can get a bit of distance from the plucky. I'm not against using a dynamic mic like a 421 or M88 very close to the body of a acoustic either, if you can get the player to sit still or have devised a clip clamp to hold the mic in place. carpenters bar clamps can be used to create such a weirdo device but be sure not to add too much grip to the guitar body. Can smashy.I've almost never liked using two of the same mic on a single guitar, exception was a pair of EW QTC30's in a spaced pair about 3' from the player, which was maybe the most natural sounding nylon string guitar I've ever achieved.With Sm81's (my usual go to sdc since I've had them for ever) I usually like them a little farther away from the guitar.. like a foot and a half or more, because if they are too close, they will accentuate any string noise and rasp as much as any notes being played.

I am too old to be a noob, but I am also too old to be ashamed to ask: do you prefer to single or stereo mic acoustic guitars?I've been using two sm81s, spaced about 8 inches apart, one pointed at the 12th fret and the other pointed, somewhat obliquely, toward the other side of the sound hole. The results sound OK to me, and I don't hear phasing.The one drawback that I've noticed is that dual micing can be a challenge for punch-ins since the guitar will invariably be oriented slightly differently the second time around, requiring some volume automation on one or both tracks to smooth things out. Do you find dual micing to be worth the extra hassle?I know I should "trust my ears," but I've trusted my ears down the road to some dark places, so I don't completely trust them anymore. I've run into engineers who are far more learned than I say that dual micing guitars is not recommended because of possible phasing issues and because the "big stereo acoustic guitar" sound is unnatural and aesthetically disturbing to sensitive types. I also have learned to respect that sometimes standards become standards for a reason even if they don't make immediate sense to me.Also, I must disclose a financial interest in this question: the extra sm81 could end up on eBay.

Seems like there's two questions here...- "Is It Worth The Hassle?" That depends largely on if it will even give you what you want.- "Should I Listen To Some Stuff An Engineer Said Just Because They Are An Engineer?"...That's where it gets tricky. If everyone stuck to that, some of the sounds on records by The Beatles never would have happened. I've also seen more than one dobro player suggest a microphone over the left shoulder at about "Ear" level is handy for translating that sound to "Pick Your Recording Medium". Personally, I think "What Achieves The Intended Results" probably trumps "Unnatural". Never mind if the sound on The Trinity Sessions is "Natural". If "Natural" was the play, no one would really need engineers. Just set up a Dummy Head, and call it "Done".

Already a lot of good stuff on here. Couple things I can add:A matched pair of mics in x/y is a popular choice for a lot of folks. Makes for a wider sound than the mono if you're looking to fill up a sparse mix. Kind of unnecessary when the acoustic is just another layer in a mix with a lot happening.Ribbon mics are great for acoustic instruments.Slow comps, or better yet tube, vari-mu type stuff sounds really nice on acoustics. If you don't have such a fancy box the DBX 160 in 'over easy' mode gets something almost as good.More mics means more phase issues, at least if you're spacing them out. Definitely not insurmountable, and sometimes a little phase interference can be part of a successful sound, but it just means a little bit more chaos.As for punches, I also find subtle changes in the players position to be a pain in the ass. I always encourage them to note how they're sitting in hopes to repeat the position for the rest of the session.

Thanks, all!

bishopdante wrote:One of the problems with using a stereo pair with photographic and high resolution stereo imaging is that extraneous noises such as breathing, toe-tapping, creaking chairs etc will be rendered in perfect precision, and will stick out in wonderful detail.This is a problem? : )