Recording voice + guitar with a condenser.

As a part of a job, I need to record the audio of a singer and his acoustic guitar. I will use an Audio-Technica 4040 for this, plugged into a Scarlett 2i2 interface and a notebook. But it's not audio only, it's audio and video.

Some questions:
- Can I record both singer and the guitar together in the same microphone and at the same time?
- What would be a good microphone distance from the singer and the guitar? And with this distance, how much boost I need to set in the pre-amp in order to get a good record?
- In which direction the microphone have to point to record both the voice and the guitar?

I never made a job like this. I got this microphone only to make ADR's, but now I have this need.
Appreciate any help.

Thank you!
 
This depends a whole lot on what exactly you're going for.

1) Technically speaking, yes, you can record both the singer and the guitar together through the microphone at the same time. However, if you go this route, you won't be able to do a whole lot of post-processing on the recorded signal. For example, if the guitar is too loud, then there really isn't an easy way to lower the volume on the recording and you'd most likely have to re-record it.

If all you're looking for is to record the singer/guitarist in a natural setting, then this setup might work, assuming that you're not picky about the sound quality. If sound quality is an issue, then with the equipment you have, you might want to look into multitracking recording - record the guitar first and then record the vocalist singing on a separate track with the recorded guitar playing. Tweak what you just recorded to your heart's content and then mix it down to a WAV/AIFF file. When you go to film, play the recorded file on a boom box or mp3 player or whatever and then have your performer mime along. Here's an example of this idea at work (albeit, this was hastily shot).

If you do decide to do a live recording, then as much as I hate to say this, the answer to your other questions is "It depends." Depending on the room quality, the surrounding environment, the song, the singer, the guitar, you're going to have to spend some time experimenting with different placements to figure out what's the most ideal. Every musician and every vocalist is different so there literally is no rule of thumb as to exact distance and pre amp level. With that said, you want the mic to be close enough that you don't have to turn the volume up on the interface too much. My general rule is that if you're going past 3 o'clock, then it's probably too high and you're going to end up with a fair amount of white noise in the recording.
 
Thank you for your reply, kova.lee.
Actually, I do need sound quality because this song will be the video soundtrack. But, I do not have enough time to record it at least 3 times (singer, guitar and the video takes). So I need to try it at the same time.

I hope it works :)
 
You have to spend a lot of time finding what we audio types call "the sweet spot;" the precise place where what you are attempting to record achieves the best balance possible within the scope of the room, the mic placement, the instrument and the voice. When it comes to mic placement, probably the most important aspect of a situation like this, it's amazing what one inch will do in the change of height or a degree or two of angle will do.

You also must attempt to suppress any outside sounds - computers, birds, etc.

BTW, in the video you referenced the guitar is recorded separately with a direct line out from the electronics of the guitar; the voice and the guitar each got a separate audio track and were mixed in Logic after the video was shot. I'm sure that a fair amount of processing was used; some EQ, compression, etc.

The best option is to record the guitar and voice at different times and shoot the video as a lip-sync.
 
Alcove, any tips about finding the sweet spot? I will shoot it today, I'm afraid I really can't record multi-track. I have like 2 hours to make everything alone. And to make it harder, I'm without pop-filter. I can't get too close.
 
I'm not going to be able to teach years of experience in a few minutes.

Put the mic about eight (8) to ten (10) inches away from the singer/player equidistant between the singers mouth and sound hole of the guitar. Record. You don't have to record the whole song; half a verse into a chorus is enough. What problems do you hear? Move the mic closer to whatever is not loud enough. Do it in small increments.

Here's a few tips:

Remember small left/right/up/down changes make a big difference.

The mic does not have to be directly in front.

The further away from the performer the more room you will record.

Be patient.



I don't understand why you have so little time. This is a difficult undertaking for someone with experience even without the complication of recording the video at the same time. I think that you're in for an interesting afternoon. Good luck!!!
 
I don't understand why you have so little time. This is a difficult undertaking for someone with experience even without the complication of recording the video at the same time. I think that you're in for an interesting afternoon. Good luck!!!

That's the world of independent videomaking that I live. Thats the world from where I get my money to make my film hehe. People in this world want cinematic videos but they do not understand it takes time and a lot of work. And, I have to equilibrate this two poles.

Thank you very much for the tips. Let's work. :)
 
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