RECORDING AND MIXING ACOUSTIC GUITARS, Tone Secrets #6 feat. UAD SSL 4000E

In the 6th video in my "TONE SECRETS" series, I offer some tips and advice on how to record and mix acoustic guitars, this video features the UAD SSL 4000E channel strip plug in, for info:
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I do a standing ovation everytime the video starts by showing the final product - so you know right off the bat if this is what you're looking for - and then proceed to the explanation. Pete won my sub in the first 10 secs.

[@Mr.Seth1]

Lots a dude talks about how to mic an acoustic but only a pro like Pete will talk about the most important subject like the guitar Pick.

[@KleyDeJong]

I'm a simple man, I see a Pete Thorn video - I watch it - I like it.

[@SteveStockmalMusic]

Me too

[@ValentineGoloubev]

Secrets: 0. Pete's hands 1. microphone positioning 2. pick selection 3. software plugins: uad channel strip, compressor, eq, high pass filter

[@thehoppo]

Hey Pete, been thinking about you a lot lately, hope you are holding up ok mate, thanks as always for sharing your vast knowledge so freely with us all, cheers and peace

[@francescodomenichetti3787]

2023, still coming back to this video! Thank you Pete!

[@kamaboko1]

I am always impressed by your playing. Seriously, you have the best, most original intro and demo songs of anything I've seen on KZbin.

[@GoodVibeTribe]

Dear Pete today is finally my day to slow down and express a huge THANK YOU for all your postings. I think I have seen every single one and I am continually impressed by your communication skills. Heck, its obvious you are a monster player, but you have a knack for breaking down relatively complex concepts into understandable youtube videos. Thanks so much for all the postings over the years and I certainly hope you derive joy from this because you are surely inspiring so many of your viewers. All the best to you Pete!

[@Smittefar1]

This is definitely one of the best videos, I have watched on recording and mixing acoustic guitar - And I have watched many, as it is something I struggle with. Thanks a lot.

[@hailepeep]

Embarrassed to only be able to say thank you for this wealth of information, Pete. Glad to see you back at it. Wish you all the best.

[@philipgregorysougles1744]

It's not easy to be a great musician, but it's even harder to be both a true artist and a talented instructor. Great work Mr. Thorn!

[@PeteThorn]

thank you Philip!

[@imaseeker100]

i have to say.... such quality all around. the music, the presentation, the video, the instruction, the insight. 14 dislikes? whatever...

[@heyitsDevriss]

Tone secret #1 Use a Martin

[@wyattalexander4041]

Miguel Brierley facts but use an older Martin better wood 😎#barios

[@Kleinsakkie]

As a Taylor owner I have to disagree. Just because I cannot (yet) afford to have both! 😅

[@andreasoberholz]

Having a well-balanced guitar helps, so true. Not all guitars work for tracking.... I have few ones which sound good, but they are not so great for recording.

[@SimonSigurdsonMusic]

That’s actually more true than I’d like to admit. I had to sell my Martin D-28 although it was my best sounding guitar with the most character I have ever heard, the guitar was unfortunately not built to play a very percussive style with, so out of fear of breaking it I sold it.. Still miss it though..

[@JoshuaDavid_Music]

Amen to that. My Taylor gives me fits. My buddy’s Martin sounds night and day better using the same mic/pres.

[@semtex6412]

man this channel is a goldmine! why am i just seeing his vids now?

[@miguelpessanha]

Hey Pete! Here's my favourite trick that I've discovered while recordings acoustic guitars at home - For all my solo melody acoustic guitars to cut through I always use a Dunlop 2mm Gator pick (crocodile). I can't stress how much difference it makes, the heavy thickness gives a lot of weight on the notes, but yet the gator material gives it a certain delicate softness. For hard panned rhythm than I use lighter tortex .73 or .88 so it doesn't overpower the mix. The funny thing is that I found that pick on the floor and it completely improved my acoustic recordings, more than a mic or a preamp itself. Get it and try it for lead acoustic guitars, I can guarantee is gonna because a standard for you!! Love these series, you keep delivering your information in a very organized and well spoken way. Keep it coming!

[@Stratomacaster]

These are sooooo helpful. Seriously, you could do a channel for just recording and mixing and it would be unlike all the others. I love these.

[@tuckerco100]

Hey Pete, I've been a listener and subscriber for a while and always enjoy and appreciate your generous sharing of knowledge and insight. Your breakdown of the difference of picks made me comment for the first time. Just awesome. Thank you!

[@jeradatherton]

Pete- thank you! You're the man. I appreciate your value for quality.

[@snail415]

Pete, That had to be a tremendous amount of work. Can't thank you enough, as I added my first quality acoustic to the arsenal last week. Cheers.

[@JRandallS]

Thanks Pete, for these tips. I own a lot of this same UA gear and plug-ins, so the specificity is great. Another good UA plug-in for guitars is that Transient Designer. You can add or subtract pick attack, essentially erase finger noise etc.

[@PeteThorn]

Ya transient designer, cool on drums too!

[@davidwallace2344]

I found this video just as I was getting ready to record my Martin HD 28V using a Miktek C7e large diaphragm condenser mic. Your video was sooo enlightening, even down to thinking about pick selection. I was able to find UA's SSL 4000 E plugin collection on sale this week and got it. I can't tell you what a great help you've been! I feel as if I've been sitting in on a master class on the very subject I needed. How lucky am I? Thank you so much! I just became a fan!

[@davidwallace2344]

BTW - Would love to see a you do a series on mixing/mastering with UA plugins. Your videos are straight ahead and for the most part easy to understand. Thanks for the lesson!

[@richpeltrick1492]

Good to see you back, Pete. Been thinking about how you were doing since your last video.

[@toddbochenko963]

Thank you for emphasizing cut first on the EQ!! As a musician turned FOH engineer I cannot count how many times an engineer immediately boosts. So wrong! Thank you again for talking about that!! Love your videos Pete. 🙏

[@1loveMusic2003]

You explain things so well in these tutorials; I mean really well you let us hear what your saying every time. Great info thanks Pete!

[@chemicle]

Perfect video at the right time - I was about ot start recording my acoustic and I appreciate the tips Pete.

[@DanielRezendeGuitar]

You are really spreading wisdom from the "recording land". Amazing! Loved it!

[@TNStutorials]

Those acoustics sound really rich and warm, you got a beautiful sound out of them

[@nickspearience]

After years of watching… I finally subscribed. Love your videos, Pete!

[@greenman9123]

Nice I'm so glad you have content on recording. I sold all my pedals for a recording setup so I'm glad I can still use this channel!

[@NiceChristianMan]

Thank you Pete...... You are a great artist and a true SME with tech side of recording.... You are greatly appreciated.

[@mykalmusic]

Best video on recording acoustic guitars that I've found yet. I love that you mentioned the guitar pick and how it affects the tone. Something I have previously overlooked. Game -changer. Thanks Pete! 👍

[@jimamsden]

I find placing the mic at 1/2 the length of the string works well, especially if you are using a capo. It puts the mic where the secondary node of the string is strongest.

[@AlexFernandezSMS]

I feel like this was a very generous lesson that we all got for free! Thanks so much. This was informative, easy to follow, and also very illustrative the way you did the before and after with the audio processing. Awesome!

[@sobellfanatic]

Pete just gives and gives and gives. So public spirited to selflessly share years of experience and insight that no doubt have been hard won for him. Thanks +++!

[@MarkThomasMusic]

that intro was... "so beautiful" just doesn't do it justice. That intro is what love sounds like.

[@andyracksthecams]

Thank you. Just waiting for a couple of preamps to arrive. Will do some acoustic recording first to really get to know how they fare, hence watching your video for tips. Tonnes of great info here.

[@JamesStaubes]

This was great Pete, thanks. Recording acoustics is definitely a different process than electrics. I appreciate this detailed look into your process. Learned a lot.

[@chiefindisguise]

Those guitars sound so beautiful on their own, awesome intruments.

[@L.Scott_Music]

Fantastic. I REALLY appreciate the attention to the self engineering tips. SUPER valuable info. Please continue on this subject. Thanks!

[@johnnewton1830]

Wow, the info and quality of this video is off the charts. Super helpful and great playing too.

[@PeteThorn]

thanks John!

[@jimmysedbrook2678]

Thank You so much for sharing your wisdom and experience. I am always looking forward to your vids. Hope you are feeling better. Cheers

[@robertmessinger6053]

Great video, definitely not the first video where someone recommends a KM184 for recording acoustic guitar either. I was in the market for a good acoustic recording microphone very recently and ended up grabbing a WA84 from Warm Audio. Great components and about half the price of the 184. Really happy with this one, it certainly has an 84 vibe and it’s super affordable. At least worth checking out…

[@jackprice7828]

Pete that Martin sounds incredible. Sometimes acoustic guitars tend to have a dominant string. Typically the B or G. But that Martin sounds really balanced.

[@rgb205]

You're an awesome human Pete Thorn !!

[@jakemitchell1671]

So amazing to me how the quality of an acoustic guitar is so often associated with a deep, rich, wide, "resonant" tone - BIG. Then when we record them we work our butts off to get all that bigness out! lol. The best sounding acoustic guitar I record with is an older Alvarez that sounds a bit brittle by itself, but in the mix it sounds absolutely fantastic. Great video Pete!

[@EricduToit]

I don't understand that either, but it has to sit somewhere in the mix right? (I'm new to recording)

[@jakemitchell1671]

@@EricduToit Yes, it does have to sit somewhere in the mix, and of course the different applications/needs/uses/tastes are infinite. So please don't take me to say there's any right or wrong way. And by all means there are times when the acoustic guitar does need to project "bigness"....full, rich, deep. For example, if the acoustic guitar is the primary instrument, or if the song starts with acoustic guitar with no or little accompaniment, then that big, resonant tone is great. But, much more often - for ME, anyway - the acoustic guitar is a secondary or tertiary sound, often desired for its percussive qualities or as a way to expand the frequence range of the rhythm tracks. Check out the "Nashville Tuning" for acoustic guitars to see how producers and session players have created a specialized instrument for just this purpose. It more or less formalizes the idea that for many applications the acoustic guitar requires almost no bass or low-mids at all! It's the top end "shimmer" that brings the track to life.

[@tommacmillan8831]

@@jakemitchell1671 that's a great point. the acoustic guitar in the mix is a totally different beast to a solo acoustic guitar. I've been automating some EQ parameters for example in the intro of a song, where the acoustic is playing on its own, in order to allow the full range of the instrument through. then, when the other instruments and vocals come in, I introduce a low-mid cut and HPF that clears out some space in the mix. It's instructive to really listen to acoustic guitars in pro mixes - they are often just percussive, as you say, and all that you hear/perceive is high-mids and air. I go really aggressive with high pass filtering on loads of instruments, but it's starts to make a lot of sense with acoustics in a full band mix.

[@pete3816]

Only in the context of a mix. Solo guitar we want to catch the full essence of the instrument.

[@conradmlynarski2280]

For everyone wondering what model acoustic six string it is…it looks to be Martin Reimagined HD28. Tortoise pickguard with diamond and square fingerboard inlay give it away. Plus that’s what an HD28 sounds like. He also commented in another reply that he’s using Ernie Ball strings (11’s). What a great tone he has.

[@starsandguitars2050]

Thanks Pete. I don't know why I haven't seen this video before. It was fantastic.

[@halfglassfull]

My main acoustic is a Martin D35 dread very big low end sound (by design) and have struggled with my recording. This is very helpful can't wait to try this with my rig. Thanks Pete!

[@bmwm3cs]

Pete always comes up with great little demos. PLEASE do another album!

[@TheStupidcomment]

So glad you talked about picks. Too many guitarists don't know their picks!

[@TheBYRecords]

Thanks Pete! This was really helpful, it confirmed some of my best practices, taught me a few new tricks and introduced me to cool plugins I had not considered. Cheers to you!

[@fadermaster5221]

Thank you for the effort put into this. I think however that A/B-ing is easier without crossfading between versions.

[@musicgearnetwork]

Great video Pete

[@9999plato]

Pete I love your videos. You are so down to earth, real deal, mensch. Keep up the great work. This easily one of the the best place to pick up knowledge.

[@dapperdanman1956]

Thanks Pete thorn! for all your offerings!

[@drew4872]

Nice work all around. Great command of acoustic guitars and mix.

[@aronchas]

Amazing guide to acoustic guitar recording. Easy to grasp all the concepts. Thanks for this gem! Peter :)

[@espedale]

I’ve watched dozens of videos on this subject and yours blows the rest out of the water. Thank you so much for being so descriptive and sharing all of the details (mic, picks, plugins, mix, etc.). You did an amazing job… it must have been a ton of work to put together! Have you tried Scheps Omni Channel Strip plug-in yet? Wondering how it compares with your go-to channel strip plug-in. Excellent playing BTW!

[@JulesFox]

Floored, gob-smacked... a wonderful track and even more amazing demonstration of how to record and mix acoustic guitars, thank you Pete

[@PeteThorn]

Thanks Julian

[@martynkentfrancis]

Double thumbs up dude, really insightful and clearly explained. Plus original music as always. What more could anyone want 😎

[@feliceconte123]

this is fantastic - setting up a home studio for acoustic recording and this is priceless - Thanks Pete, tons!

[@PeteThorn]

Thanks!

[@2Plus2isChicken2013]

I don't know a thing about recording, but you got some great acoustic sounds here, and the random Paul Gilbert pick made the video even more awesome than it already was!

[@TavaresProject]

Great Video. Acoustics always elude me....I find it so difficult to get them to sound good...And the pick tip I knew about years ago. God that you mentioned it. Thanks!

[@CindoSantos]

Really clear your discussion of picks!

[@PatrickLimaspamcast]

Dude...beautiful tone, awesome secrets...thanks Pete. Still Praying for you and Chris' family.

[@PeteThorn]

thank u

[@dyonissiszoes3747]

SSL 4000 on acoustic is dope👍. Great advice here. Especially when showing that mic placement is key. Not mentioned but taming the transients with a limiter before or after compression/EQ (up to you and your tastes) does a great job of bringing the body forward and pushing the strings back a bit when mixing aggressive guitarists/styles 😉

[@DANWRIGHTITIS]

Some great info- I had to grab the headphones and listen to whole thing again. The MIX is Spot On!! I GIG RIG use a Gretsch Rancher Junior (with upgraded Matrix piezo) plugged into an old Fishman PRO EQ2 that refuses to die after 15 years of regular use. 😁I discovered the TC Electronic BODYREZ a while ago.- I don´t know what it does but it does it very well & I wonder how i gigged for a dozen years without it. This pairs perfectly with the MINI HOF. Captain Anderton setting. I run on rechargeable R6 batteries too 😎 Cheers from Spain

[@danlampton]

Could not agree more with your pick observation. Great stuff.

[@petergraham4744]

thanks pete thorn. I'll be watching more.

[@BrianCadoret]

Thanks Pete for the tutorial really makes a difference to the sound of my acoustic recordings.

[@paulheumiller2028]

Hi Pete, Paul from Dream Guitars, great video as always Truly appreciate you sharing your experience, passion and love for music! Cheers.

[@PeteThorn]

Thank you so much Paul!

[@paulkixx5125]

thank you so much for making this one mate, this video was perfect timing for me has I've been searching for tips with acoustic guitar mixing and recording this past week and this is by far the best one. stunning playing mate.

[@paulkixx5125]

p.s awesome tip on the picks never thought about the pick thing before.

[@SonicRSA1]

Hi Pete. What a superb video! Just the kind of detail I've been looking for. Only just discovered your channel so looking forward to checking out everything else. Much appreicated and good health to you.

[@XiyuYang]

Thank you Pete! I can't tell how much I've learned from your videos, keep it up!

[@spdgoat1]

Excellent video, and fabulous tips, thanks! I'd love to see a similar video on putting together a mix in a live situation.

[@andiirejino1210]

can you do more videos like this? love everything you do.

[@ajrugp]

You're amazing, Pete. Thanks for being so willing to share your vast knowledge.

[@BakerImageGroup]

Awesome demo Pete! You're so good at programming drums, I'd love to see a demo of how you create your drum tracks. Thanks!

[@PeteThorn]

thanks!

[@sethjohnson6539]

You just did a massive favor for me ! Huge. Thanks man really thanks.

[@ethandorsett4895]

Pete thank you for your awesome advice! I always find your videos both helpful and entertaining! Your a great engineer as well as an amazing player!

[@TLHMUSIC]

Hey man, your videos helped me mix my guitars. I find a lot of the videos in this genre comes with gimmicks and B*** S***. Your videos are straight to the point and really helpful ! Nice work man you’ve gained a subscriber.

[@kevinoyster6937]

Yeesss! I'll be applying these techniques to future acoustic EPs for sure! Thank you Pete for this insightful vid!

[@ewetoo]

This was really helpful to me, I don't have a high end DAW so most of my mixing is in post. I just have a large diaphram mic so I'm glad I don't have to muck around with stereo stuff.

[@aholder4471]

I love Majove Audio. Great mics.

[@tmacdaddy46]

Pete thanks so much. Beautiful work musically and sonically - and your generosity in sharing your recording techniques is very much appreciated - and also freaking great !

[@CMGAGE]

Boom anther brilliant vid, with a beautiful track showcasing a genuine talent, simple as that, but also love his tips etc on playing the instrument he clearly loves loves. I have learnt so much from watching his video's...and you just get the vibe Pete is genuinely cool dude as well.

[@alexmontalvo6854]

Thank you for your in-depth analysis on this. Who knew that a pick can make a huge difference!!! OMG I should buy a few different pick thickness just to experiment. Thanks Pete.

[@kodedstudios6112]

God bless you sir....awesome info

[@MarcoGonzalez11]

GREAT VIDEO PETE!!! LEARN A LOT!!!! SUBSCRIBED!!!!!

[@SergeUnplugged]

what a sweet sound! Thanks for sharing great tips Pete

[@bazzzzz6175]

Fantastic video, mate!

[@ericgruber_guitarded]

Thanks Pete! Always enjoy your videos. Really useful and helpful. Long time subscriber and I tell you what I've learned a ton from these videos. Hope your doing well and thanks again.

[@kevincourcey813]

Hey Pete- this one is going to make the rounds of all my musician friends. Great info, well presented...as usual!

[@gregpestana1023]

Thanks Pete, At last I found a really useful and practical video in so many ways. Love your track, approach and talent .... thanks

[@PeteThorn]

Thank you Greg!

[@audiolabstudios]

Best video I've seen on this subject!

[@fannyingabout]

Great video. Those primetones are my number one picks.

[@gregwixted]

This was a great video. I just bought an Apollo X and am in the market for a great all purpose channel strip for tracking vocals, guitars (acoustic and electric), and bass. Definitely going to demo the 4000 E. Thanks for putting this together.

[@ThePanchomack]

Terrific Video ... thanks so much for taking us through process! First things first, it starts with microphone position and sound that comes from the source. There is so much potential of shaping the sound before even hitting the first device ...without spending a dime ;) had to learn this the hard way. Love the way you explain the details and talk through the Video. great piece of music by the way... cheers

[@MarshallSetUps]

Great video Pete. I usually choose a small diaphragm condenser on my acoustic tracks too. I'll use a large diaphragm next time. Thanks.

[@PrevostMusic]

Fantastic video. Thanks for breaking this down for us, Pete! Was gonna ask how you like to record acoustic during one of your Sunday lives, then figured I should search if you had anything posted first, and sure enough 🤣