Recording Acoustic Guitar: Mic vs DI

[@Seif-Music-Videos]

And many times, ourely acoustic recordings can sound better than mixing with DI. My personal take is that it is always better to hear an acoustic instrument in its natural colours with little to no artifacts. I love to hear the instrument in the recording knowing that this is how exactly the musicians sound like on their own. I haven't come across a single acoustic musician (whether it's classical guitar, classical piano, violin, cello, flamenco, oud, Persian setar, citar, etc) where the question of even blending DI and acoustic is ever mentioned: I only see/hear that in some acoustic guitar players. It can make an interesting sound of course, but not always, and when it does, it's still not the purely natural sound of the instrument.

[@santiagovalenciamusic]

Haha. Great story. I think I missed that one in Sunday school!

[@greatestsawes9712]

😂😂😂😂

[@AshishSinghPaL777]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@dunlevy55]

You are a natural teacher… and your logic is solid despite what quite a few have said about your video. Maybe they just haven’t been playing 56 years as I have. I play a Martin 000C-16GTE with a Fishman Prefix Stereo blender: I blend the internal mic and piezo bridge pickup ring on the instrument. The tones are just so much more beautiful even with just the small internal mic/and better microphones make this difference even more apparent. I play with a good friend who just blew 2 grand on an exquisitely built Taylor.. she plays it DI… a couple of weeks ago I miked us both up on a large diaphragm rig and it blew her away. Like you said dude, “the mic sounds that much better.” Spot on… I always mix with an X2 when I want my acoustic guitar to sound like an acoustic guitar. When I want electric I play my Rosewood Telecaster. Rock on!

[@matthewward5813]

A DI signal with an acoustic has that plasticky sound that everyone of them has. I really don’t think there is any way to make it sound as good as a mic’ed up guitar does.

[@AP530]

I hear what ur saying. Im just wondering if theres a quick technique to get a decent d.i. sound real quick. Maybe for a background guitar track

[@soundmattersuk]

The plasticky sound is usually down to piezo pickups. Nowadays you can get a variety of "pickups". Some are electromagnetic, just like electric guitars, and they tend to have that kind of sound, others have a small microphone, and some are hybrids that use more than one method. The latter ones are great for line work, although I'd still use a proper condenser mic for the studio.

[@MetaITurtle]

I think Mic captures a live sound and you can feel the emotion more

[@brandontadday6288]

You can make DI acoustic passable, especially if you are dealing with a dense mix where it isn’t necessarily the main focus of a track. Otherwise, mic’d up does sound way better and more natural 95 percent of the time.

[@robburgess4556]

My first thought when you started detailing what you were going to do was: Record both and blend the signals. They both excel in different ways and not availing yourself of that because of a bias (in either direction) is silly. You can get the woody warmth of the mic and the consistency and articulation of the DI. Like chocolate and peanut butter - both awesome but together they're heavenly. 😊

[@hyunmineun9322]

Depends on the quality of the guitar's pickup as I have seen some horrible sounding pickups. But yes, some pickups are good enough to blend with mic signal and they sound great together!

[@randommiker]

A USTs cant magically sound better with a DI. Nearly all UST are 9V so its going to distort unlike 18V. Even with 18V and with the extra headroom, the UST is still limited and doesnt pickup the body or air of the woods. The DI is coloring the tone to sound more “pleasing” but its still polishing a turd.

[@theoneneolink]

And also, you can keep the DI for parallel processing stuff like using it to activate a reverb and only using the Wet signal.

[@njcranes]

I'd be curious to see that. Blend the two. And then one step further, I'd like to see the diff of using say a ToneDeq reverb thru DI vs adding it in the DAW

[@danmcbmusic]

problem is, they are never gonna be in phase.

[@michaelkelly6583]

Thanks Joe. I really like my Taylor’s Expression II (though I know some don’t) and the mic together. Then blend. Stay well.

[@DavidRosario69]

Usually use DI in church with feedback buster in the sound hole because that's the best way to deal with feedback, but for recording, I use both mic and DI and blend to taste. Usually don't need much of the DI track.

[@HandsOnMusicLearning]

Nice video! I'm just starting my own channel and came across yours. Keep up! just subbed

[@Ryandgeorgi]

Personally I'm team blend. The low end on the DI signals is just a bit different, but how much I'd use depends on the rest of the mix.

[@maxdonosos]

Oh boy that guitar sounds beautiful!

[@graemeallan1284]

The mic definitely sounds better but I use I blend of DI and mic, more in the favour of the mic but the DI can really help add some weight to the mic track

[@rabinrai5203]

is there phase cancellation problem? need to adjust track?

[@Mikegeb4545]

I Record DI and mic then use panning to separate them. One is more on the left and the other is more on the right. It creates a huge sounding guitar. Especially it is a good approach if the primary instrument is acoustic guitar. For a busier mix mic recording is enough

[@josephvalo]

Great Video!! I'm going to save up and get a mic or 2. 😃

[@johnriley8314]

Even a Small Diaphragm condenser mic will work if placed properly ( less $$ as well) Hope this helps

[@arihantbaidmusic]

That first little sketch!! 🤣 🤣 Keep it up joe! 🤘

[@dextrip25]

Awesome intro, brother!

[@aneveningwithebola2727]

The idea I'm starting to wrap my head around after all these years is: as soon as a pickup enters the equation, the wood becomes little more than the thing that holds the strings. Could be the thinnest of thinlines or a full-sized dreadnought, either way what you're hearing is the Piezo going into the preamp. I say that as an unapoligetic DI recording heathen, by the way - capturing the authentic acoustic sound is NOT a priority in the music I make, I just want a snappy acoustic-ish clean tone. If it matters to you and the type of music you play, the only way to do it is with a mic.

[@seanconnell5362]

Funny thing is a I do record 2 tracks and blend too. A condenser and an sm57. So it still doesn't get plugged in. It sounds good like that

[@12qwertyuiop90]

80% mic and 20% Di, perfect

[@aretoocrazy]

It is funny that you put this video out this week. I bought a small diaphram condensor last week and recorded my acoustic on Monday using the mic and DI to see how they sounded.

[@rabinrai5203]

does blending guitar mic and guitar direct input together sound very good versus just guitar mic-ed? thinking whether i should get 2 input or 4 input audio interface to record guitar and vocals

[@joelgardnermusic]

The best guitar tone I've (so far) managed to get is by taking the low end of the di and using the mids and highs of the mic. Gave it a pretty unique tone. Most of what I do is focused around one guitar tho so I need tonnnessss of warmth. Found it much easier to control (and have louder) the DI'd low end

[@lucas_laux]

that is really got tip, i always record it both ways at the same time and try to mix and blend it till i think is enough of each of them, but your method seems interesting

[@resslerartstudios]

Agreed!

[@jim4633]

Totally favor small condensers in xy but liking my Ltd tl6 and 12 thru a zoom ac-3.

[@Grand_Alchemist]

I would have liked to hear a stereo mix of Mic / DI.

[@PotatoflakeJake]

Hey bud. Nice vid. However i have the lr baggs with thr condenser mic and the piexzo. I dont think ots fair to compare the piezo to a full size diaphram condenser. Test the lr baggs with the one that has the condenser mic and the piezo tonget a fair picture.

[@klaatuklaatu1]

I Like the DI Better! It sounds great to me man! If its good enough for Paul McCartney when he plays live, its good enough for me.. I love Paul's live recordings.. I really like the DI because it has that live sound because so many use that for live recordings.. I record with DI but it can be hard because you sometimes can hear when you move your hand across the strings and also when you touch the guitar body wrong. But I really want to record with both a Mic and DI so I can blend it..

[@Turdsplosion]

I needed a demonstration of DI vs MIC to see if I could justify going DI instead of what I suspected would be best... investing in a decent mic. It's a non-starter on tone though, you are right. Mic all the way. Thanks for the straight forward info and the delightful intro. Maybe I can learn a thing or two, ya got my sub. Cheers man.

[@rendypradhana]

I used both!

[@copperaudio9664]

'Am I right?' - IMO yes, but... The mic is hearing the wood. The pickup is transducing the magnetic field or the vibration (piezo) of the strings. Adding a bit of the pickup signal could be interesting in small amounts. Probably not every time but worth a try.

[@AP530]

Joe Gilder - I would still like to see a video from you about how to get a decent acoustic DI sound for recording using only EQ, REVERB/DELAY and Compression. Thanks

[@silentnightacoustics6519]

Hey Joe, love your content👍👍informative, intelligent and professional delivery. Your shared knowledge adds colour to imagination.

[@gcoudert]

Funny you should post this. I've been re-recording the acoustic guitar lines on a number of my tracks over the last few days. I use a £180 shallow-bowl, Ovation-style Stagg electro-acoustic guitar (I'm not a proper guitarist so cannot justify buying a more expensive one). The DI signal sounds so shrill, chimy and thin I can't even EQ it properly and it's even worse when I pan two double-tracked lines left and right. My studio is very small so it is difficult for me to use two mics but a single condenser mic gives me a satisfactory result that is undeniably better than a DI'd pick-up recording.

[@johnriley8314]

Even a Small Diaphragm condenser mic,placed properly,will do Wonders for your sound instead of DI

[@germanboza]

Hey Joe, what are your favorite acoustic guitar strings?

[@gurindersingh7933]

Thanks Joe but we like to see videos like how to make beat or traps or many more short video of studio one daw.

[@YusraChannel]

What do you think about Acoustic Guitar Impulse Response? That make a DI acoustic guitar sound into an acoustic guitar with mic sound

[@BurninSven1]

One second after you started playing I could hear the DI sound and I do not like it at all. In fact I´m going to only record with mics in the future even electric guitars which I bought small cheap amps for. Some of the small cheap amps sound pretty good today and you still get a good sound on low volume.

[@TC_Conner]

Why did you use a preamp? I’d think a fair comparison would be straight into your audio interface without it. Or maybe I’m missing something because I’m new to home studio recording. I play a Martin. D28, but have never made a comparison miked with my AKG P120 vs. straight into my Scarlett 2i2. I’m waiting on a Shure SM81 and will definitely do a comparison when it gets here.

[@arkybeagle6159]

For one, there is material for which a plain old Tak quack stick is simply better. It's a Texas cliche now. For second, not all pickups sound as good as other pickups. I have a K&K Pure Mini on one guitar and it's pretty good. I generally drop a DI track and sometimes use the DI track only, sometimes mixed with a mic track and sometimes use only the mic. In a dense mix, quack stick pops. Steve Earle's "Shut Up And Die Like an Aviator" is a live album, all Tak-ish quack stick and it's perfect for that record. Not a "good" or "pretty" sounding record ( he went to jail not too long after this one because of los drogas ) but it fits the raw ethos of that record like a pretty sounding flattop would not have. Any way; my $.02 ; go with what your ears tell you and don't take any wooden nickels.

[@garvolt]

I like both.

[@renanterezan9922]

What about acoustic guitar Impulse responses?

[@monsirto]

Great video but I think its very dependent on the guitar and the pickup system. Ever played a Maton or top of the line Ovation?

[@letsplaytogether5999]

I just loved your videos You give me lots of techniques thank you bro ❤❤❤

[@DestoTrading]

How would you mix the DI if you only had that to work with, for exmaple for a live situation?

[@Junior1385]

I record my acoustic guitar one way with microphone and the other way plugged in to amp and i blend them togheter and have the best world of 2 sounds.

[@FVDaudio]

Depends... Live situations, stage monitoring, etc. Into the studio maybe both... Why not?

[@avitolourenco]

Chord progression used in the video.

[@philipmarkedwards]

I have trouble with pick, string and finger noise using a microphone.

[@Superfuntimejazz]

Great video. Voice / guitar with mic sounds terrific. How sensitive is that Roswell? My apartment is street level - roaring trucks going by occasionally. I don't have access to a super insulated studio, so I'm looking to NOT record my acoustic, but rather enjoy it amplified. Will the Roswell pick up the furnace below my bedroom, street noise, etc. Or will the ambient noise be slight? Again, not interested in recording, but amplification.

[@IntheDAW]

that intro XD it made my day

[@AshishSinghPaL777]

That intro story though!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@IntheDAW]

also Joe have you tried the new guitar impulses made for acoustic guitars? you are supposed to be able to use a acoustic guitar DI load a acoustic guitar impulse and it sounds like that guitar. I have never tried it since all my acoustics are classical guitars with no pickup but it's supposed to be amazing.

[@stephenbrent6408]

Thanks for your info and service to us home recording amateurs. Very helpful. I watched your video on how to record acoustic guitars with one mike and you referenced a recording cheatsheet. Unfortunately, the link seems to be broken/expired. Do you still offer that cheat sheet?

[@kenbrunet6120]

If you want to blend the DI and mic tracks together. Would you have to record them perfecttly and identically?

[@ila_rio]

The song is wrote by tenacious D

[@jamindelaney7998]

Okay, so I'm using a DI for my guitarist at church BUT I really love the way your guitar sounded with the mic! Is there any way to use that mic for the guitarist playing with the worship team without pick up noise from the other musicians??

[@johnriley8314]

You could try a Small diaphragm condenser mic(what I use to record acoustic guitar) or a decent to good quality dynamic mic(sure57 or 58 come to mind) Place approx 8-12" away from hole of guitar hole,pointed directly at hole,but positioned near where the neck & body meet.Would also help,if set up this way,to have guitarist microphone pointed mainly at him & AWAY from others as much as possible. Give this a try & hope it helps.God Bless& Stay Safe

[@Al69BfR]

But would you use two microphones pointed on different areas of the guitar and would you recommend to use a room mic too?

[@ВалераИванов-ъ3ж]

The sound of the guitar is very beautiful, what is the name of your guitar?

[@HomeStudioCorner]

Gibson J-45

[@TVsBen]

The only DI I've ever heard that sounded remotely decent was in one of those hojillion-dollar Taylors with the multi-pickup setup. Everything else sounds basically like what you've recorded. Even in the Taylor's case it wasn't as good as that instrument sounded in the room.

[@arkybeagle6159]

Dave's World of Run Stuff has him installing a K&K . I have a K&K and those are very good pickups. Still a hint of plasticky. If you don't use an onboard preamp, load the pickup with a very high ( like 1-10 M ohm ) impedance input.

[@royglennie]

I have a Tanglewood with a really excellent pickup in it, hardly plasticky at all

[@HEATHfromOZ]

Whoa, yes! If it's only one, then Mic it is for sure. I don't reckon any amount of EQ would get that DI track as sweet as the other.....

[@danmarshall3089]

need di for the low end and blend with the top end on the mic

[@RyanChenMusic]

I'd love to see a revisit of this if you ever get your hands on the LR Baggs Anthem (the pickup version with the microphone). On my current project i recorded my acoustic with both the Anthem and a large diaphragm condenser to get a stereo image during one take. After EQ during mixing, I got confused which was which.

[@dennisk.3909]

The.LR Baggs Lyric is even better, because it completely lacks a piezo-under saddle pickup. All sounds are produced by an internal contact-microphone.

[@alamakluke]

Hi there. I have the SL 3 16 mixer and I am using studio one as my DAW....my question is are you using DAW mode all the time or not when you record at home? If no can you share when you use DAW mode and not. Thx in advance.

[@thonguyen7999]

why Tommy Emmanuel use both Mic and Pickup all most his music video?

[@theoneneolink]

I'm curious if you've ever tried running an acoustic guitar's DI signal through an acoustic guitar impulse response. I'm sure nothing beats the kind of sound you get from miking if you're after the conventional airy/bright/room embedded acoustic guitar sound, unless you're specifically seeking the DI sound (like Steve Stevens in Flamenco A Go Go type of stuff), but I was wondering if applying convolution reverb might yield results that approach those from real microphones. The examples you can find by searching on KZbin sound pretty promising.

[@hotjamsm07]

I find all my DI acoustic guitars sound very, very compressed. The mic guitars sound a lot more full with a lot more harmonics. That said, you may find a time and place where you want the DI sound.

[@robertmortimer8339]

I heard alot of buzzing on the strings from the DI signal.

[@rabinrai5203]

does blending guitar mic and guitar direct input together sound very good versus just guitar mic-ed? thinking whether i should get 2 input or 4 input audio interface to record guitar and vocals

[@royglennie]

Hey, nice comparison. This shows just how different they are coming off the same guitar! How are you finding the sound of your new room?

[@tonykaos4450]

I use di to record my acoustic because I don’t have the most ideal room for recording with a mic, my mic picks up lots of background noise and people walking and talking in the hallways, but damn I’m definitely missing out on that tone because your mic sounds amazing compared to that di!

[@HomeStudioCorner]

I said who cares if it picks up a little extra noise

[@tonykaos4450]

@@HomeStudioCorner yeah I heard that part as I was typing out my comment haha this video gave me some inspiration and I wrote an entire song since that comment haha thanks man!

[@vogsonair]

cool video Joe, cool story😁 can anybody tell me, what if i record guitar and vocals at the same time..i use to record the DI signal when recording both at the same time but i saw a lot of videos how to record in this situation with 2 mics but i just doesn't work when i try it..i ALWAYS have a lot of vocals on my guitar mic, i tried 1000s of different mic positions, with cardioid and hypercardioid mics but its always the same, the vocals are about as loud as the guitar on the guitar mic...has anybody the same problem or a solution? i also tried dynamic mics but i always have the same problem...

[@wesleyhendricks153]

Hey...did you try positioning your vocal mic pointing upwards? And if you have settings on your mic try to put it on "directional" so it only pic up sound from the front. So your mic should be in a 45 degree like position pointing upward towards your mouth and away from the guitar. Then for your guitar mic did you try using a shotgun type of mic. It will pick up sound from the front only. Try to position it in a more downward position pointing towards your guitar and pointing away from your mouth. One should also try different positions and see what works best. But try a 45 degree downward position so the mic will be a bit higher pointing downwards towards the guitar hole or fingerboard. It should be like pointing a torch in the direction where you want the light to shine. Also try putting the vocal mic a bit closer to your mouth as well as the guitar mic closer to the guitar. Another trick you can try is if you have Melodine( or perhaps a simular vocal correction software) to fine tune the vocals a bit. Once you load your vocal track in Melodine it will also show a bit of the guitar notes that was captured. You can either highlight and delete those notes or lower the volume of those notes a bit to your taste. The thing is to trial and error and see what works best for you. I hope this helps.

[@MichaelNatrin]

Did Adam play a Gibson or a Martin?

[@MilesHoppus]

i really like how bright the DI sound is. but the quality is better on MIC for sure

[@jayjaymusic101]

Man i should really follow your recording advice. This was just what I need with my Guitar. the plug in just does not do it for me. Sound way better with mic!!!!!

[@mcfek7575]

Why not both at the same time?

[@schipbreukeling3]

Mic and DI blended, I wonder if that is helpful with electric guitar as well.

[@moebees3060]

I cannot believe you never hit the headstock on the edge of the table. Looked like it was about an inch away.

[@Chaton68]

I'm so confused... I really like your DI sound, actually

[@gregtapevideo1464]

I know some folks that need to see this video. Myself? Always mic it.

[@BladesMusic]

Plinky. That's the word I use to describe the DI version of my Ovation 1824 Baladeer - shallow. Sounds better on my Rode NT1. Sounds better with a convolution with a cab imported. Sounds better with my Variax 500 on an Acoustic setting. Sounds best with some hybrid between all of the above. Would sound even better if I had a proper acoustic guitar with my Rode NT1. Check out the tune I did as a cover of Dishwalla's Angels or Devils on my website at www.blades.technology/music/songs/angels-or-devils-dishwalla-cover - that's my Ovation with Mic (or maybe the convolution - don't remember)...

[@Wheel333]

The upstrokes on the DI are much louder than microphone take.

[@chriscutress6542]

DI is picking up fret noize whereas the mic'ed version sounds much better overall with little fret noize.

[@_jajajaja_]

Alice in chains - Nutshell. Clearly using a DI for guitar. Not sure why they opted for that, but it gives it a certain quality. Would sound weird with a mic'd acoustic now.

[@Esperia-ef9xh]

❤❤❤

[@DeeKeyLP]

yes.

[@ShiningHourPop]

PastToFutureSamples are selling acoustic guitar IRs so that you can play a piezo DI sound through an IR plugin. They’re not perfect, and won’t turn a cheapo guitar into a J-45 or D-28, but they do sound better than a piezo. I’ve recorded both mic and DI, played the DI through the IR, then panned hard left and right and the results are pretty decent. Perhaps picked strings are better than strumming but still better than the piezo quack. Gumroad.com is the website

[@rafik2910ify]

It seems just like two different guitars, if I close my eyes it seems just like two different musicians !

[@reygab3880]

101% agree ….DI sounds crispy but not realistic natural sound on acoustic guitar

[@adeeliyanage9617]

I never liked the sound of dI but after this video , nope i still hate it.

[@hashirsiddiqui8491]

Honestly I prefer the DI sound

[@frederik2749]

Why not blend

[@HomeStudioCorner]

Because I hate the sound of DI, so I have no reason to want to force it into my recording.

[@frederik2749]

@@HomeStudioCorner DI and Mic blend can make a good recording sound

[@HomeStudioCorner]

I’m sure. But I love the sound of a mic or two. I don’t feel a need to change it.

[@frederik2749]

Yes you do whats works for you blending mic and piezo is also a good way to recording

[@lightsjohnson8253]

nothing no more needs to be said

[@MattLeFaitMusic]

😂😂 best song ever

[@marcvsn.2125]

First time in my life i will not follow the serpent

[@JanneKuronen]

You got my 666th like, also my receipt tonight had a 6,66€ price written on it when shopping groceries. Maybe I should stop recording acoustic guitars for my metal songs tonight.

[@marin4311]

I don't like that gummy buzzy sound of the piezo in high-mids.

[@danielfmyers]

Unless you’re recording live in front of a drum set 🤭

[@HomeStudioCorner]

Then re-record it later. 😊 👍

[@danielfmyers]

Joe Gilder • Home Studio Corner I was actually just thinking that our current church situation would allow just that 🙂

[@TrakMonkProductions]

Mic sounds 10000% better.

[@snaredrum954]

Wrong Adam...wrong! 😂

[@jonathanfelso]

No cab or reverb or amp plugin? Of course an unmodified DI signal wont sound as good. Thats like comparing an electric with no amp to an electric with one. You did not give the DI signal a fighting chance. Biased review indeed.

[@kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk130]

DI

[@greatestsawes9712]

MIC 🏆