Learn How to Mic Acoustic Guitars with Jacquire King

Grammy-winning producer Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Kings of Leon) shows you how he captures professional, soulful-sounding acoustic guitar tracks in real time using UAD plug-ins. Learn more about Universal Audio and UAD plug-ins at www.uaudio.com
Along with Nashville session guitar ace, Jerry McPherson (Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson) and UA's Ben Lindell, King details his thought process when choosing mics, taking into account genre and eventual mix placement, how he selects mic pairs, and how different combinations of microphones will give you superior results.
Mic Placement
Next, watch and listen as King runs through various mic positions as McPherson plays. Learn how to avoid "cloudy" areas that introduce mud, create a lead vocal "pocket" using panning, and how to effectively "EQ" with mic placement in order to avoid later EQing.
Choosing a Preamp
Get the lowdown as King walks you through various UAD mic preamps, including his faves - API Vision, UA 610-B, and the Neve 1073 plug-ins - and how he casts each preamp depending on mood, genre, and feel of the track. King also runs through the benefits of pairing the right mic with the right preamp.
Bring on the DI
Looking for a little more detail? Learn how to harness an acoustic's onboard pickup, whether you're in a pinch or if you're looking to add some spice to the miked sounds. Learn how King uses the UA 610-B Tube Preamp & EQ plug-in along with a bluestripe 1176 Limiter, Ocean Way Studios, and Helios Type 69 Preamp & EQ plug-ins to add air and tone.
Tips from the Trenches
A Nashville vet with credits on thousands of records, McPherson shows off a variety of Taylor acoustics and details how he chooses different models depending on the vibe of the track. He also details why experimenting with different picks is preferable to EQ tweaking.

[@MarkGeuel]

This is no doubt the BEST Sound Engineering video lesson I ever had! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 star samples, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 start demos, and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 star explanations

[@ISaudio]

Wow that DI sound you guys pulled off was incredible.

[@ZachSwena]

I love seeing examples of how a $100 mic can be used along side of expensive equipment. Mic placement, and matching it to the application and desired sound is so important...

[@UniversalAudio]

👍🏻

[@Sweetsmcdudeman]

I'm new at this but I'm recording a 30s style Martin 00 and I'm having trouble recording it. This makes me feel like I can give it some life. Sm57 Aston spirit and Apollo quad!

[@goldenchocolategameplays7831]

32:23 "-you hear that dimension all right" "-no"

[@PablogoOtv]

Lol

[@4th4444]

he said "yup" lmaoo

[@flaviusmiron4041]

😂😂😂

[@sylvainpoge3081]

😂😂

[@dasilvafernie]

😂😂😂

[@kelvinfunkner]

wow! this is like the defacto master class on mic'ing acoustic with two absolute living legends!!! Definitely some gems in here that I've never tried before!

[@Yahoomediaclub]

A pleasure to be shown techniques in using 2 Mics + Di to create a natural sound ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I say this every day, “we never stop learning” Cheap 57 + Top-shelf Mics. Awesome.

[@UniversalAudio]

Glad you enjoyed it Jono!

[@strat3069]

This is outstanding! Really clarifies a lot of miking concepts/techniques for acoustic guitar. Thanks so much for posting.

[@UniversalAudio]

Our pleasure Craig, glad you enjoyed it. 👍

[@artemflash9033]

I've been looking for that kind of stuff for the past 4 years. Finally! I Found it! Or rather, it found me in my KZbin reccomendations)) Thank you very much!

[@johngerardmusic7761]

So informative! This is absolutely great! And it makes me realize I don’t have to haul off and buy a bunch of stereo pairs.

[@hkkendall7150]

A very delightful experience being able to rub elbows with the three of you well-seasoned soundscapers revealing some hands-on voodoo with the tricky matter of capturing & enhansing acoustic guitar playing. Thanks! I particularly appreciate what was conveyed about the process of simply LISTENING as the starting point for acheiving the desired sound & audio quality. Great stuff! Glad to have found your YT channel.

[@davestagner]

Excellent video, thanks! I've been wanting to shift from one-mic to two-mic for acoustic guitar recording, and this gave me a lot of insights.

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@seanoates3886]

Best tutorial I've seen on the subject. Thank you.

[@UniversalAudio]

😍

[@buggzo]

This is like the only legitimate audio engineering video I've come across on KZbin since I've been scrubbing KZbin for like 15 years... I was beginning to wonder if I'm alone in the universe or something...

[@ChrrZ]

fantastic video, thanks UA, Jacquire King and Jerry McPherson

[@jerrymcp]

Fun times were had by all!

[@ChrrZ]

@@jerrymcp thanks jerry, your a fantastic player! i love your tone

[@roodsound]

Informative video and great examples. Way better than professional gearslutz blog engineers arguing about right and wrong. Just plug a mic in and use your ears.

[@MarkGeuel]

100% agree with you

[@swangonzalez4797]

i always thought that pros always used matched condensers to record stereo acoustics. It appears that in the real world this texbook rule is broken all the time . Rick Beato says that in Nashville this practice is quite common. LDC on body and SDC on 12th . Even 2 LDCs. Great stuff.

[@PuRe_AdDicT]

When he moved those mics those 2 inches..

[@PitchforkIncorporated]

“Don’t grab to many knobs”. Words to live by!

[@ToeyFingerstyle]

This is very useful ,Thank you very much!

[@UniversalAudio]

👍🏻

[@DawoodElai]

now this is what i call a master class

[@joninehritamusic]

This was great. I'm digging this longer, more in depth video! So helpful.

[@michaelyolch79]

Such an exceptional video from start to finish. I've been at it for years, but learned a lot! Bullet mic?!?!? Awesome!

[@TallerdelSebaRehbein]

Very cool, just 2 inches 👌... please make something about strings recording, thanks!

[@manuelleivatalledo615]

This is probably the definitive aco gt miking video out there, even compared with paid platforms... wow

[@taylorforward448]

super helpful video! Would love to see more like this ua

[@guentergschwendtner9523]

Really interesting approach. The only thing I am missing is the answer to the question if after so much effort setting the mics, the distance, the room, the panorama and so on „right“, does he record with all the settings in UAD REC mode? Greetings from Austria

[@roanmccormick7923]

Fantastic! A wealth of knowledge and applicable perspectives for many different scenarios.

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@geoffreycrowther4070]

What an excellent video, amazing to watch masters at work!

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@JoelFountain]

Super helpful video thanks Jacquire & all 👍

[@ScottSmithMusic]

Excellent video w tons of info from the best. Thank you guys for everything. I’m recording myself in a small spot, and I am always looking to grow and get better sounds so I very much appreciate all of this and I’ll consider it all even though my spot is a lot smaller. ✊🏼✨🙏🏼

[@spookybuk]

Wow, what a great video. Learned a lot from it. Thanks!

[@makerKID5]

Love this! Please make more.

[@LuizCarlosJesusdosSantos]

Wow ❤️ More videos like this!!!

[@southstudyspecialaide4934]

This was awesome please do more of these!

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@pacman_pol_pl_polska]

Thank you very much. Really helps with preparing to record your own guitar in your own room. Many noted tips

[@pauloss4225]

Fantastic video. Learned so much. Thank you so much!

[@UniversalAudio]

You're welcome Paul!

[@KordTaylor]

Great video. Thanks all! 😀

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@bdunn315]

at 11:41 how are you not getting a lot of room noise/hiss when you crank the gain like that? I have a KM184 and a black face Apollo 8 w 1073. When I do that I get a lot of room noise and hiss.

[@StuartwasDrinkell]

This is a true master class... im new to this and will upgrade my gear but first i have sm58, sm57, akg c114 and shure PGA81-XLR to experiment with. I have a question what qualities could an sm58 bring to acoustic instrument mic-ing or should it just be ruled out

[@jmoemorris4133]

VERY GOOD INFO AND DEMO,,, EVERYONE COULD LEARN FROM THIS FOR SURE. THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH

[@ultimativePwnage]

Great content!! I feel like I should be paying for thi---oh wait. As I'm addicted to your plug-ins, I'm already paying for this. A lot. God damnit....

[@UniversalAudio]

Thank you!

[@ianmeadows6351]

Excellent Video. Thank you for sharing.

[@UniversalAudio]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@luddiamant]

At 4:01- is the U67 pointing the 12th fret? The mic is in front of the hole, right? Thanks! 🙏

[@PalkoChris]

Beautiful, Thank You! 🤘

[@Jovian_Nights]

Thank you guys

[@UniversalAudio]

👍🏻

[@tedt.5961]

Thank you gentlemen, very helpful!

[@UniversalAudio]

Our pleasure.

[@tedt.5961]

@@UniversalAudio You may already be doing this, but what would be SUPER helpful would be a video using the included 8xp plugins (heritage) and how to make for example: 1.) a great bass guitar track 2.) a great vocal 3.) Guitars 4.) Drums Specifically which plugins to stack:) I'm loving the 8xp so far!

[@UniversalAudio]

Good idea!! Glad you're enjoying!

[@jameschandler_]

Super informative! Thank you

[@UniversalAudio]

you're welcome!

[@anrianka]

please make a video about saxophone redording

[@TomPerry-d1h]

at 18.28min.: why has the u67 no phantom power on in the uad console and the sm57 has it on. i thought it is the other way around? thank you for this video!

[@UniversalAudio]

The U67 has its own power supply that provides phantom power, so it doesn't need +48v from the Apollo. The SM57 doesn't require phantom - it just accidentally got left enabled on that channel, but it won't hurt the mic.

[@TomPerry-d1h]

thanks for the quick answer. got it. all the best!

[@ChuckSilva]

Awesome! ❤️

[@TNTales]

This video has shown me just how much I don't know. If I could just figure out how to record myself with mic placement. Hard to play and move mics at the same time.

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@miguelgarza5479]

43:16 covers this to an extent but honestly, it’s just gonna be a ton of trial an error

[@richkohl]

On 1st section the capsule on the 67 was not facing the guitar?

[@LIVETVSL]

Thank you sir

[@UniversalAudio]

👍🏻

[@lush462]

Why are the 2 mic inputs on the Apollo empty??? Where is the neuman u67 and km184 is connected???

[@UniversalAudio]

The mics are plugged into the Apollo X behind them.

[@chandeleerjet5637]

Could I do this same method with a Shchoeps pencil Mk5 and a C12 tube or do I need Neumann?

[@andresacuna6808]

Killer video!

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@gharkirasoibymeena838]

wow very good.

[@antman2826]

11:35 Wow! That's really starting to sound good now.

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@jerrymcp]

Agreed!

[@Beshinemusician]

Great video. What brand of Mic stands are you using?

[@UniversalAudio]

Neumann and a mix of others.

[@chaoticlove7988]

When you're recording with two mics are you recording each track in mono?

[@UniversalAudio]

Correct.

[@armmyrockyou6895]

thx youuuuuuuuuuuu

[@kylegushue]

So theres a rack full of apollo x's, and they used a 3 year old twin mk2???

[@UniversalAudio]

Hey Kyle, if you look carefully, you'll notice that the guitar is being processed by the X series unit. 👍

[@symonmarcusmusic2403]

How far away are the mics to each other? 30-40cm? Greetings

[@UniversalAudio]

Roughly.

[@xaosnox]

Top notch, just like everything from UA, but I can't help but laugh at the fact that they have a framed photo of the LA-2A Silver when they have a real one only a meter away it in the rack!

[@UniversalAudio]

Hey, people have pictures of their pets hanging on their walls while the pet lays at their feet don't they?? 😄

[@HollerAtcherBoi]

I think it’s much better than not owning the hardware and still having the picture

[@exoduslnx]

@ 18:45 Were the mics maybe mislabeled? Just looking at the 48V. Insane video, too many notes to take.

[@UniversalAudio]

Indeed!!

[@Esperia-ef9xh]

❤❤

[@CarstenGoeke]

18:47 Phantom Power on the SM 57 ?

[@UniversalAudio]

Won't hurt it.

[@CarstenGoeke]

@@UniversalAudio Love the video ✌🏼

[@UniversalAudio]

👊

[@h.j.w2783]

14:56 - What was that strange noise?

[@UniversalAudio]

No clue!! But kudos for the ears!! 👍

[@jerrymcp]

That was me doing my "multi-timbral, under my breath yell." Good ears!

[@rickymolina7390]

Just wanted to thank Jacquire, Jerry and Ben for this extremely informative masterclass on mic-ing acoustic guitars. It gives songwriters that much more understanding and confidence to try out some professional recording and mixing techniques and create music that can make your music stand out. I learned so much. Thank you everybody.

[@chillydill4703]

This was super interesting! Please do more of these. Maybe next time could be percussion "at home". How to make "cool" sounds and what to think about in general.

[@h1pst3r88]

Fantastic video! This was a like a master class!!!

[@UniversalAudio]

It truly is!

[@michaelmorh2537]

Universal Audio please my Apollo twin hardware device refuses to booth when I tried turning it on this morning, please how do I fix this problem?

[@RickK1988]

@@michaelmorh2537 maybe try actually contacting customer service. Commenting on a KZbin video just makes you look dumb.

[@ClassicalPan]

@@RickK1988 You look rude.

[@RickK1988]

@@ClassicalPan okay? Truth hurts sometimes.

[@andrewtelles6586]

You’ll end with 100k subscribers if you consistently put out videos like this

[@MarkGeuel]

@Agent К_видео How about 10M :D

[@darwinmatias4977]

exactly. fantastic tutorial.

[@FrancescoDeGrazia]

Here they are!

[@exoduslnx]

2 years later 114k

[@kassandjohnbolles3522]

I am so proud to be a part of the UA family. I love my Apollo and am just touching the surface of the Unison preamps. These video resources are invaluable. Thank you so much!

[@UniversalAudio]

😍

[@nigamshahmusic]

This was an amazing video, thanks so much to everyone who worked on it. Seeing a master at work and really having him talk through his thought process was fantastic and very educational.

[@UniversalAudio]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@thiseasebob]

This is actually very useful piece of content, full of meaty and non-generic infos, and seeing the engineer take his time to listen (and react accordingly) is the most informative thing ever. Not that many tracking-focused videos out there with this level of balance between examples, micing techniques, insights (even from the performer in this case, what a luxury!). Thank you for taking the time to make this really cool video for us!

[@UniversalAudio]

👍🏻

[@666Pertti]

This was great, thank you! Pick is a big deal yes, but so are those hands. What a player!

[@artysanmobile]

The acoustic guitar has become perhaps the single most recognizable recorded musical instrument, aside from voice. It dominates a very wide swath of musical style and composition, so has become really critical to record in a manner that best suits the piece. I’ve lost count of the ways I have recorded it over the years but I will say there is definitely no best way. Depending on its use in a song, I have had great success with the following: 1. A tie-clip PZM clamped to the upper soundhole facing the strings. 2. A short shotgun condenser 4 feet away 3. A non-coincident pair of small diaphragm condensers spaced widely 4. A single ribbon mic 6 inches away from the neck-joint These are techniques I have come back to again and again and it is always the musical intent which dictates where I start.

[@BIG_PASTA]

35:16 .... sounds perfect to me ;) Also thanks, this is awesome! Please do more full length videos like this!

[@jellybean7253]

Thanks guys. I've been a live sound guy for over 45 years. I did a few studio gigs, but, missed the roar of the crowd. Now, in old age, I have opened a studio and everything is digital. Who knew? lol. Anyhow, still learning and love to get all the ideas and knowledge I can. Cheers

[@matthewleger5605]

One of the most helpful videos on youtube. Thanks, UAD.

[@coyoteserranoband]

Agreed!

[@EtcEtcAndEtc]

I'm 100% certain I can hear Dave Pensado in the background at 14.57....

[@MaxGauthierguitar]

Very surprised about how much of a difference the preamps made at 11:22. Really pleasant sound!

[@UniversalAudio]

Unison in action!!

[@riktascale4]

@@UniversalAudio Love it! Is it the same effect with the black unit??

[@sightseerproductions]

Jerry! He’s freaking amazing. We did a few songs for a friend of mine. Such a bad ass player.

[@josefvr3315]

278 smart people. 1 deaf.

[@randomschittz9461]

“Grumpy dirty low mid” why you talking bout me?

[@DoSomethingProductive]

The video he did with Jamie Lidell on the Apollo series was actually amazing and maybe better than the album recording.

[@TheDilligan]

My problem when I mic this way is that My breathing comes in just as loud as my guitar. Then by the time there's a compressor on the track and a limiter on the mix, the breathing will actually cut through the mix. It might be because I'm a loud breather and I don't use a pick. But I'm having a really hard time recording acoustic for that reason.

[@austinhudson6943]

I actually had a similar problem because I typically play with my fingers. I've found that using a pick at parts where it's conducive brings up some of the higher frequencies that helps the acoustic have a percussive effect in the mix. If you can use a pick, even if it's a thin pick, I'd do that. In terms of breathing, I usually take a long and slow exhale before recording a part and try to breathe as quietly as possible, sometimes even towards the side of my head. If breathing is a huge problem for you, if you're recording in a pair with a cardioid microphone in the body, you can angle the mic in such a way that you're breathing can be targeted towards the back of the mic where the sound isn't getting picked up as much.

[@KevKam]

Thanks, great info - One Question - Generally when I watch mixing or recording videos in studio's I often see acoustic guitars adorning the control room walls, do you not find the ringing harmonics from these acoustics on the wall interfere or colour what your listening too? and subsequently give misleading tones or harmonics?. I often dampen my acoustics on the wall as I hear extraneous tones that dont help with getting a accurate mix? Thanks.

[@JackTheRabbitMusic]

my favorite way to get a great acoustic guitar sound in a recording is not use a Taylor in the first place 😂 I think it’s funny that he changed the sound of the guitars so much in “the mix” (both the mahogany and the 814) that they no longer have that characteristic bright and shiny Taylor sound. When I play a Taylor, all I hear are the strings, and not the guitar; I like the sound of wood, and Taylor’s don’t sound like wood. Can you tell I have a bone to pick with Taylor hahaha! Anyway, awesome demo of mic technique. You should do one with a finger-style guitarist, because there are a lot more things to worry about with a finger-style player. Make music great again! 🐰🎸🎶🤝✌️

[@JohannesLabusch]

While I was watching this, I thought, aw, the poor guy, he's so good, and all he gets to play are ... Taylors! Maybe he has a couple of nice guitars at home that he allows himself to play when he's not at work ...

[@hr2186]

To be played through a cellphone and TV speaker. Streamed. Sad ain't it.

[@MurdaMetz]

I really dig this video but I’m curious how you would go about setting up for finger picked style of acoustic guitar without adding to much mic / pre noise ? I’m guessing you would want to go with a mic with a higher sensitivity, but how do you go about cutting down on the noise when your are using higher gain levels for quiet sources ? I notice in this video there was barely any noticeable noise and I didn’t here much of any noise that I would normally expect to hear when moving mics or when playing a micd acoustic ? Great video !!

[@officialWWM]

joshua metzger you just need a high quality mic pre.

[@MurdaMetz]

@@officialWWM thanks

[@MrPhilosofly]

this is amazing. actual professionals sharing their process in real time. there's just so much to learn here for us guys in our spare bedrooms. THANK YOU GENTLEMEN one and all for this masterclass!!

[@UniversalAudio]

😍

[@felipebonacic]

My favorite producer and teacher Mr. King! The attention to all these little details and focusing on the source first, some many golden nuggets! Awesome video! 🙏🏼

[@CreateArtRecords]

How you listen to the actual recording? In the same Room over Loaudspeaker!?

[@UniversalAudio]

Yes.

[@huyked]

Ugh. I feel so bad. I can hear some obvious changes. But dang if I can hear any difference when he was twiddling with the knobs and sliders. xD

[@simonb2738]

Wow. This is awesome content. Very useful. Thanks!

[@bdunn315]

how are they not getting tons of hiss when they crank the gains up?

[@andYz00m]

Good question!

[@robertsimpson5801]

I'm thinking they are using something like a cloud lifter that uses phantom power to add about 20 dB of clean gain to the preamp....

[@bdunn315]

Cloud lifters only work with microphones that aren’t phantom powered if I remember right. At least that’s the way mine works.

[@bdunn315]

correct. Their only for Ribbons and Dynamics. I don't know how their up gaining so cleanly. Would really like UA to these guys to respond.

[@soundknight]

Planet waves cables have low cap, you need better cables in the studio. I like Mogami and lava

[@siriusfun]

One of your best vids yet - thanks for this. Also, I'm now in need of the Ocean Way and Helios plug ins, apparently, so mission accomplished!

[@UniversalAudio]

They're great!!