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

[@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.

[@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

[@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]

😍

[@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]

👍🏻

[@felipebonacic7634]

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! 🙏🏼

[@leftofcenter4]

One of the best acoustic clips ever guys thanks again…watch this 2 years ago…but needed a refresh

[@matthewleger5605]

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

[@coyoteserranoband]

Agreed!

[@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.

[@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

[@ToeyFingerstyle]

This is very useful ,Thank you very 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!

[@ISaudio]

Wow that DI sound you guys pulled off was incredible.

[@rgrgraterol]

More content like this UA. 3 years later I keep coming back to this to improve my acoustic guitar recording game.

[@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!

[@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. 👍

[@randyk1919]

This is the best video I've ever come across re: recording acoustic guitar -- super informative! Thank you!

[@UniversalAudio]

🥂

[@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]

😍

[@AlbertWeijers]

This was great! Lots of things to try out for me. Different approaches.

[@joninehritamusic]

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

[@Electricowlworks]

Really enjoyed this video. Thanks a ton for having Jerry and Jacquire as guests! - chaz

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@seanoates3886]

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

[@UniversalAudio]

😍

[@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.

[@ash_bee_music]

After starting out in the early 90s on a Tascam 4 track, going digital in the early 2000s, my recent purchase of an Apollo Twin X has put me in a whole new world. Seeing vids like these and all the other plug ins makes me realise Universal Audio is gonna send me broke while loving every minute of it 😂

[@makerKID5]

Love this! Please make more.

[@666Pertti]

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

[@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.

[@ontogeny6474]

Thank you gentlemen. This was great!

[@roanmccormick7923]

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

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@simonb2738]

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

[@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.

[@JoelFountain]

Super helpful video thanks Jacquire & all 👍

[@AllenZWang]

That is helpful and inspireble,thanks for sharing

[@geoffreycrowther4070]

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

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@Selkii]

This was great - thanks for sharing this fab content you guys. I'm absolutely loving my Arrow and never been more excited about what I'm creating in my home studio setup. So Thankful!

[@UniversalAudio]

🙏

[@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]

👍

[@goldenchocolategameplays7831]

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

[@PablogoOtv]

Lol

[@4thss28]

he said "yup" lmaoo

[@flaviusmiron4041]

😂😂😂

[@sylvainpoge3081]

😂😂

[@dasilvafernie]

😂😂😂

[@taylorforward448]

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

[@pranphorun9647]

Very thank you for this episode . that help my lift easier.

[@michaelyolch79]

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

[@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!

[@danieldevine8588]

I'm thankful to have stumbled upon this video. I have always loved the sound of the acoustic instruments on disc one of Jars of Clay's Furthermore (recorded by King)

[@rbeckzz]

Insanely helpful

[@edwardlewis8045]

Really one of the best recording acoustic guitars and especially using UAD plugins

[@pauloss4225]

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

[@UniversalAudio]

You're welcome Paul!

[@modernmusicstudio303]

Such a useful tutorial for people at any level of recording and audio production! Thank you!

[@UniversalAudio]

😍

[@southstudyspecialaide4934]

This was awesome please do more of these!

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@foxytv4896]

Thanks a lot for this nice session !

[@foxytv4896]

@@oinkooink Crumble- a very nice song from Mother Tongue !

[@fabienfustinoni1812]

This video is awesome!!! ‼️ thanks✨🙏🏻

[@rogerclemens2769]

That was an outstanding tutorial! Thank you!

[@UniversalAudio]

😍

[@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!!

[@KordTaylor]

Another great video and Jacquire is so great. Thank you. 🔥

[@UniversalAudio]

🥂

[@tonyt303]

Wow...Great feature. Very interested in this subject right now. Thank you.

[@UniversalAudio]

👍🏻

[@PalkoChris]

Beautiful, Thank You! 🤘

[@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. ✊🏼✨🙏🏼

[@macmutscheller8909]

Huge thanks. I´ve watched this 3 times and im still learning lol

[@PaulReno]

This is great! Not only regarding Mic choice/ placement but also concerning choice of guitar. Also great: The Bowl of Picks :) The impact the right choice of a pick has is often overseen!

[@Hexspa]

I’m going to fill my bowl up tomorrow and keep adding

[@Apafockl]

So much useful knowledge! 🤟🏻 Thanks UA!👍🏻

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@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

[@andyrubiomusic]

Good stuff! Thank you guys.

[@spookybuk]

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

[@LesonDeson]

Thank you for the content, it's great!

[@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!

[@Leon112006]

Great video thank you all 🎺🎸😎

[@ShawnTubbs]

This video is AWESOME!!!

[@sightseerproductions]

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

[@indiolino]

Awesome vid!

[@GaryKochan]

Excellent overview! As I rewatch this vid several times, it is sinking in. One thing I've found that helps is to reduce the vid playback speed to .75 or .5 so that I can watch each change and take notes. It would be great to cover the recording dynamics of fingerpicking.

[@BIG_PASTA]

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

[@DonBarredo]

Thanks UA!! This is amazing.

[@GuidoItaly]

Amazing! Thank you guys!

[@victorpradella]

Love it guys, for sure I'll give it a try in a few things I usually do different. Thanks!

[@judsonbrendan657]

You all prolly dont give a damn but does someone know a method to get back into an instagram account? I was stupid forgot the password. I would appreciate any tips you can give me.

[@malikmark8768]

@Judson Brendan Instablaster ;)

[@judsonbrendan657]

@Malik Mark i really appreciate your reply. I found the site thru google and Im trying it out now. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@judsonbrendan657]

@Malik Mark it did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. Im so happy! Thank you so much you saved my ass !

[@malikmark8768]

@Judson Brendan you are welcome :)

[@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.

[@ianmeadows6351]

Excellent Video. Thank you for sharing.

[@UniversalAudio]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@Nivenization]

Thank you.

[@deeseen3495]

Great stuff

[@AlbertoMartinezDelRio]

Excellent video.

[@LuizCarlosJesusdosSantos]

Wow ❤️ More videos like this!!!

[@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!

[@pacman_pol_pl_polska]

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

[@nickmuir8175]

Thank you guys

[@UniversalAudio]

👍🏻

[@acousticmemoriesmusic]

Magic Is Real, You Sir, Mr. King. Are a Wizard! God Bless you for sharing your Wizardry. I feel you Jerry, I wanted to hear that too! My whole life it seems. I spent many years in early 2000`s. learning daw. with Abelton 5. endless hours of unhappiness with the results. never caring about the wasted money on different gear trying to make this magic happen. Your spell casting words of pairing phasing panning tone variances. "of" Two "different" Microphones with a cauldron of picks. IS MAGIC! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR SHARING!!! strong work "Universal Audio". You WIN!!!

[@UniversalAudio]

😍

[@ovivan79]

I would love to see an updated version of this video with the UAD Sphere DLX.

[@patzimmusic]

Very thorough thank you!!

[@UniversalAudio]

Glad you enjoyed it! 👍

[@BadChizzle]

Thanks guys!

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@DawoodElai]

great session learned allot

[@UniversalAudio]

👍🏻

[@Shemrocky]

Thats a really useful video😃 thanks guys!

[@UniversalAudio]

👍🏻

[@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]

👍🏻

[@PuRe_AdDicT]

When he moved those mics those 2 inches..

[@julabelmusic1643]

really nice thanks

[@sfn4702]

love this

[@idoberg2]

Great Video. So hard to find something as good as this. One thing that I miss is a camera angle that is either in front of the guitar or above so we could actually see where the mics are in a more accurate way. Thanks

[@UniversalAudio]

Cool, good feedback!

[@johbowfor]

This is awesome

[@regard321]

I just learned so much

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@KordTaylor]

Great video. Thanks all! 😀

[@UniversalAudio]

👍

[@claudius3124]

This is just great!!!! Thanks a lot! :-D

[@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!

[@jonlieberman997]

Great discussion. I wish that he would have made mention of the polar pattern choice of the 67, as the polar pattern can make a huge tonal difference on acoustic guitar.

[@DawoodElai]

now this is what i call a master class