Role in the mix
The acoustic guitar (steel-string flat-top, nylon-string classical, 12-string) is rhythmic and harmonic in pop, folk, country, singer-songwriter music, Latin pop and romantic reggaeton, bossa nova and flamenco; it is the protagonist in unplugged tracks and fingerpicking. It has a wide range: body and boom 80–200 Hz (the resonant body), wood 200–500 Hz, note and articulation 1–3 kHz, brightness and string “shimmer” 5–12 kHz. In a full mix it is filtered drastically (above 200 Hz it becomes a harmonic shaker); in a sparse arrangement it has to stay full and natural.
Recording and choosing the sound
- Small-diaphragm condenser mic aimed at the 12th fret, at 15–30 cm (attack and clarity); avoid the sound hole (boom). Second option: a large-diaphragm condenser behind/above the guitarist’s shoulder, or a stereo pair (XY on the 12th fret and the bridge, or spaced).
- Piezo pickup: useful live; in the studio it sounds “plasticky”, so blend it in under the mic.
- Doubles: in pop and country, two strummed takes panned L/R (often one with the capo in a different position for different voicings, “Nashville tuning” on a 12-string or with the high strings an octave up).
- Sound On Sound: keep EQ and compression to a minimum when recording to preserve flexibility.
Gain staging
Peaks −12/−8 dBFS. Strums have strong, short peaks: judge the volume by ear.
Corrective EQ
- HP 80–100 Hz (in a voice-and-guitar solo setting) up to 150–250 Hz in a full mix. SOS: cutting below 100 Hz thins the guitar and reduces mud with kick, bass or electric guitars.
- Boom 100–300 Hz: find the frequency with a swept parametric band and cut 2–3 dB (SOS).
- Mid cut 1–3 kHz (SOS): a light cut makes the sound more open and transparent.
- Piezo: nasality at 800 Hz–1.5 kHz, −2/−4 dB.
- Finger and slide noises on the strings (squeaks at 2–5 kHz): de-esser or editing.
Creative EQ
- Presence +2/+3 dB at 5–7 kHz (SOS).
- Sparkle +2/+3 dB above 10 kHz (SOS: without overdoing it, otherwise it sizzles).
- Carving for the vocal: SOS suggests a thin cut on the guitar in the zone where the vocal dominates (use the analyzer to find it).
- Body +1/+2 dB at 200–250 Hz only in sparse arrangements.
Compression
- SOS: starting ratio 2:1, threshold that reduces only the peaks, attack 10–20 ms (attacks that are too fast make the strum weak), auto release, or shorter on fast strums.
- Opto (LA-2A) for fingerpicking: 3–5 dB.
- VCA/FET for dense pop strums: 4–6 dB.
- Multiband (SOS): lower the low band and raise the bands around 6 kHz and 12–14 kHz.
- Parallel compression to bring out the fine dynamics of fingerpicking.
Transient shaper
Attack + for strums that need to be percussive (pop, romantic reggaeton); Attack − if the pick is too hard.
Saturation
SOS suggests a little tape emulation for warmth (with caution on fast strums, it softens the attacks). Light tube saturation for warm folk tracks.
Delay
- Rare on rhythm parts; a short stereo delay to widen.
- SOS: doubling effect by duplicating the mono track, panning the copies in opposite directions and delaying one slightly; check in mono (a real second take is better).
- Tempo-synced delay on arpeggios in atmospheric pop.
Reverb
SOS: use little. Short room for a tight ambience, plate for something more spacious. Pre-delay 10–30 ms, HP 200–300 Hz on the return. In ballads: soft hall 1.8–2.5 s.
Modulation
Rare: light chorus in 1980s/1990s productions and acoustic pop; tremolo as an effect.
Stereo and panning
- Two mics in stereo: pan 50–80% L/R (watch the correlation).
- Doubles: 70–100% L/R.
- Single guitar with vocal: guitar in the center or slightly off, vocal in the center with the guitar carved where needed.
- In a full mix: one guitar on one side balanced by a hi-hat/shaker or another guitar on the other.
Sidechain
- Dynamic EQ at 1–4 kHz from the vocal.
- SOS also mentions using an expander/gate to let the strum attacks through and lower the level between them (makes the rhythm more pronounced).
Automation
- Volume in vocal-and-guitar-only passages vs full band.
- Higher HP in full choruses, lower in sparse verses.
Differences by genre
| Genre | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Folk / singer-songwriter | natural, low HP, light opto, room |
| Pop | high HP, compression, sparkle, L/R doubles |
| Country | doubles, 12-string or Nashville tuning, compression |
| Latin pop / romantic reggaeton | nylon or percussive steel, emphasized attack |
| Bossa nova / flamenco | nylon, natural, room, little compression |
| Rock | acoustic under the electrics as harmonic noise (HP 200 Hz+) |
| Lo-fi | sampled, LP, tape saturation |
Common mistakes
- Mic in front of the sound hole: unmanageable boom.
- No HP in a full mix: mud under the vocal.
- Fast compression: flat strum.
- Too much reverb: the rhythm part loses definition.
- Piezo pickup used alone in the studio.
Starting settings
| Parameter | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Channel peak | −12/−8 dBFS | Strums with short peaks. |
| Mic | Small condenser toward the 12th fret, 15–30 cm | Clarity without boom. |
| High-pass | 80–100 Hz (solo) / 150–250 Hz (full mix) | Room for the low end. |
| Ratio | 2:1 to start | Peak control. |
| Attack | 10–20 ms | Lively strums. |
| Release | Auto or short on fast strums | Recovery before the next stroke. |
| Opto (fingerpicking) | 3–5 dB | Even dynamics. |
| Doubles | 70–100% L/R | Real width. |
| Reverb | Short room or plate, pre-delay 10–30 ms | Little and defined. |
| Dynamic EQ in SC | From the vocal, 1–4 kHz | Coexistence with the vocal. |
Frequencies to watch
| Range | What to do |
|---|---|
| below 80–100 Hz | High-pass (150–250 Hz in full mixes): reduces mud with kick and bass. |
| 100–300 Hz | Body boom: sweep and cut 2–3 dB. |
| 200–250 Hz | Body: +1/+2 dB only in sparse arrangements. |
| 800 Hz–1.5 kHz | Piezo nasality: −2/−4 dB. |
| 1–3 kHz | Light mid cut for a more open sound; vocal zone. |
| 2–5 kHz | Finger noises and squeaks: de-esser or editing. |
| 5–7 kHz | Presence: +2/+3 dB. |
| above 10 kHz | Sparkle: +2/+3 dB without overdoing it. |
| 12–14 kHz | High band of the multiband: air. |
Example chain
| Step | Tool | Settings | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mic/piezo alignment | Playlist / Fruity Phase Inverter | Phase checked | Full sum. |
| Corrective EQ | Fruity Parametric EQ 2 / Pro-Q 3–4 | HP 100 Hz; −3 dB on the 150–250 Hz boom; −1 dB at 2 kHz | Cleanup and openness. |
| Compression | Fruity Limiter COMP / CLA-2A / Pro-C 2 | 2:1, attack 15 ms, auto release | Control. |
| Noise de-esser | Maximus / Pro-DS | 2–5 kHz band on the squeaks | Finger noises. |
| Creative EQ | Fruity Parametric EQ 2 / Pultec | +2 dB at 6 kHz, shelf +2 dB at 11 kHz | Presence and air. |
| Saturation | Distructor (tape) / Kramer Master Tape | Light | Warmth. |
| Reverb (send) | LuxeVerb / Fruity Reeverb 2 | Room 0.8 s or plate 1.5 s | Ambience. |
| Dynamic EQ in SC | Pro-Q 3–4 / Trackspacer | From the vocal | Coexistence. |
How to check the result
- Correlation of the stereo pair or doubles > +0.3 (stereo) and 0.2–0.7 (different doubles).
- Acoustic guitar energy below 100 Hz negligible in a full mix.
- 1–4 kHz band below the vocal in the sung parts.
- Crest factor after compression 10–14 dB (strumming) or 14–18 dB (fingerpicking).
- No boom note standing out by more than 4–6 dB in the analyzer.
- In mono the artificial double (if used) does not create comb filtering.