Practical techniques for recording stereo acoustic guitar using XY, ORTF, and spaced pair configurations at home.
Mastering three classic stereo methods for acoustic guitar at home can dramatically improve a mix, with practical setup tips, mic choices, and phase-aware placement that deliver balanced, musical results.
When recording acoustic guitar in a home studio, the choice of stereo technique shapes the entire tonal character and the perceived space around the guitar. XY offers a compact, phase-coherent image by using two cardioid mics angled at 90 degrees and sharing a common point, while ORTF enlarges the soundstage with its spaced configuration that introduces a gentle depth cue. A spaced pair, often far apart, emphasizes room ambience and guitar body resonance, but demands careful phase management to avoid comb filtering. Understanding each approach helps you predict how the mic positions interact with room reflections, instrument body resonance, and the guitarist’s dynamic playing style. The goal is to capture natural warmth without muddy buildup.
In practice, begin with your room’s acoustic signature in mind. For XY, place two identical cardioid mics close to the guitar, with capsules nearly touching and angled so their diaphragms form a 90-degree pair. This yields a tight, coherent center image that sits well in a dense mix. For ORTF, extend the spacing slightly and angle the mics 110 degrees apart, about 17 centimeters between capsules. The result is a wider frontal image with subtle depth cues, yet still maintains intelligibility of the guitar’s midrange. With a spaced pair, position distant mics to maximize air and hall-like reflections, but keep an ear on phase relationships. A little distance from the neck can reduce fret noise.
Practical tips to balance room, tone, and phase integrity.
The XY setup excels when you need focus and a natural stereo feel without excessive room coloration. It’s forgiving for small rooms and close-mic captures, since the shared capsule reduces phase differences between channels. However, you may hear a center dominance that can thin out if the guitar is playing in the upper register. To compensate, slightly tilt the mics toward the bridge and reduce proximity to the soundhole, preserving clarity while maintaining the intimate vibe. Gain staging should lean toward a clean, flat response, avoiding excessive mic preamp gain that can introduce noise. Subtle high-frequency shaping in the mix can restore sparkle without tipping into harshness.
ORTF pushes the boundaries of spaciousness without sacrificing mono compatibility. Position the two cardioids 7 centimeters apart to approximate a 110-degree angle between capsules, with the mics aligned toward the 12th fret. The resulting image carries a gentle halo of early reflections, which listeners interpret as a larger room. The trade-off is a potential loss of center solidity, so monitor against narrow panning and keep the guitarist’s attack consistent. Use a modest room reflection control by dampening hard surfaces or employing a soft panel behind the guitar. If your room is lively, incorporate a screen or a baffle to shape the direct-to-reverberant ratio.
Tuning the setup for consistency across sessions.
Spaced pair techniques emphasize ambient capture and tend to reveal more of the space than the guitar itself. Place two cardioid mics at opposite sides of the guitar, often 1.5 to 3 meters apart, with the goal of maximizing the room’s natural timbre while preserving string detail. Be mindful of phase cancellation, especially when you hear overlapping reflections from walls. Rotate the guitar slightly to avoid excessive midrange buildup caused by symmetrical reflections. If your room produces boominess, treat walls with fabric or bass traps to tame low-end that can muddy the stereo image. In post, apply a gentle high-pass filter on both channels to clean up low-end rumble before mixing for clarity.
Always test with scales and common chord progressions to hear how the mics translate strings and fret noise. A key technique is to alternate between close and distant listening positions, as this reveals how the room’s reflections influence perceived width. Use a reference track to calibrate your ears to a natural balance among the three methods. When choosing a configuration, consider the guitar’s body type and the player’s style: a bright spruce guitar benefits from a touch more distance to smooth harsh top-end, while a darker mahogany body may benefit from slight proximity to lift the articulation of picked notes.
Synchronizing gear, technique, and listening environments.
In practice, document your setup with precise measurements and a quick sketch of mic positions. Even small changes can shift the stereo image significantly, so replicate your preferred angle and distance every time you record. For XY, ensure the common point is at ear level of the performer to minimize perspective shifts. For ORTF, record at a comfortable standing height if you’re playing while seated, ensuring both capsules remain level. In spaced setups, maintain consistent wall distances and consider rotating the entire microphone pair to align with the guitarist’s dominant playing direction. Consistency makes multiple takes cohesive when you blend them in the mix.
Beyond placement, the choice of microphone type and sonic character matters. Ribbon mics can soften harsh brightness and deliver a lush midrange in all three configurations, while large-diaphragm condensers may produce more air and glow in the high end. If budget or noise is a constraint, two inexpensive cardioids in XY can outperform a single expensive mic when the capture of space and body resonates with the guitar. Always audition your mics in the chosen arrangement before committing to a take. Keep a clean signal path, avoid unnecessary cabling that could introduce hum, and label every track for quick recall during editing.
Consolidating best practices into a reliable, repeatable workflow.
Microphone placement is only part of the equation; acoustics and monitoring play essential roles in achieving a balanced result. Treat the room to minimize flutter echoes and standing waves, especially around the resonant frequencies of the guitar. Use a diffuse panel behind the guitar and a whisper-quiet monitoring system to detect subtle tonal shifts across configurations. When you bridge the gap between direct sound and ambiance, you’ll notice that ORTF can reveal more of the hall-like quality, while XY stays anchored and intimate. A pragmatic approach is to alternate between techniques for different songs, identifying which configuration best supports the playing style and lyrical content.
In many home studios, the practical path is to adopt a primary method and keep two backups to compare quickly. A common workflow is to record with ORTF as the main choice for a full, natural sound, then capture a second take with XY for a tighter center image, and finally a spaced pair to preserve the room’s character. Deliver the final mix with careful phase alignment so that all three tracks sum cleanly. Use a mid/side perspective in post if you want to adjust width after recording. Keeping signals clean with proper gain staging reduces phase anomalies and ensures that the final stereo image remains stable.
The final craft lies in consistency, experimentation, and disciplined listening. Start with a defined goal for each session: do you want a close, intimate sound or a spacious, ambient capture? Use a baseline measurement tool to verify that your room’s frequency response remains flat enough to let the guitar speak. When editing, keep the phase relationships intact by aligning the tracks to a common transient and avoiding aggressive time-domain adjustments that could smear the stereo image. A practical habit is to check mono compatibility often, as many listeners switch to mono when streaming on portable devices or in cars. This check helps ensure the recording remains coherent under various playback systems.
As you gain experience, you’ll develop a mental map of how each configuration behaves under different playing styles and room conditions. Record a short phrase with each method, then compare tone, width, and space. A useful rule of thumb is to favor XY for tight, intimate pieces, ORTF for moderate space with clear imaging, and spaced pairs for large rooms or intimate room textures that you want to preserve. Keep notes on mic placement, preamp settings, and any post-processing choices so you can reproduce a successful take in similar circumstances. With patience and practice, your home-tracked acoustic guitar becomes a reliable, expressive voice in the mix.
