7 Best Microphones for Acoustic Guitar Live 2022
Before you take your acoustic guitar on stage to perform in front of your fans, you’ll want to make sure you have the best microphones for acoustic guitar live possible.
Your sound will be your most valuable asset when you’re trying to make a name for yourself in the music industry, and whether you’re playing solo or with a band, choosing the wrong microphone can harm the overall quality of your sound and leave audiences disappointed in your performance.
When you keep these seven best microphones for acoustic guitar live in mind, you’ll never have to worry about that ever again!
First two types of microphones are used to amplify your acoustic guitar but will mainly be considered in this post. These universally display on blog under Condenser and Dynamic as the two most dominant mics. (This post focus on the top two categories).
Condenser Mics
These are the most popular type of mic for acoustic guitar amplification. They are typically used in recording studios and can be prone to picking up noise from other instruments or room ambience.
They have a wide frequency range and can capture both the high and low end of your guitar sound.
They require phantom power, which is a type of power that is supplied by the preamp in your amplifier or mixer.
Dynamic Mics
Dynamic microphones are the type most people are familiar with. They use a diaphragm and coil to create a magnetic field which reacts to sound vibrations, translating them into an electrical signal which is then sent to your audio interface or recorder.
There are a few different types of dynamic mic:
Cardioid:
This is the most common type of dynamic mic. It has a unidirectional polar pattern, meaning it picks up sound from in front of the mic and rejects sound from the sides and rear. This makes it ideal for recording vocals and instruments, as it minimizes feedback and background noise.
Supercardioid:
This is a variation of the Cardioid mic, with a more directional polar pattern which makes it even better at rejecting unwanted noise. It’s ideal for use in live settings where there is lots of ambient noise.
Dynamic range:
This is the difference between the loudest and softest sounds a microphone can pick up. A good dynamic mic will have a large dynamic range, allowing it to capture both quiet and loud.
There are a few different types of microphones that can be used to amplify acoustic guitar. Some are designed to be placed on the floor, while others are meant to be attached to the instrument itself.
One another popular type of microphone for acoustic guitar is the clip-on microphone. This type of mic attaches directly to the sound hole of the guitar and picks up the sound directly. It is usually fairly small and discreet, which makes it a good choice for live performances.
Editor's Favorite Pick:
Best Microphones for Acoustic Guitar live: At a glance
- Best Under $100 – The Shure SM57
- Best Magic Ribbon Mic For Acoustic Guitar – sE Electronics Voodoo VR2 Active Ribbon Microphone
- No-Latency Monitoring Unique Mic – The Blue Yeti
- Award-winning classic ribbon microphone – Beyerdynamic M160
- Budget Choice – The Audio-Technica AT2020
- Premium Stereo Set – Neumann KM184 stereo set
- Inexpensive do-it-all instrument condenser – Rode M5
7 Best Microphones for Acoustic Guitar live
It’s rugged, versatile and sounds great on everything from vocals to acoustic guitar. It also comes in at a fraction of the price of other leading instrument mics like AKG’s C12 or Neumann’s U87 (the latter being arguably one of the most revered microphones ever made).
These days Shure has launched several newer models including its KSM32 range which are worthy alternatives but still can’t quite match up to that old faithful SM57 sound.
The Voodoo VR2, however, does and that’s because of its active ribbon design (which features a small built-in amplifier). The result is an incredible dynamic range and frequency response (10Hz–200kHz) that makes it perfect for both acoustic guitar and vocals.
If you’re looking for one mic that will do both jobs brilliantly then look no further than sE Electronics’ Voodoo VR2. It’ll cost you around $700 but if you’re serious about your recordings then it could be worth every penny!
It’s witching polar pattern make it perfect for podcasting, gaming, streaming, and live performance. It has the capacity to capture your audio in up to 16-bit/48 kHz resolution.
Transform the sound of your recordings with the Yeti USB microphone. It produces a clear, broadcast-quality sound for music, podcasts, and more.
The yeti USB microphone has achieved the hall of fame in studio quality sound to string instrument live recording.
If you are looking to get exact sound of your acoustic guitar, then I highly recommend this USB blue yeti microphone.
M16 made its name on popular recordings with acoustic guitar amplifiers, strings, woodwinds, pianos, vocals and even drums. It is one of the top choices of Eddie Kramer, Pink Floyd, Andy Johns, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and other singers.
What make it more classic and favorite mic of Pink Floyd is having feature of Hypercardioid polar pattern. Hypercardioid is the characteristic of this ribbon microphone, which make it more directional mic than other cardioid microphones. That’s why this mic is one of my favorites.
It’s a great mic for acoustic guitar live performance. You can hear the sound if you want to check it out; I just did a voiceover test with this the other day.
Outstanding sound quality at an incredibly low price condenser microphone ideal for nuances of vocals and acoustic guitars live performance. It will fit in your studio and budget.
Audio-Technica AT2020 has stunning frequency response catches every voice of string instruments. It ensures smooth and clear sound and keeps unwanted sound and noise away with its cardioid polar pattern.
One added benefit is its affordable price providing same sound quality as compared to other high cost mics. If you want to buy perfect budget friendly microphone, then I highly recommended this one.
Neumann has been the world’s leading manufacturer of professional microphones for over 60 years. The Neumann KM 184 is a small-diaphragm cardioid condenser microphone that has been revered as a classic for over two decades.
The KM 184 is likely their second most important modern microphone. This mic is the gold standard when it comes to live small-diaphragm condenser mics.
A stereo pair is generally a smart investment if you’re pursuing live high-fidelity engineering in general. This setup has been utilized for everything from Foley work to close-miking live instrumentalists to playing “room mic” to a full orchestra.
The M5 is an industry standard microphone, which delivers the same sound quality as a microphone three times the price.
The M5 features a cardioid pickup pattern, a flat frequency response and high SPL capabilities. This microphone is ideal for recording strings, woodwinds, brass and other instruments. It is also great for vocals. The M5 comes with a USB cord and a stand.
Perfect for home studios and podcasts, the M5 is a great microphone for those looking to start recording on their computer or iPad. Whether on a stage or in the studio, the M5 will handle the most demanding vocal or acoustic instrument applications.
Conclusion
Buying a mic can be overwhelming because there are so many options and not all microphones are the same. There are budget microphones, condenser microphones, dynamic microphones and ribbon mics that can cost into the thousands of dollars. In this article we shared expert advice with you on how to buy your first microphone for acoustic guitar live performance.
There are so many to choose from that you don’t even know where to start, and there is copious amounts of information online which can be confusing as well. The thing is though, some microphones are genuinely better than others – but then how are you supposed to know?
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