Right now I'm saving up for two mics to record my acoustic guitars in stereo.
Any recommendations? The cheaper I can get away with the better. Any tricks
I should know about?

 

I use these:

Lauten Audio LA-120 Small Condenser Microphone Pair - Black https://a.co/d/cPPpnMF

They make excellent overheads but I like them on acoustic very much.

 

What about a pair of this ?

 

Also an excellent choice

 

Although I've never used those AKG 420 mics it isn't a bad idea to have multi-pattern microphones. If you bought them you would have the option of experimenting with mid/side (one mic in figure 8 with the capsules perpendicular to either a cardioid or hypercardoid so you can blend to taste for your stereo vibe in the mix) recording which is a nice option to have. An omni pattern is also nice to have if your room is decent.

I myself don't use a same stereo pair and normally use both a large and small condenser using a few different techniques to capture an acoustic guitar performance.

 

Same. I like to use a Lauten and an AT 4033. Or I'll do 1 Lauten in mono and double track. BTW the Lautens have swappable capsules for pattern.

 

I went for a budget solution. the Rode M5 and they seem to do the job

 

Do yourself a big favor, look into grabbing a Stager SR-2N stereo ribbon and NEVER worry about recording anything stereo again... also you'll never have phase issues with the stereo ribbon.

 

Totally depends on your budget, but a solid cheap option is a matched pair of small diaphragm condensers like the Behringer C-2 — surprisingly decent for the price. If you can spend a bit more, look into Rode M5 or sE7 mics.

 

I have a pair of Neumann KM-184's. Use them individually or in a x-y pattern - they are very versatile and can be used in a large variety of applications. I use them all the time for lots of different things including remote recording of sample material. For acoustic guitar they are stellar... Mine both have cardioid capsules but in addition to the cardioid capsule there is the option of hyper-cardioid and omni as well... They are a 48vdc phantom powered mic - they aren't cheap, but guaranteed you'll have them for life and will use them a lot.

 

Last edited: Jun 8, 2025

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