What Is The Best Mic For Recording Acoustic Guitar?

Buy The Shure SM81 Here

Buy The AKG Perception 170 Here

So, what’s the best mic for recording acoustic guitar. During out testing, we believe that the Shure SM81 is one of the best mics at recording acoustic guitar. The Shure SM81 has been an industry standard for recording guitar for a reason. This mic sounds incredible while recording the acoustic guitar. This mic has been used on countless albums for acoustic guitar, hi-hats, and many other instruments. One of the reasons for this is because the SM81 has a uniform frequency response from the sides, meaning its off-axis coloration is minimal. The Shure SM81 also has a 3 position bass roll off which is perfect for rolling off some low frequencies of the guitar.

What If The Shure SM81 Is Too Expensive?

If the Shure SM81 is out of your budget we really recommend trying out the AKG Perception 170. The AKG Perception 170 is another small diaphragm condenser that really packs a punch. The The AKG 170 is a small-diaphragm condenser microphone that is perfect for recording overheads, percussion, acoustic guitars and other string instruments. The mic has a very low self noise and it also has great rejection from behind the mic. The AKG Perception 170 is a great alternative to the Shure SM81 if your on a budget.

I’m Confused What Mic Should I Get?

If you have the budget, go for the Shure SM81. The Shure SM81 offers a higher quality sound but at a higher price. The Shure SM81 will last you a lifetime and it can be your forever mic. However, if the Shure SM81 is out of your budget, then we recommend buying the AKG Perception 170 as it is quite a bit more reasonable. The AKG Perception 170 is another great mic that will deliver a very high quality sound. Just because it is cheaper doesn’t mean it sounds cheap at all. The AKG perception 170 is a really high quality mic that will deliver professional level results. We hope this cleared some things up! Thanks for reading! Check out our other articles here.

Thomas Shelby – Editor/Audio Engineer