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How to Produce Natural Reverb From a Guitar

When recording acoustic guitar, it's usually desirable to achieve the best possible natural sound with a minimum of artificial effects. This is particularly true when it comes to reverb. Acoustic guitars need a certain amount of natural reverb to sound warm and present in a recording. Without natural reverb, acoustic guitars tend to sound flat when recorded. Attaining natural reverb for your acoustic guitar is largely a matter of where you set up and where you position your microphone.

Instructions

    • 1

      Play your acoustic guitar in different areas around your home or studio and listen for the amount of natural reverb you generate. If you're in a recording studio, try playing your guitar in the vocal booth or in a corner of the studio.

    • 2

      Look for factors that might dampen the sound and deal with them. Carpeting can dampen the natural reverb on an acoustic guitar. If you have carpeting in your home studio, try covering it with plywood or MDF.

    • 3

      Run a mic cable to another room of your house. Bathrooms and closets often make good spaces for recording acoustic guitars. They are compact, which allows the sound to reverberate more. Bathrooms are particularly good acoustically because they're generally lined with tile and other reflective surfaces.

Recording Music

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