A little background first perhaps? =)
Hello,
Depends really, what's your purpose and budget?
Typically, if you want 'the best' sound, it's gonna cost quite a bit of $$ investing in equipment that you'd buy and keep using for quite some time. =) Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm assuming you want to eventually go into some simple forms of music production at home here eventually.
Depending on your needs, a typical simple setup for home recording will involve:
1. An external audio interface (USB/FIREWIRE)
This device converts your analog (guitar) signal - the one that travels through your cables to your amps, e.t.c.- into a digital one, to be interpreted by your computer via firewire/USB.
TO give you a better idea of how this works, a simplified example of how your signal would travel through this device would be:
Guitar->Cables -into the device-> [inputs->pre -amps-> Analog/Digital(A/D) Converter->Firewire/USB] -> Computer(editing software)
Here are some examples of such interfaces:
http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=products.family&ID=Fwinterfaces
http://www.focusrite.com/products/audio_interfaces/saffire_pro_14/
http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio
For simple (and perhaps slightly more advanced) recording at home, for value for $$ and ease of use/support, I'd get the Saffire 14.
They usually go for round 300-400 round these parts. Sinamex carries them if I'm not wrong, and I've seen quite a few come up every now and then on the classifieds.
Please do take note, I've got nothing against the other brands e.t.c., it's just personal preference and value for $$.
2. Microphone(s)
This one really depends on your budget and what level of sound quality you deem 'acceptable'.
Dynamic mics
In short these mics are usually widely used for live sound, due to their durability and the fact that they are somewhat less susceptible to feedback.
In certain situations(budget e.t.c.), some people mic their acoustics with these, sometimes positioning them facing the 12th fret of the guitar.
See:
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=264996 for a good discussion on this.
I had to do this once for an impromptu performance in a small lecture theater.. It wasn't the most desirable miking setup, but it got the job of amplifying my guitar to a light hearted audience.
The pros of these types of mics are that they are generally quite durable and not to mention relatively cheap to buy.
Condensor mics
Most people swear by these types of microphones, and some refuse to record without them as they are usually able to pick up the subtle nuances and details of the source your recording from, be it vocals e.t.c.
The downside is, they're usually expensive. It's not worth it buying the so called 'cheaper ones' (e.g. 70-100 e.t.c.) cause all in all they basically sound like crap and youd've wasted your $100 bucks. Their resale value would suck too, cause they have no
reputation to back it up.
You'd be better off buying a solid dynamic mic or saving up a little more to buy a proper one.(Unless of course, you find a rare gem. =P)
Check out Jack Conte(also formed pomplamoose music) on youtube. He uses a Neumann TLM -102 (if I'm not wrong)
to record everything from guitar to drums to xylophones..
These type of mics can be found at almost any professional music recording shop.
Depending on your intentions and the character of your voice/guitar, brands to start out with can be:
Rode
Shure
Audio Technica
Or if you have more $$ you can consider these in your 'just starting out' search:
Neumann
AKG
Sanken
e.t.c.
Hung Bros. @ Sim Lim carry a lot of brands, but be prepared to fork out a lump of $$.
Ribbon Mics
You don't even wanna go near there if you're just starting out.
Miking setups
Depending on your budget/type of mic/environment/purpose e.t.c., you can choose to record your acoustic with one mic in mono, or with two(or one mic + your guitar jack out), in stereo.
With stereo miking, you'll be able to balance the volumes of each input so as to be able to better shape your 'sound'
Please do take note, if you choose to buy a condensor mic, you'll generally have to have a quiet environment, cause a decent mic can pick up the seemingly tiniest of sounds, things we don't notice, the low hum of your air con blowing, the computer fan running e.t.c. Once again it depends on the type of mic you buy and your environment.
Another thing to take note of are polar patterns of your mike, this will drastically change your recording setup.
I can start a whole new thread on this, which someone probably already has in another section.. Do your research before you make any decisions, it may take longer, but you'll be surprised at how much you'll eventually learn and not to mention save too.
Also, after all is said and done, there are no definite ways to get the 'best sound', in short whatever works! All people can do is give you recommendations and advice to the best of their knowledge. Experiment with your equipment, get to know it intimately, and then try new way of getting different types of sounds with it.
Finally, to sum this up, if you are really serious about this as a hobby/passion e.t.c., when buying equipment, as best as your budget allows, do not scrimp on equipment.
Everything from your guitar to your cables to the audio interface you're gonna buy will affect your tone.
Cheap cables can add noise to your sound, bad A/D converters can mess up your tone just before it goes into the PC.
And so on.
I'm not saying get the best and most expensive equipment out there. Do your research, more $$ does not necessarily equate to things being better. It may seem like a steep learning curve at first, but I can assure you it's totally worth it to be able to expand your knowledge of such things, not to mention that it'll be a lot easier to talk to your sound man/recording engineer during a live show/studio session.. =P
I'm sorry it's so long, I hope this has helped you get a better picture.. =)
Cheers!
