explorAudio's H-Clamp

Recording an acoustic guitar comes with lots of technical and performance challenges. Certainly getting a good sound from the instrument and eliminating squeaky string shifts are important from a performance standpoint, but the recording process itself presents two fundamental problems:

1. Initial placement of the microphone(s) in relation to the sound hole and area near the 12th fret to get a good sound. (This is considered one of the classic microphone placement techniques for acoustic guitar.)
2. Keeping the placement of the microphone(s) constant during the recording, as musicians will have a natural tendency to move around, which changes the distance and position from the mic(s).

It’s a struggle, for sure, but when you get it right there is nothing like the sound of a perfectly-recorded acoustic guitar. The folks at explorAudio agree, and came up with the amazingly simple and brilliant H-Clamp microphone mount.

The H-Clamp, assembled and ready to work.

This light and very strong microphone mount is made of aerospace-grade materials to provide sturdy and rigid support for your microphone. Although smaller mics are recommended, you can use heavier/larger microphones if necessary. Posts of varying lengths are provided to give you a wide-range of control based on the size of your guitar.

The best part of this clamp is that you can securely position the microphone, and even if the performer moves while playing the mic goes right along with it, so you get consistent recording throughout. The best position seems to be the front lower bout of the guitar. I have experimented using only one clamp at a time, but I can see the possibility of using two – one on each of the lower bouts – to dual-mic the guitar at the sound hole and 12th fret.

I have used the H-Clamp in a few recording situations and find it to be a great studio accessory. You’d be surprised at how much less stressful a recording situation can be when the technical stuff is taken care of.

For more information and to purchase the H-Clamp, I recommend you visit Gollihur Music’s website.