Disclosure: Sandy Music Lab is reader-supported. Some links on this page are affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Here’s how to record guitar and vocals at the same time: use two microphones on two separate interface inputs: a vocal mic about 4–6 inches from your mouth, and a guitar mic about 6–12 inches from the 12th–14th fret, angled away from your voice. Record each to its own track. Directional (cardioid) mics keep the bleed between them under control.
Many songs feel best when they’re performed live, voice and guitar together, the way you play them on the couch. Capturing that feel is the core of singer songwriter recording and one of the most useful skills covered in our home recording studio setup guide.
This guide shows you how to record guitar and vocals at the same time with clean separation, from mic choice and placement to gain, phase and mixing. If you’d rather record separately, our guides to recording vocals at home and miking an acoustic guitar cover each part on its own.
🎸 Free download
Not sure which guitar is right for you?
Get the free Guitar Gear Cheat Sheet: match your style, budget and hands to the right guitar in 2 minutes. You’ll also get my 30-Day Practice Plan as a bonus.
Send My Cheat Sheet →Table of Contents
Gear for Recording Guitar and Vocals Together: Quick Picks
| Pick | Who it’s for | Skip it if | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen | The essential two-input interface | You want more than two mics | Check price on Amazon |
| Shure SM58 | Vocal mic with strong rejection | You want an airy studio-condenser sound | Check price on Amazon |
| Shure SM57 | A budget guitar mic that pairs with the SM58 | You want a bright, detailed acoustic tone | Check price on Amazon |
| Audio-Technica AT2020 | Affordable condenser for acoustic guitar | Your room is noisy | Check price on Amazon |
| Zoom H4essential | All-in-one recorder for quick sessions | You want separate close-miked tracks | Check price on Amazon |
Singer Songwriter Recording: Live Take or Separate Tracks?
Before you learn how to record guitar and vocals at the same time, decide whether recording live is right for the song. Here’s how the two approaches compare:
| Live (guitar and vocals together) | Separate takes (overdubbing) | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Natural, breathing, connected | Tighter, more controlled |
| Editing | Limited, because bleed ties the tracks together | Full freedom to edit and tune |
| Speed | Fast | Slower |
| Best for | Folk, acoustic, worship, demos, live sessions | Pop, dense arrangements, heavy vocal editing |
| Skill needed | Performance consistency | Playing to a click and matching takes |
Learning how to record guitar and vocals at the same time pays off most on songs with tempo pushes, rubato intros or long held chords, because the guitar and voice move together naturally. If you’re still writing the song, the Sandy Music Lab Songwriter Suite helps you lock down chords and lyrics first.
How to Record Guitar and Vocals at the Same Time: Two-Mic Setup
Here’s how to record guitar and vocals at the same time with the standard two mics, guitar and vocals setup used in home studios and many live sessions:
- Choose a quiet spot away from walls, ideally with soft furnishings around you. Sit on a chair without arms so the guitar doesn’t hit anything.
- Set the vocal mic about 4–6 inches from your mouth, at mouth height or slightly above and pointing down, with a pop filter.
- Set the guitar mic 6–12 inches from the guitar, pointing at the neck around the 12th–14th fret. Angle it slightly downward and away from your mouth.
- Point the nulls. A cardioid mic rejects sound from directly behind. Aim the back of the vocal mic toward the guitar and the back of the guitar mic toward your mouth as much as you can.
- Plug each mic into its own interface input and record each to its own mono track.
- Set gain while performing. Sing and play at full performance volume, and set each input so peaks sit around −12 to −6 dBFS.
- Record a test take and listen on headphones. Solo each track and check how much of the other source you hear.
- Check phase (see below), then record the real takes.
How to Record Guitar and Vocals at the Same Time Without Bleed
“Bleed” is your voice in the guitar mic and your guitar in the vocal mic. You can’t eliminate it, and it’s part of the natural sound of a live take, but you can control it.
The 3:1 Rule
A common engineering guideline says the distance between the two mics should be at least three times the distance from each mic to its source. If the vocal mic is 4 inches from your mouth, keep it at least 12 inches from the guitar mic. This reduces comb-filtering, the hollow, phasey sound when two mics pick up the same source at slightly different times.
Checking Phase
Pan both tracks to the centre and listen. If the guitar gets thinner when you add the vocal track, try your DAW’s polarity (phase-invert) button on one track. Choose whichever setting sounds fuller. Moving the guitar mic an inch or two also changes the phase relationship.
Mic Patterns That Help
| Pattern | Rejects most from | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Cardioid | Directly behind (180°) | Point the back of each mic at the other source |
| Supercardioid | About 125° off-axis on each side | Tighter pickup; aim the rejection points carefully |
| Figure-8 | The sides (90°) | On guitar, aim its side null at your mouth for excellent separation |
You can see the polar patterns of classic dynamic mics on Shure’s product pages for the SM58 and SM57.
The Gear You Need
1. Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen – The essential two-input interface
You need at least two inputs to record guitar and vocals on separate tracks. The Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen has two combo inputs with phantom power, Auto Gain and Clip Safe features, and low-noise preamps.
- Inputs: 2 x combo XLR/instrument
- Phantom power: Yes, 48V
Pros: Easy gain setup; Clean preamps. Cons: Only two inputs.
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen: Check price on Amazon
2. Shure SM58 – Vocal mic with strong rejection
The SM58 is the world’s best-known vocal mic. Its cardioid pattern and dynamic design pick up little from behind and to the sides, which keeps your guitar out of the vocal track. It’s tough, needs no phantom power, and sounds great close up.
- Type: Dynamic, cardioid
- Connector: XLR
Pros: Excellent bleed rejection; Indestructible. Cons: Less detail than a condenser.
Shure SM58: Check price on Amazon
3. Shure SM57 – A budget guitar mic that pairs with the SM58
The SM57 is mostly known for guitar amps, but it’s a