NuclearFishin wrote:
I'm new to recording and am looking for some pointers on how to set up
to record classical guitar. I have an Oktava Mk012 and an AKG C1000s
condenser mic. What is the ideal setup as far as where to place the
mics to get the best recording? Are they better off closer to the
guitar? Farther back? One of each? Any suggestions would be greatly
apreciated.

In my experience, classical acoustic guitar is one of the hardest
instruments to record properly. It's very quiet so you'll need a very
clean path from source to the recording medium.

Here's a simplified version of the recording process:

First you buy a few packs of new strings. You keep changing
them until you seem to get a nice balanced sound. For recording,
you'll generally want strings that are a pretty bright. LaBella
strings record pretty well, but many people swear by Augustines.

If the low E sounds very dull or the guitar sounds boomy or buzzy,
even with relatively new strings, you may need to rent, borrow or
buy a better guitar. Don't steal. If that doesn't help, it is likely
that the guitarist's fretting or picking technique is incorrect.
As I firmly believe that every classical guitarist, regardless of their
style of music, needs to go through Frederick M. Noad's Solo Guitar
Playing vol. 1 anyway, get a copy and study the first few chapters
to iron out any picking or fretting deficiencies.

Once you've got the instrument and playing technique in in order,
you'll need to find a room where the guitar sounds good to your ears.
"Boxiness" or mud are usually byproducts of bad acoustics. It will
most likely be a medium to large sized room, although sometimes
a small control room with proper treatment can sound warm and
wonderful.

Find a spot in the room where the guitar sounds nice. Don't
obsess about finding "the best" place, it doesn't exist. Don't
set up too close to a wall, early reflections from close surfaces
can kill clarity quickly.

Mic placement: Place the C1000s in the nearest trash can or ebay.
You do not need to plug it in either way. The Oktava is a fine mic,
and you should place it as far away from the guitar as you can
get away with. Start from 3 feet or so pointed at the place where
the neck joins the body. Fine tune from the Further away gives
more room sound, closer gets you closer, aimed towards the body
gives more of the "boom" that comes from the sound hole and aimed
towards the neck can give you more mids. The further away you
get, the more you'll get the "whole" sound and aiming will have
less effect on it.

Timo