Fixing DI Acoustic Guitars in a Mix (Real Example + Plugin Tools)
Fixing DI Acoustic Guitars in a Mix (Real Example + Plugin Tools)
A real Red Rocks recording reveals a classic mixing problem — and a simple trick that often solves it.
A Live Recording from Red Rocks
Mix Protégé member Paul Tucci recently shared a mix inside the community that sparked a great discussion.
The recording comes from a performance by beloved Americana artist Langhorne Slim, captured at Colorado’s legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater.
Paul didn’t record the show himself. But he eventually got access to the multitracks from that magical night — a night when the band was on fire and the crowd energy was unmistakable.
So he opened the session and began mixing.
And almost immediately, one familiar challenge appeared.
The DI Acoustic Guitar Problem
The track opens with a solo acoustic guitar.
And unfortunately…
the guitar is recorded direct (DI).
If you’ve ever mixed live recordings, you already know the dilemma.
DI acoustic guitars often sound:
- harsh
- plasticky
- thin
- disconnected from the room
That’s because a direct input bypasses the natural resonance of the guitar body and the air interaction that microphones capture.
Instead of hearing a guitar in a space, you hear something closer to the raw pickup signal from inside the instrument.
This is especially noticeable during sparse arrangements, like an intro with just vocal and acoustic guitar.
Can You Fix a DI Acoustic Guitar in a Mix?
A DI acoustic guitar can often be improved in a mix, but rarely turned into a perfect mic recording after the fact.
Why? Because a DI captures the pickup signal, but often misses the body, air, and room sound that make an acoustic feel natural.
This is especially common in live recording mixes, where the acoustic guitar was captured only through a DI feed.
Still, there are a few ways to make it behave:
- Tame harshness with EQ
- Add body with modeling plugins
- Blend in room or stage ambience
- Let the arrangement help hide what’s left
Sometimes the job isn’t making the DI sound perfect.
Sometimes the job is making the listener forget to care.
Further reading: How to Add Room Reverb to Acoustic Instruments Without Sounding Muddy
Why DI Acoustic Guitars Can Sound Unnatural
Most acoustic guitar pickups (typically piezo pickup systems) capture string vibration rather than the full resonance of the guitar body.
While these pickups are excellent for live amplification, they capture vibration very differently than microphones.
Microphones capture:
- body resonance
- air movement
- room reflections
- natural tonal balance
A piezo DI captures mainly:
- string vibration
- bridge vibration
- very little body resonance
The result is a tone that can feel sharp, brittle, or sterile in a mix.
Audio engineers have been dealing with this problem for decades.
Fortunately, there are a few ways to make DI acoustics behave better in a mix.
A Simple Trick: Let the Arrangement Do the Work
Something interesting happens in Paul’s Red Rocks mix.
Once the vocal and band enter the arrangement, the DI acoustic often stops drawing attention.
The reason is simple:
The listener’s focus naturally shifts to the elements carrying the emotional weight of the song.
This highlights an important mixing truth.
Sometimes mixing is less about fixing a sound — and more about guiding the listener’s attention.
When a DI acoustic is unavoidable, one approach is to:
- Shape the DI signal with EQ or modeling
- Introduce stage or audience mics for ambience during sparse sections
- Reduce those ambient mics once the full band enters
During quiet moments, the room sound helps mask the unnatural DI tone.
Once the arrangement fills out with drums, bass, and electrics, the acoustic guitar naturally blends into the background.
At that point, the arrangement is doing the heavy lifting.
Mixing can sometimes feel like a bit of a magic trick. You’re subtly urging the listener to:
Listen to these amazing drums and bass that just entered the song…and pay no attention to the acoustic guitar behind the curtain.
Further reading: How to Know When Your Mix Is Done
Plugins That Can Improve DI Acoustic Tone
Another approach is to use plugins designed to reconstruct acoustic guitar body resonance.
These tools attempt to recreate the tonal characteristics of a microphone recording from a DI signal.
A few options discussed in the Mix Protégé thread include: Sound Machine Wood Works by Universal Audio, Acoustifier by SSL, and Maserati ACG by Waves.
UAD Sound Machine WoodWorks
SSL Acoustifier
Waves Maserati ACG
These tools won’t magically transform every DI recording, but they can add back some of the body and warmth that direct signals often lack.
Hear the Red Rocks Mix
Paul has been sharing several revisions of his mix inside the Mix Protégé forum — including the version he eventually sent to the artist’s management.
Follow the discussion and revisions of this mix inside the Mix Protégé forum thread.
Listen to the mix and join the Red Rocks discussion here
(Free Mix Protégé account required.)
Join the Discussion
If you’ve ever fought the DI acoustic guitar battle, you’re definitely not alone.
Inside the Mix Protégé community, producers and engineers regularly share mixes, troubleshoot problems like this one, and help each other level up.
You’re welcome to jump into the discussion and add your own approach.
What’s your go-to trick for making DI acoustic guitars sit in a mix?
If you’ve ever wrestled with DI acoustic guitars in a mix, you’ll probably recognize this situation.
FAQ: Are DI acoustic guitars always bad?
A DI acoustic guitar isn’t inherently bad. In many live recording situations it’s simply the most practical way to capture the instrument.
However, because DI signals often lack the body resonance and air captured by microphones, they can sound harsh or disconnected in a mix. Engineers typically improve them using EQ, body modeling plugins, room ambience, and arrangement masking techniques.
I love the way you describe things @Dana – you make hard stuff easy to understand! 🙌🏼