Getting the most with a Stereo pair of mics

Spaced Pair (or A-B Stereo) Often used with Omnidirectional Mics, captures the room tone The ear senses time and phase differences Ideal spacing is inches Can be much wider, but phase issues can arise if the mix is not panned hard Left and Right Also loses accuracy BETWEEN the mics if they are very WIDE

Coincident Pair (X/Y) Often used with CARDIOID COINCIDENT = Capsules at the same point Angle is called OFF-AXIS NOT as wide as other methods, but very MONO compatible Angle can be increased to widen stereo image as well

Blumlein Technique Created by Alan Blumlein Just like X/Y, but with BI-DIRECTIONAL MICS Can capture more room ambience Best for closer micing situations More channel separation, but can be more of a phase issue than X/Y

Near-Coincident Pair Capsules are facing AWAY from each other Popular ones called NOS or ORTF LEVEL and TIME differences create the stereo effect Spacious and Accurate sound Usually NOT very Mono compatible

Baffled Omni-Pair Two Omnidirectional Mics, ear width apart usually A baffle blocks sound from the opposite side Creates a clear and accurate stereo image Less mono compatible, but might not be a problem

Decca Tree Uses Three Omni-directional mics Two are panned with one in the center Often used for ORCHESTRAS Builds a big stereo image with some extra control

MS (Midside Micing) Also called a Midside Matrix or MS Matrix Uses one cardioid and one omni mic Allows for the stereo field to be adjusted AFTER the initial recording! Actually involves THREE tracks. There is a COPY of the omni mic and one of them is reversed in phase Most under-used and potentially useful technique

Spot Mic Can be used to emphasize a PARTICULAR instrument in a live situation CLOSER than stereo pairs Be careful to pan properly to maintain the stereo image This is used when a completely natural situation is NOT required Think of a soloist in an orchestra

Which one is “Best”? Of course, it depends on the situation If you’re concerned with phase alignment, X/Y is probably the best. It’s the most “Coincident” possible For wide stereo, Spaced pairs or Near-Coincident pairs work well, or using a BAFFLE MS technique is most VERSATILE after recording Using Omni-mic techniques capture the ROOM more Detailed knowledge of each technique separates a PROFESSIONAL from amateurs. Seriously.