OneMic recordings, hear what the band heard in the studio!

[Blumlein 88]

Core Sound just posted something interesting about this on their FB page.

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Which Sounds Better: Coincident Microphone Array or Spaced Microphone Array?

We recorded a 60-voice choir performing in a great sounding room. We recorded the performance out in the room rather than with spot mics on the stage.

Does recording with a coincident array using a single higher-order ambisonic microphone better recording with a spaced array using two higher-order ambisonic microphones?

The coincident array was decoded to Blumlein (virtual coincident array of two crossed figure-8 mics rotated 45-degrees).

The spaced array was decoded to LCR130 (three virtual hypercardioids spaced at 14 cm and angled at -65, 0 and +65 degrees).

You decide!

Blumlein

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LCR130

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Yes, this is something I've wanted to either do myself or hear done. My first impression of the Blumlein recording is they put the mics a bit too far out. So I prefer the LCR recording, and am not surprised it sounds closer. I'll need to listen a few times and see what I think in regard to other aspects of spaced vs coincident. I'd also note when you record with figure 8s in a Blumlein array it works the best if playback has 45 degree spacing of the speakers vs the center position rather than the more common 30 degrees in most playback systems.

Thanks for posting this.

 

[Blumlein 88]

With time to listen a few times more carefully these are closer than I expected. I still feel like the LCR is more to my liking. The Blumlein seems to keep things better separated when it gets louder and more complex. Yet the LCR has a bit more body and texture to it. I also noticed at the end the LCR has a bit of hum related buzz in the left channel. The Blumlein also feels a bit brighter or lighter. Maybe a bit of mid-side shuffler EQ would improve that. I do think the issue is the Blumlein needed to be a couple meters closer. It picks up more rear hall sound and it doesn't need quite as much as it has here.

I downloaded them to listen over some headphones and noticed a 50 % file size difference. Wondering why, the Blumlein is a 96khz 32 bit file and the LCR is 96khz 24 bit file. I don't think that has anything to do with a sound difference just a bit odd they would make this mistake.

 

[goat76]

I definitely prefer the Blumlein recording, it keeps things in place where the LCR recording sounds “washed out”, especially when the music gets more complex when the choir comes in.

I find both recordings sound as the microphones where positioned a bit too far away from the sound sources, and I suspect they sounded a little bit more distinct in person, or maybe thanks to the cocktail effect one would experience when seeing the live performance.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I definitely prefer the Blumlein recording, it keeps things in place where the LCR recording sounds “washed out”, especially when the music gets more complex when the choir comes in.

I find both recordings sound as the microphones where positioned a bit too far away from the sound sources, and I suspect they sounded a little bit more distinct in person, or maybe thanks to the cocktail effect one would experience when seeing the live performance.

The microphones were placed on a stand at the front pew. Usually in such settings that is too far away. I probably would have tried two spaced cardioids closer with a couple of omnis wide apart about the 2nd or 3rd row. If going for two mics only I might have tried a pair of spaced omnis. Then again that wasn't the point. It was about comparing spaced vs coincident. Though I'd like a bit more explanation of 3 hypercards which is apparently what they did. I suspect a pair of hypercards might have not had the issue when things get complex.

 

[MarnixM]

The microphone the Sound Liaison guys use is a 3 capsule mic, which I guess explains why those One Mic recordings are so superior sounding compared to the rest. These does live up to their claim of sound made visual.

New DSD256 recording: superb recording!

Iman Spaargaren & Peter Bjørnild - In Essence | High Resolution Audio Downloads at Sound Liaison

Intimate jazz by Iman Spaargaren & Peter Bjørnild, recorded with one mic in Pure DSD256. A high-res audiophile gem, exclusively from Sound Liaison.

soundliaison.com

 

[Buster]

New DSD256 recording: superb recording!

Iman Spaargaren & Peter Bjørnild - In Essence | High Resolution Audio Downloads at Sound Liaison

Intimate jazz by Iman Spaargaren & Peter Bjørnild, recorded with one mic in Pure DSD256. A high-res audiophile gem, exclusively from Sound Liaison.

soundliaison.com

Peter Bjørnild is also playing and producer on this superb release:
Bluesy May [Pure DSD One Mic]