Stereophonic Recording Technique Examples

[tallbeardedone]

Does anyone know any specific examples of which stereo recording techniques were used in a particular recording?

I specifically want to listen to:
1.) a recording which used A-B time-of-arrival stereophony
2.) a recording which used X-Y intensity stereophony
3.) a recording which used mixed A-B and X-Y

If anyone knows where I can find this information that’d be super helpful thanks.

 

[Blumlein 88]

There are at least a couple demos of those and other microphone patterns. One is a video another is a page that lets you choose what to listen with. I don't have links to them at the moment.

Here is one video. They do compare them all close together in the last few minutes. Not the best demo as it is on a drum set.

One using a guitar in a fair sized space.

Don't care for the distant position in this demo.

Another guitar demo.

 

[tallbeardedone]

There are at least a couple demos of those and other microphone patterns. One is a video another is a page that lets you choose what to listen with. I don't have links to them at the moment.

Here is one video. They do compare them all close together in the last few minutes. Not the best demo as it is on a drum set.

One using a guitar in a fair sized space.

Don't care for the distant position in this demo.

Another guitar demo.

Great links thanks. I was hoping to determine which stereo mic array was used for specific recordings I can stream on Qobuz. Any idea how to find this info?

 

[Jim Shaw]

 

[Dialectic]

Great links thanks. I was hoping to determine which stereo mic array was used for specific recordings I can stream on Qobuz. Any idea how to find this info?

It typically would not be disclosed but sometimes is available in articles about, or photographs of, a recording session.

See, e.g., https://www.mixonline.com/news/senn...ed-deutsche-grammophon-cdsacd-sessions-420118

 

[tallbeardedone]

It typically would not be disclosed but sometimes is available in articles about, or photographs of, a recording session.

See, e.g., https://www.mixonline.com/news/senn...ed-deutsche-grammophon-cdsacd-sessions-420118

Excellent article. This is exactly the info I’d like for each recording. I wish it was standard to add it to the liner notes.

 

[Dialectic]

Excellent article. This is exactly the info I’d like for each recording. I wish it was standard to add it to the liner notes.

Most record labels and recording engineers don't want you to know how the sausage is made. This article/press release was a puff piece to promote Sennheiser microphones.

 

[MAB]

Does anyone know any specific examples of which stereo recording techniques were used in a particular recording?

I specifically want to listen to:
1.) a recording which used A-B time-of-arrival stereophony
2.) a recording which used X-Y intensity stereophony
3.) a recording which used mixed A-B and X-Y

If anyone knows where I can find this information that’d be super helpful thanks.

I wonder this too. Liner notes occasionally tell us the "associated equipment" list, but never seem to tell us how the equipment was implemented.
Like, Jerry Douglass and Peter Rowan apparently used Neumann mics to get that "old-time sound".

 

[tallbeardedone]

Most record labels and recording engineers don't want you to know how the sausage is made. This article/press release was a puff piece to promote Sennheiser microphones.

That’s foolish imo. This knowledge should be shared to help stereo reproduction of that sound. I’m wondering if different mic configurations correspond to slightly different sweet spot listening positions in my room. ‍

 

[Jim Shaw]

Most of the time, it's not that simple to provide the mic array information used on a particular recording. Extra mics are used to give more control and solo passage coverage. Individual mic pickup patterns often require adjustments of placement and direction to solve studio or hall acoustic issues. And recordings made by 'movie-music track' type studios often use dozens of mics, each selected for its musical compatibility with particular instruments, sections, and acoustics.

One of what should be a simple instrument to mic is the grand piano. Yet, there must be a hundred ways and a hundred models of mics used to do it. As for vocals, I've seen one vocalist miked by four to six mics -- to provide the mixing engineer and the producer with post-production choices of tone, timber, ambiance, and distance.

One thing you'll rarely if ever see is a recording being made with just one microphone array and connection unless it is just for reference. It used to happen with live orchestra performances, but not much since the 60s. I haven't seen a Decca Tree in unmodified use in years -- though it might look like that. Listeners may like the sound of the hall, but not so much the first reflection off the floor.

 

[tallbeardedone]

Most of the time, it's not that simple to provide the mic array information used on a particular recording. Extra mics are used to give more control and solo passage coverage. Individual mic pickup patterns often require adjustments of placement and direction to solve studio or hall acoustic issues. And recordings made by 'movie-music track' type studios often use dozens of mics, each selected for its musical compatibility with particular instruments, sections, and acoustics.

One of what should be a simple instrument to mic is the grand piano. Yet, there must be a hundred ways and a hundred models of mics used to do it. As for vocals, I've seen one vocalist miked by four to six mics -- to provide the mixing engineer and the producer with post-production choices of tone, timber, ambiance, and distance.

One thing you'll rarely if ever see is a recording being made with just one microphone array and connection unless it is just for reference. It used to happen with live orchestra performances, but not much since the 60s. I haven't seen a Decca Tree in unmodified use in years -- though it might look like that. Listeners may like the sound of the hall, but not so much the first reflection off the floor.

This is the information I’m after. Mic placement and how the recording was mixed spatially. At some stage someone sat in front of two speakers (or inside a pair of headphones) and placed each instrument/sound in at least horizontal space if not 3-D space. I want to know that info so I can make sure my speaker placement and listening position are set up correctly to accurately recreate it.

 

[Jim Shaw]

This is the information I’m after. Mic placement and how the recording was mixed spatially. At some stage someone sat in front of two speakers (or inside a pair of headphones) and placed each instrument/sound in at least horizontal space if not 3-D space. I want to know that info so I can make sure my speaker placement and listening position are set up correctly to accurately recreate it.

I'm not sure what specific speaker and listener placement might be indicated for the music tracks recorded for this studio setup:

 

[tallbeardedone]

I'm not sure what specific speaker and listener placement might be indicated for the music tracks recorded for this studio setup:

Heaps of mics used there and then engineer/mixer created the soundstage in studio. I’d love to be in the room while that process is done and see what speaker/headphone setup they use to place each instrument in space.

 

[Doodski]

Heaps of mics used there and then engineer/mixer created the soundstage in studio. I’d love to be I. The room while that process is done and see what speaker/headphone setup they use to place each instrument in space.

Impressive pic and as you say the task @ hand is enormous. I like the use of office divider panels for attenuation.

 

[Blumlein 88]

This is the information I’m after. Mic placement and how the recording was mixed spatially. At some stage someone sat in front of two speakers (or inside a pair of headphones) and placed each instrument/sound in at least horizontal space if not 3-D space. I want to know that info so I can make sure my speaker placement and listening position are set up correctly to accurately recreate it.

Doing what you have in mind is pretty much not possible.

You aren't going to be able to recreate studios and other speakers etc. Not with current technology. I also think you under-estimate how much processing even back to the late 1960's nearly all recordings undergo. Nor do you have a perspective to know you have gotten it right. Nor were those people listening the way you are or paying attention to the same things.

What good does it do you to know Abbey Road's huge orchestra recording studio and a Decca tree were used? How do you use that information?

Chesky's earlier recordings were all done with a Blumlein pair of crossed ribbon microphones. In the last few years they've been done with binaural recording using a dummy head and some special DSP to make them sound okay over speakers. What can you do with that info?

Some Wilson recordings give you all the info and they used Watts for on site monitoring. I forget which microphone technique they preferred, but it was a pair of mikes and no compression, EQ or other processing was done. All Spectral electronics.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Here is another setup for Abbey Road.

Here is the control room with B&W speakers. But we don't know if it went from there to be further mastered with yet other speakers and another location.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Abbey Road way back in the day with those awful Auratones plus some big speakers mounted on the wall.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Current Fame studio A.

Same studio mid to early 1960's. Yes, they made stereo recordings, but looks like maybe they monitored in mono.