Stereo Mic Techniques Basics

There are three main categories of stereo microphone techniques. We

have listened to all of these in class now, so you should have some
idea of how they sound. This sheet should help you remember the
specifics of each technique category so you can make an informed
choice about which technique to use in your recordings.

They are usually used to record classical music. They are sometimes
used in more popular sounding productions to add ambience to
instruments or to record sections (strings, brass, winds etc).

N.B. It is important to note that the following are categories of

techniques. Below each description I will list a number of techniques
that are part of each category.

Coincident Techniques:
The microphone capsules are placed one on top of another. Angling the
microphones (say 90 degrees to one another) means there are small
amplitude (loudness) differences between sounds coming to the left or
the right of the microphones. These amplitude differences create the
stereo image.

A sound to the right of the microphones will be louder in the

microphone directed towards the sound. This sound will therefore
appear towards the right of the stereo image when we are listening.

Specific Coincident Techniques: X-Y, Blumlein

Advantages of Coincident Techniques:

Very clear lateral imaging

Disadvantages of Coincident Techniques:

Little sense of depth in the stereo image

Bass response is less linear (accurate/natural) at any kind of distance.

(The bass frequencies tend to be picked up less than the mid and
treble).

Spaced Techniques:
The microphones are spaced apart (from as small as 10-15cm up to
2m). With spaced techniques tiny differences in how long the sound
takes to reach each microphone creates the stereo image. A sound
happening to the left of the microphone array will arrive at the left
microphone first and appear more to the left of the stereo image.

Specific Spaced Techniques: Decca Tree, Jecklin Disk, Faulkner

Phased Array. There are fewer specific techniques, engineers tend to
start with a width they expect to sound good and adjust it to match
their needs.

Mic Types:

Any polar pattern can be used, however, omnidirectional or bi-

directional (figure of 8) microphones are usually used for spaced
techniques.

Advantages of Spaced Techniques:

Excellent depth in the stereo image

More linear (accurate, natural) bass response. (Bass response does not
change when micing further away)

Disadvantages of Spaced Techniques:

Less well defined stereo imaging. Seperation/localisation can be

severely compromised. A hole in the middle can sometimes be heard
if the microphones are spaced too far apart.

Near Coincident Techniques:

These are easiest to understand relative to coincident and spaced
techniques. The microphones are slightly spaced and are angled. This
means that both amplitude and time differences are involved in
creating the stereo image.

Specific Spaced Techniques: ORTF, NOS, DIN

Advantages of Near Coincident Techniques:

Clear stereo imaging. Very good separation/localisation of sound

sources

A greater sense of space than coincident techniques

Disadvantages of Near Coincident Techniques:

Less depth in the stereo image than spaced techniques

Bass response is less linear (accurate/natural) than spaced techniques.

(The bass frequencies tend to be picked up less than the mid and
treble).