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Understanding M-S

Subject: Understanding M-S
From: Rob Danielson <>
Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2005 11:10:34 -0600
At 7:35 AM -0800 2/14/05, Robin Barber wrote:
>Hello all:
>
>I have finally got my MS setup (MKH-30 and MKH-40) up and running and have
>been doing a little practice recording. The results have been greatI must
>admit, I don't really understand why it works. Would anyone be willing to
>explain why m+s and m-s make a good representation of what I hear with my
>ears? What was the thinking in the minds of the folks who thought MS up? The
>reasoning in my head suggests that m+s would have more signal than m-s and
>the stereo would be lopsided. I would much appreciate any insight into this
>"mysterious" process.
>Thanks
>Robin
>

Hi Robin--
Congrads on your new mics! As you probably know, phase cancellation 
with wave phenomena is key. Here's a concise explanation from the DAT 
HEADS MIC FAQ:

"MS Mid/Side
Use a single mic, which may be anything from omni to hypercardioid, 
facing forward (mid) and a figure-eight facing to the left. Remember 
that the back lobe of a figure-eight is out of phase by 180 degrees 
from the front. When you add mid plus side, you get a left-pointing 
pickup. When you subtract mid from side (mid plus inverted side), you 
get a right-pointing pickup. If the mid mic is cardioid, the 
resulting left and right signals are cardioid at 90 degrees. "

I put a trimmed-downed version of the DAT HEADS MIC FAQ with the 
parts that pertain more to field recording here:
http://www.uwm.edu/~type/NatRecordistMicList/DAT_HEAD_MIC_FAQ_Excerpts.pdf

Theres a .doc version for anyone who wants to use it as a reference 
for drafting a NatureRecordists MIC FAQ,...
http://www.uwm.edu/~type/NatRecordistMicList/DAT_HEAD_MIC_FAQ_Excerpts.doc

Of course, there's a wealth of material about M-S including its 
history on the web.

Best,
Rob D.




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