Posted by: "Curt Olson" flipov411
> You're right that it's only with the same capsules that can you make a
> true "apples to apples" comparison. My test had a different purpose. It
> was mostly "apples to oranges" to help me figure out whether I prefer
> "apple" or "orange" in that setting. I'll be doing more of that to
> better understand what circumstances might call for one type of rig or
> another, at least to my ear. So far, I'm finding that in enclosed
> spaces, ORTF rigs tend to render events in ways that I usually like
> better. Outdoors, I'm leaning toward the parallel barrier rig, at least
> for the time being.
ORTF was designed originally for recording music concerts in concert
halls, so it's not surprising it does well with enclosed spaces. Several
other mic setups were designed for the same purpose. The problem is that
nature recording is rarely in enclosed spaces. Nor are the reflections
and absorption of sound near as regular as a custom designed acoustic
space like a concert hall. For nature recording we do have to
investigate outside the box of music recording. I'm not at all convinced
that the indoor designs represent the best for outdoor recording.
When you compare using a single pair of mics through various rigs you
are more investigating how that single pair of mics might be used than
anything about how the rigs may be used or what they sound like. Only by
adding more pairs of different mics can you investigate how the rigs
themselves perform. In other words, even with a single pair of mics you
are not really doing a apples to apples comparison of the rigs. In terms
of amplitude and other parameters, you still won't know if the
differences are the rig or the mics. Though you may come to a decision
as to which rigs that particular set of mics work best with.
And, since different rigs respond to different soundfields differently,
the original question of finding the "right" stereo set is a bit of
nonsense. There may be a right stereo set for a specific site with
specific callers recorded by a specific recordist who will then choose
what's right for their purposes. But the next site, even with the same
recordist may need a entirely different rig. That's why I cart around 5
different rigs in my main set. And that is probably not enough if I want
the most perfect rig for each site.
And I've spent several years with those 5 rigs and still cannot always
easily choose which one to use on a specific occasion. That's far more
recording than a single test of each rig. Only some of my initial ideas
concerning these rigs have stood the test of longer usage.
Walt
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