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Re: M/S decoding help

Subject: Re: M/S decoding help
From: "thxdave" thxdave
Date: Fri Jul 7, 2006 7:49 pm (PDT)
Tim Nielsen <> wrote:

Hi Tim,
>
> As was noted, you can either decode to the file you are recording, or  
> decode only to headphones. I prefer the later, since I like to do the  
> decoding in the computer. So if you decode to the file, then turn off  
> decoding in the headphones.

If I do that, how do I determine if I have proper levels or L/R
balance? Would it be done by setting the levels to match closely or what?

> 
> A couple of things to test that might explain your weird 'clock' test.

I hope you meant that the results were weird and NOT my test!! ;-) It
was actually pretty revealing when I could get it decoded correctly.
It was very informative as to the differences between the MKH30 and
the MKH60, sonically (sonicly?).

> 
> Are you certain you were feeding the mid mic into the left channel,  
> and the side mic into channel 2?

Yep, I verified it early on just to avoid this very issue. As I
indicated earlier, the files played back perfectly through the
built-in decoding of the 722.

> Also, the 'amount' of side signal to mid signal is important. If  
> you're pumping in more side level than mid level, it will start to  
> artificially widen the stereo image, which will start to sound weird,  
> and at the extreme will sound 'real' weird. With a 1:1 ratio your  
> stereo image is roughly 90 degrees.

That might have been where I went wrong with the plugin in Peak.
Things started to get REAL weird as I used all those sliders!

> 
> Also check that the proper 'lobe, or 0 degrees, is pointing left  
> (when viewed from behind). This is indicated on Schoeps by a red dot,  
> probably the same on an MKH30. If it's reversed the stere image will  
> be reversed.

I saw this mentioned a few days ago and I checked my MKH's. They are
both mounted with the "control surfaces" facing the same direction,
i.e. the sides with the selector switches are both facing the same way.
 
> Can you describe better what it sounded like? My initial guess would  
> be that your feeding the side signal into the left channel of the  
> decoding plugin.

You might be right. I'm going to reset the controls to their default
settings and try it again....AND try to find a simpler m/s decoder plug!

> Double check your 5-pin XLR and make sure that  
> they're not crossed, sending the wrong channel to the 722. Unplug one  
> at a time on the mic end, and verify each mic is going to it's proper  
> channel.

Did that too. All pins test correctly including my XLR5 to XLR3/XLR3
splitter cable.

Thanks for the input, Tim.
dave








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