Klas Strandberg wrote: "I think A-B stereo always have to be judged
from how it is replayed."
Good point, Klas. So...
Let's assume I am asking for both - what spacings work best for
headphones, and what spacings work best for speakers?
I have found that closer spacings seem to work well for headphone
listening, particularly (and unsurprisingly) 17cm or so. But when
played through speakers this spacing tends to create a boring and
narrow stereo image that is clustered around the middle, with not much
side information.
Wider spacings of 25cm or more work well for speakers, but are harder
to judge over headphones in the field because, at the widths that work
well for speakers, there is often a hole-in-the-middle effect on
headphones.
In the case of speakers, let's assume the speakers and listener are
set-up in the 60 degree equilateral triangle often recommended for
stereo monitoring.
Any suggestions, anecdotes or links to nature recordings made with
spaced omnis would be appreciated. :-)
- Greg Simmons
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