> Any stereo array can easily be tested for efficacy by the simple expedien=
t of (while recording) walking across the soundfield in an arc equidistant =
from the mic array. If the spatial representation is accurate as captured, =
when the recording is played back over properly positioned loudspeakers (=
=B130=BA for conventional stereo; =B145=BA for X-Y Blumlein crossed figure-=
of-eight) the footsteps should progress evenly from one side to the other. =
You could be forgiven for thinking this would be the result in most cases, =
but in fact it seems to work only with crossed figure of eights and M-S arr=
ays, both coincident. All spaced arrays produce extremely aberrant results =
with this experiment.
Some years ago there was an AES paper (sorry I can't find it now) on a shoo=
t-out between a number of popular stereo arrays. ORTF got high marks for so=
urce positioning accuracy. Of course the quality of the mics would make a b=
ig difference, as many mics have poor coordination of directivity with freq=
uency.
In my own recordings I get very nice stereo panoramas from a classic Jeckli=
n Disc.
-Dan
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