6 Stereo Microphone Techniques You Should Know & How They Work

Рет қаралды 61,437

3 жыл бұрын

Learn six powerful stereo microphone techniques to make your recordings more realistic and immersive! By the end, you'll know the six stereo mic techniques, how to set them up, and why they work.
Full Post: audiouniversityonline.com/stereo-microphone-techniques/
Need help setting up your studio? Check out these other free resources I've created for you...
Home Studio Checklist: audiouniversityonline.com/free-home-studio-checklist/
Speaker Placement Guide: audiouniversityonline.com/speaker-placement-guide/
Ernesto Doural Jr. (Drums) KZfaq Channel: kzfaq.info/love/P0CFddlzb0XyqjZdK5WlAw
Rich Harris (Audio Engineer / Producer): www.richharrisaudio.com/
Shock City Studios in St. Louis, MO: shockcitystudios.com/
Microphones
Neumann KM 184:
- Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/Gjo9b2
- zZounds: geni.us/PWgGH
- Thomann: geni.us/eNN3
- Amazon: amzn.to/3tSNJjH
- Reverb: reverb.grsm.io/neumann-km-184
- Guitar Center: guitar-center.pxf.io/JrRjBQ
- Musician's Friend: musicians-friend.pxf.io/ZdYmqR
- B&H: bhpho.to/3zNN8mK
Neumann U87:
- Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/jWDdrM
- zZounds: geni.us/5ALq
- Thomann: geni.us/D50e
- Amazon: amzn.to/32TyriO
- Reverb: reverb.grsm.io/neumann-u-87-ai
- Guitar Center: guitar-center.pxf.io/QO2G4o
- Musician's Friend: musicians-friend.pxf.io/9Wy9O5
- B&H: bhpho.to/3zTmokX
Royer R-122:
- Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/5bmJ5b
- Thomann: geni.us/JFYWB
- Amazon: amzn.to/3tY45r7
- Guitar Center: guitar-center.pxf.io/BXRGB9
- Musician's Friend: musicians-friend.pxf.io/zan0Rm
- B&H: bhpho.to/3d9y8WK
Earthworks QTC30:
- Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/gbLdRX
- Amazon: amzn.to/3sVBKR5
- Reverb: reverb.grsm.io/earthworks-qtc30
- Guitar Center: guitar-center.pxf.io/n1WAgx
- Musician's Friend: musicians-friend.pxf.io/b3jq5B
- B&H: bhpho.to/3gMYLTx
Microphone Stereo Bars and Mounts
K&M Stereo Bar:
- Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/XxoB43
- Thomann: geni.us/6WV3O
- Amazon: amzn.to/32QEBjP
- Guitar Center: guitar-center.pxf.io/3PmRYv
- Musician's Friend: musicians-friend.pxf.io/2rVg2D
- B&H: bhpho.to/35JOyB5
JM Acoustic Mic Mounts: jmacoustic.com/Products/ORTF/ortf.html
Microphone Stands
K&M Boom Microphone Stand:
- Sweetwater: imp.i114863.net/WDJoOe
- zZounds: geni.us/iKM4A
- Thomann: geni.us/thomann-km-stand-tall
- Amazon: amzn.to/3eD9bTu
- Reverb: reverb.grsm.io/k-and-m-tall
- Guitar Center: guitar-center.pxf.io/Ry2LK7
- Musician's Friend: musicians-friend.pxf.io/do5DeQ
- B&H: bhpho.to/3j8phIG
00:00 - Introduction
00:29 - How Stereo Microphone Techniques Work
01:00 - Interaural Level Differences (ILD)
01:44 - Interaural Timing Difference (ITD)
02:17 - Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF)
03:04 - Stereo Microphone Techniques
03:29 - Coincident Pair Microphone Techniques
03:56 - Stereo Microphone Technique #1: X-Y
04:50 - Stereo Microphone Technique #2: Blumlein
05:35 - Stereo Microphone Technique #3: Mid-Side
07:16 - Near-Coincident Pair Microphone Techniques
07:49 - Stereo Microphone Technique #4: ORTF
08:39 - Spaced Pair Microphone Techniques
08:50 - Stereo Microphone Technique #5: Spaced Omni
09:32 - Baffled Pair Microphone Techniques
10:02 - Stereo Microphone Technique #6: Binaural Microphone
10:43 - Subscribe To Audio University!
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Пікірлер: 92

@AudioUniversity 3 жыл бұрын

Need help setting up your studio? Check out these other free resources I've created for you... Home Studio Checklist: audiouniversityonline.com/free-home-studio-checklist/ Speaker Placement Guide: audiouniversityonline.com/speaker-placement-guide/

@fabiocaetanofigueiredo1353 2 жыл бұрын

Kyle, congrats!!! The professionalism of your channel is spectacular. No BS, no wasted time, 100% density of useful knowledge per minute 👏👏👏👏

@kabelorangaka 2 жыл бұрын

It's funny how I'm in Sound Engineering school but make it a point to watch these videos even when I'm not writing a test or doing a practical. Love Audio University!!!✊

@AudioUniversity 2 жыл бұрын

I'm glad to hear these videos are helping! Also - Kudos to you, Kabelo, for putting in the time to learn more about audio on your own!

@BADNEMMUSIC Жыл бұрын

Same here

@SudinNair007 Жыл бұрын

This is my last revision for an exam! Thank God for this!!!

@AudioUniversity Жыл бұрын

Check out this video too: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/iJ6bgtNlz7_Homg.html Good luck on the exam!

@valleywoodstudio7345 2 жыл бұрын

Important to state that the XY technique was developed/suggested by Blumlein because listening over speakers, the replay with the equilateral triangle reintroduces time of arrival differences due head transfer at the listener position. Blumlein pair and XY are very similar except use of Fig 8 allows controlled rear ambience to be added. It's why it sounds narrow on headphones - no transfer function - but good over speakers, head transfer now active. Also contrast why spaced sounds good on headphones but confusing and with 'hole in middle' effect over speakers - head transfer function and extra time of arrival info in the source signal. I find spaced makes source sound too big in context with other instruments in a mix. XY and Near coincident are always best as a result.

@aangtonio5570 5 ай бұрын

I'm using the Senn HD-560S cans and I can say the XY technique here sounded best overall, by a long mile. I think the "narrow" stereo width helps a lot for compensating the well-known, extremely wide stereo imaging provided by most headphones. The drumkit sounds really natural, as it were in front of me, just like in the video.

@aungko7686 2 жыл бұрын

Man, why I find this channel late. This channel is amazing.

@theblowupdollsmusic 2 жыл бұрын

This was one of the best presentations on stereo micing I have ever seen. Thank you for taking the time to create this content.

@AudioUniversity 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for taking the time to watch, Matt! I’m glad you enjoyed it.

@Lauraraksin77 Жыл бұрын

The last example made me lol. I'm imagining just doing a gig for a random band and offering that I become their drummers overhead. "Don't mind me, I'm just being an overhead."

@kevinboucher6536 3 жыл бұрын

Great clear video on how to physically pull off several stereo micing techniques.! I've been capturing nature recording for over 10 years and have been wanting to upgrade my techniques...I've been looking at how to videos for a while, and this one, by far is the one that made the light bulb go off for me!

@panneddead-centre6844 2 ай бұрын

Exactly the video I needed. Thanks for making it.

@sidestreetvideoproduction7278 2 жыл бұрын

Incredible information. Thanks so much for sharing. Great illustrations and demonstrations.

@garyheller62 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Kyle. Love your videos.

@Sadiquecat Жыл бұрын

This video was gold, very well presented and explained. I wish all educational videos would be like this! :D Many thanks for making this!

@ethnicalbert Ай бұрын

ORTF gives such a great image for cinema ambience. Useless for most FX but for atmos it's lovely and wide

@JuusoHoo 5 ай бұрын

WONDERFUL SUMMARY THANKS!

@somethingsomething3248 Жыл бұрын

This guy putting microphones in his ears is the best thing I'll see all day! lol (Great video and great information, that last part just made me chuckle.) Thanks for sharing!

@pt6885 Жыл бұрын

A million thank you's for creating this amazing content. Really great job. KZfaq Algo God, please reward this channel with abundant impressions!

@jobaecker9752 2 жыл бұрын

Really great video of core essentials, explained perfectly. Thanks!

@AudioUniversity 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Jo!

@investsmarternow Жыл бұрын

Your videos are very useful and informative! I was an acoustical engineer at CBS and Bose where I designed loudspeakers and performed research on innovative microphone designs. It would be great to discuss some ideas for a new microphone design with you.

@MontassarFrioui 2 жыл бұрын

You're awesome bro! thank you for giving us this amount of knowledge. bless you

@AudioUniversity 2 жыл бұрын

Glad to help, Montassar!

@walker29 Жыл бұрын

Thank you, Kyle. I love your videos. ❤

@AudioUniversity Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@HpBeck_Fieldrecordings 9 ай бұрын

Thanks✌

@TheMrdj33 3 жыл бұрын

Great vid! I'd also like to learn about diy re ribbon a mic and in general everything related to most common failures of microphone internally. And until what point should we try it ourselves and when we better take them to a professional. (pls tell me if I'm being clear enough).

@medardbitangimana4580 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the lesson

@AudioUniversity 3 жыл бұрын

My pleasure!

@familymusic1771 2 жыл бұрын

Wow. Great teaching

@AudioUniversity 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@johnswiftmusic 4 ай бұрын

I really liked it when he put the mics in his ears

@areastudio5229 Жыл бұрын

Finally found some use for our bands bass player: I can use him as a binaural microphone stand 😀 Imagine him standing in front of the drums for a whole recording session with some microphones stuffed into his ears 😀

@fabianernestopacheco Жыл бұрын

Mega ultra! 😎

@grandrapids57 3 жыл бұрын

Top notch material and presentation.

@AudioUniversity 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Grand Rapids57!

@tancredorodrigues2246 3 жыл бұрын

@@AudioUniversity vc e fera brother!

@spurts Жыл бұрын

Love your vids. I still don’t fully understand why it’s important to invert one of the channels on MS. I understand that when summed to mono, this will cause the sides to disappear but why is that crucial that they disappear? In my mind, the mid mic will always be mono compatible, so who cares if there’s the sides are present too? BTW I’m genuinely asking rather than meaning to come across rude as I do t fully understand phase yet. Thanks

@SKDrumming 2 жыл бұрын

saw just two new and hey .. I can utilize my wife while I track hahahahaha but to be serious those all are great and greatly explained ... for me tracking my drum covers I use the recorder man technique with is a spaced pair technique that works like a charm for my big monster drum kit ... one mike just above the snare and one just behind my shoulder having equal distance from both kick and snare ....

@crisrose521 2 жыл бұрын

This is a decent explanation of stereo techniques using different mics and placements, though it would have really helped if you showed sound examples of how these techniques correspond with the full mic set up on a kit . Overhead mics , separate Tom and snare mics etc . I felt that was needed but again , this is a nice start . Thanks 🙏

@voodoochili12 Жыл бұрын

Agree - excellent video. I think a natural extension would be how to approach mixing with each technique. For example, each technique's tendencies for phase coherence, general approaches for working with that phase coherence in a mix, etc. However that's a big topic. Each of these techniques could be used for overhead mics and/or room mics, and then you're talking about a large number of variables.

@yeltsinpalacios9029 10 ай бұрын

Playlist Differences in Techniques: 1. X/Y = 04:01 2. Blumlein = 05:02 3, Mid/Side = 05:40 4. ORTF = 07:55 5. Spaced Omni = 08:54 6. Binaural Mic = 10:25

@lismo3604 9 күн бұрын

For all my testing, what's the best option bros : 4:02 : XY 05:01 : Blumlein 05:40 : Mid-Side 07:54 : ORTF 08:55 : Spaced Omni 10:27 : Binaural Microphone ✌

@korkenknopfus 3 жыл бұрын

Very illustrative, thank you. Having very little experience at recording with mics, I wonder if the last technique, the binaural, could be applied in a similar way than the ortf, but placing something as barrier between the mics.

@AudioUniversity 3 жыл бұрын

Good idea! There are more techniques covered in the full post - some are similar to what you’re describing. Check out the ‘Baffled Pair’ section: audiouniversityonline.com/stereo-microphone-techniques/

@korkenknopfus 3 жыл бұрын

@@AudioUniversity LOL. In the last hours I was thinking it would be a bad idea, but there is something similar, I see. I will check I it out, thank you very much.

@AudioUniversity 3 жыл бұрын

Glad to help. Thanks for watching!

@mikolajfilipmusic 11 күн бұрын

I dont understand why the signals cancel out in midside technique?

@anthonymetcalf660 2 жыл бұрын

I’m currently using a Zoom H8 with stock XY capsules and a LDCC for the center. Center is great, but the small diaphragms on the XY mics are very heavy on the high end. If you just turn your head away from a noise source it’s obvious that it gets low-passed. This makes sense because the low frequencies create much larger waveforms that aren’t impeded as much by smaller objects. I was thinking of using a low-pass filter but that changes the phase and I don’t really understand the complexities of that yet. I think ideally I would be using two 180 deg mics that are rich in mods and lows with a high end roll-off with near-coincidental placement, a light baffle between the Zoom XY mics, and a relatively even-spectrum and rich condenser for the center, then do phase correction in post for the latter. That way the Zoom capsules can capture all the crispness of the highs and be blended into the stereo image produced by the combination of the other three mics. I really don’t know what would be best for realism besides those binaural mics. I’m trying to capture reverbs for IRs.

@AudioUniversity 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing, Anthony! I like the way you think. Let us know if you find a solution that yields good results!

@ethnicalbert Ай бұрын

Or get some decent mics :)

@aldionsylkaj9654 2 жыл бұрын

I have a question, and I thought this is very very educational! I am learning this out of necessity, the question I have is with my two microphones, when doing a clap test in front of my near-coincident setup, i notice that the left channel is out ofaligment by 30ms which when listened to in stereo sounds incredibly strange. do you have any info I can look into how I can make sure these are aligned?

@AudioUniversity 2 жыл бұрын

30ms seems like a lot to be a misalignment of the mics. Are you sure you’re comparing the direct sound of the clap and not an early reflection? Also, be sure that you are reading the timeline properly. In the past, I have misread the timeline.

@robfriedrich2822 Жыл бұрын

I know some of the techniques under different name. The first shown as AB, not always Mono compatible The 3rd shown as MS After this as XY, when only the sound level difference makes the stereo sound. I missed the Decca Tree as option. In the last example, the incompatibility to Mono is easy to recognize. The Roland Sound Space processor can convert binaural for headphones to 3D stereo. But it's not available anymore.

@SCubelaahhh 2 жыл бұрын

Great video!! What mic holders are you using for the 184s for xy and ortf ? Many thanks !

@AudioUniversity 2 жыл бұрын

JM Acoustic: jmacoustic.com/Products/ORTF/ortf.html They’re awesome!

@SCubelaahhh 2 жыл бұрын

@@AudioUniversity thank you so much! Looks like it takes out so much time and let’s you focus on so much more then spending a good chunk of the time just getting the angle right just to figure out your array of mics need to be moved 1.5inches to the left or right to correct the imaging. Lol 😂

@AudioUniversity 2 жыл бұрын

You’re absolutely correct! lol

@studentjohn35 2 жыл бұрын

Legend has it that, when using M50 clones (M150, TLM50, Blue B4 capsule, etc) the "hole in the middle" is much less of a problem with these high-end mics.

@ethnicalbert Ай бұрын

But they sound like garbage in comparison, which is a lot more important

@DamonZenDrummer 2 жыл бұрын

Best thing ever !!! When you used your skull as a baffle !! How did you think of that!?

@AudioUniversity 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Damon! I was trying to mimic a binaural microphone, like this one: bhpho.to/38nga3t

@onemic-theminimalist Жыл бұрын

Interesting - I got a lot done with one stereo mic and have over thirty videos showing the process if anyone is interested.

@Billiardroomsessions 3 жыл бұрын

Is spaced pair mic technique also fully panned L&R?

@AudioUniversity 3 жыл бұрын

It can be, but you can also experiment with partial panning.

@DrBuffaloBalls Жыл бұрын

Simple question about the M/S technique: Wouldn't it also be possible to create the side channel without duplicating the track, but by simply flipping the phase of one channel on the same track? Keeping track counts low is always a priority for me to avoid needless complication of the project file.

@AudioUniversity Жыл бұрын

That would result in a complete cancellation, just like when summing MS to mono. It’s important to use separate tracks so that you can pan one hard left and the other hard right.

@DrBuffaloBalls Жыл бұрын

@@AudioUniversity But if I use a plugin that can flip just the left or right channel of the Side mic, doesn't that essentially achieve exactly the same effect? After all, you end up with opposite polarity copies in each ear, just like you would with your method.

@benjipage719 Жыл бұрын

What’s the ortf and xy mic holders you have there? Look much more reliable than fussing about with a regular stereo bar?

@AudioUniversity Жыл бұрын

JM Acoustic Mic Mounts: jmacoustic.com/Products/ORTF/ortf.html

@benjipage719 Жыл бұрын

@@AudioUniversity thanks for sharing!

@gillsgills Жыл бұрын

I guess in a DAW, panning a track to one side only affects the level difference (ILD) but not the time difference (ITD) or EQ difference (HRTF) true to real life. Does that mean proportionally delaying and LPF'ing the opposite side of the pan direction would create a better stereo panning effect? Are there tools that do this?

@AudioUniversity Жыл бұрын

In headphones, that is true. But with speakers the ITD and HRTF will still occur.

@gillsgills Жыл бұрын

@@AudioUniversity oh right, of course. I guess it’s not a worthwhile practice in that case. Tight, thanks for the quick response!

@MrDogonjon 2 жыл бұрын

Skull baffling? Baffled my skull. Now I'm completely baffled.

@fffffffffax Жыл бұрын

think ya forgot to flip phase on thee blumlein there hahee

@saurabhkumarjain7 10 ай бұрын

Sir Francis Ford Coppola

@Vhisper 2 жыл бұрын

The third technique can be replaced by some nice room reverb effect as well

@vincentw4881 2 жыл бұрын

Oh, so thats why they call them LavalEAR mics.

@rajivesangma4463 2 жыл бұрын

Aaaaa

@jakomostyn7123 2 жыл бұрын

my guy referenced the pornhub drum intro

@artofstorytelling9406 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Putin !

@kaybhee6 9 ай бұрын

was gonna do all these,,, this kat helped verifyu lots,,, thanx dude,,, note one mo thing,,, a funner 3d way to playback,,, use open baffle plywood full freq range single spkrs,, suxh as fostex FE108EZ or FE126NV2 ,, and el84 type set tube amps,,, waaaay real

@tomburton5500 Жыл бұрын

Also, what's the harm in not inverting the phase on one of the side channels in ms? What is the issue when summed to mono if the phase isn't cancelled? Sorry for the stupid question!

@tomburton5500 Жыл бұрын

I love your vids, Mate. When using coincident pairs (not inc MS) is there are harm in odd ball panning? I.e. not hard panning - One perhaps more left than right?

@AudioUniversity Жыл бұрын

I don't believe so. I've done this in the past with good results. But I'd recommend setting the mics up for equal level in each from the beginning, in any case.

@tomburton5500 Жыл бұрын

@@AudioUniversity Thanks Mate