Reference sounds - mid/side vs. x-y room mics for classical solo instrument

[SweetDan]

Here's something some might find interesting: a bit of experimentation recording with two different mic techniques.

classicalTrumpet_room_mid-side.mp3

classicalTrumpet_room_x-y.mp3

The recording is from my son (trumpet) and I (accompanying on the slightly out-of-tune piano) rehearing for his final jury this semester. Due to covid, his university asked the students to finish out the school year with "distance learning" following Spring Break, so rather than performing for the faculty in person, he has to submit a video & audio recording.

As noted in the filenames, one snippet was recorded with mics in the mid/side position, while the other in stereo x-y. (I didn't try stereo spaced pair, but I should have.) We rehearsed in an empty chapel. The mics were head-high and maybe 20-25 feet back from where we performed, centered left/right in the room.

There's very little to no processing, other than panning and setting levels. (Bit of EQ on the x-y.) I think the mid/side sounds much more clear and realistic in this context. It's certainly interesting to hear the differences between the two types of setups.

I was surprised at the results too; I thought the x-y would come out on top. The only other time I've tried mid/side was on drums in a small room, and that didn't work out too well. But here, being in the big room (chapel of a church), made all the difference.

[Greg_L]

Well the mid/side sounds properly stereo. I don't what happened with the XY. It should have more spread than that, although XY does tend to sound narrow usually.

[vomitHatSteve]

The x-y is much narrower. Interesting.

Mid side sounds like witchcraft to me tho.

[SweetDan]

Here's a snippet w/the X-Y mics panned much wider, 78% to either side (as opposed to 31% for the previous snippet):

classicalTrumpet_room_x-y_78.mp3

It sounds better than the narrower x-y mix, but it still sounds less direct and clear to me than the mid/side.

Mid side sounds like witchcraft to me tho.

Do you mean the placement, recording and mixing technique of mid/side is witchcraft, or do you mean recordings made that way (including this one) sound spooky or unnatural to you?

[vomitHatSteve]

The physics of it. The phase rejection creating a stereo image? What?! Black magic

[JD01]

Jesus... has someone died? This sounds proper depressing.
The mid-side clip sounds by far the best - really nice stereo feel.

[SweetDan]

Jesus... has someone died? This sounds proper depressing.
The mid-side clip sounds by far the best - really nice stereo feel.

Thanks!

Nobody died, it's just boring classical music. The piece is called "Andante et Allegro" by Guy Ropartz, a French composer in the late 1800's through early 1900's. Apparently this piece is kind of a standard etude played by many classical trumpet students. Here's a snippet of the faster part of the piece; there are also plenty of people who've performed it and posted on youtube:

classicalTrumpet_room_mid-side_allegro.mp3

[Greg_L]

Thanks!

Nobody died, it's just boring classical music. The piece is called "Andante et Allegro" by Guy Ropartz, a French composer in the late 1800's through early 1900's. Apparently this piece is kind of a standard etude played by many classical trumpet students. Here's a snippet of the faster part of the piece; there are also plenty of people who've performed it and posted on youtube:


classicalTrumpet_room_mid-side_allegro.mp3

That sounds good...kind of sounds like a part of a film score.