Last month we looked at the overall benefits of the two overarching stereo miking technique categories: coincident (where the mics are in extremely close proximity to each other) and spaced (where they are some distance apart).

The simplest of the coincident techniques, X-Y miking, employs a matched pair of microphones overlapping as much as the mic bodies allow. As pictured, place a pair of cardioid mics as close to each other as possible with the capsules at an angle to each other. The mic on the left captures the right signal and vice versa. While 90 degrees is the most common angle between the capsules, the working range is approximately 60 to 135 degrees. The wider the angle, the wider the perceived stereo field will be. In general, the distance from the sound source combined with the intended stereo spread (the width of a stage, for example) will determine the appropriate angle.

The use of cardioid patterns means that the X-Y configuration as a whole rejects signals from the rear. (You can also experiment with super-cardioid patterns to provide more isolation between left and right sonic imagery.) This rear rejection has several advantages. The configuration can be moved farther away from a stage to preserve sight lines. The reduced sonic clutter is also of benefit when converting the stereo recording to monaural. Increasing the distance between the coincident mic pair and the sound source decreases stereo separation and captures more room reflections. In general, the X-Y technique using cardioids yields an accurate stereo image exhibiting minimal acoustic reflections, although the separation is not as significant as some other stereo miking techniques.

Please join us again next month, when we’ll discuss the Blumlein stereo miking technique.

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