On Sat, 5 Aug 2017, at 10:43, Curt wrote: > My understanding is that a stereo microphone is comprised of two > microphones in a single unit. That's pretty black and white.
Yes. You also get units with more than 2 capsules in them. > Why you would use such a device rather than recording with two discrete > microphones in an X-Y, ORTF, or MS (et al) configuration (but I read > there are single, MS recording units) I dunno. One reason is that it's sometimes physically easier to mount (or suspend from the ceiling) a single unit than a pair. It's tricky if suspending mics to get them to point in exactly the right direction; the weight of the mic cables can drag the thing away from the alignment you want. You can't use a floor stand for mics if they have to be high above an audience (I've four floor stands that each put mics up to 14 feet above the floor, but they're not usable where audience seats are where the stands would have to be, and public safety precludes use of such things if people can trip over them or walk into them. They're eminently useful for recording sessions in halls where the public are not present, or eg for putting mics above sections of an orchestra or in front of a choir.) Another reason is on some of these mics the directional sensitivity of the two (or more) capsules is controllable from the box of electronics at the other end of the mic cables. So you can decide for each mic if you want a tightly focussed hyper- cardioid response (if you like, a shotgun mic) or something slightly directional, or figure of 8 (ie responsive to sound from both sides but not in front/behind), or omni- directional, or various points inbetween. Since no-one can put their ears where the mic is (if it's eg 60 feet down from the ceiling and 20 feet above the floor), the ability to fine tune what the mic(s) are doing remotely saves an awful lot of time. Otherwise you'd have to haul the mics up to the ceiling, adjust them, lower them again, listen for a while, and repeat. (Or lower them to the floor then raise them again ... needing several people to do that and walkie-talkies to communicate). These are the sorts of mics you often see high up in the space in a concert hall auditorium. -- Jeremy Nicoll - my opinions are my own.