Music & Audio Advice Microphone Types and Techniques 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the XY stereo technique, the two microphones are positioned how?
- Spaced several feet apart facing forward
- Capsules coincident at roughly 90 degrees (Correct answer)
- One above the other facing opposite directions
- Both facing straight up
Correct answer: Capsules coincident at roughly 90 degrees
XY pairs two cardioid mics with their capsules nearly touching, angled about 90 degrees, giving good mono compatibility.
Question 2: Which technique uses two omnidirectional mics spaced apart to capture a wide, spacious stereo image?
- XY
- Mid-Side
- Spaced pair (A/B) (Correct answer)
- ORTF
Correct answer: Spaced pair (A/B)
A spaced pair (A/B) places two omni mics apart to capture timing differences, creating a wide ambient sound.
Question 3: Mid-Side (M/S) recording uses which combination of polar patterns?
- Two cardioids
- A cardioid and a figure-8 (Correct answer)
- Two omnis
- Two figure-8s
Correct answer: A cardioid and a figure-8
M/S pairs a forward-facing mid mic (often cardioid) with a sideways figure-8, allowing adjustable stereo width.
Question 4: What is a key benefit of the Mid-Side technique?
- No power required
- Adjustable stereo width after recording (Correct answer)
- Eliminates all room noise
- Doubles the output volume
Correct answer: Adjustable stereo width after recording
Because the side signal is separate, you can change the stereo width during mixdown without re-recording.
Question 5: The ORTF technique uses two cardioid mics spaced 17 cm apart at what angle?
- 90 degrees
- 110 degrees (Correct answer)
- 180 degrees
- 45 degrees
Correct answer: 110 degrees
ORTF places two cardioids 17 cm apart and angled 110 degrees, mimicking human ear spacing for a natural stereo image.
Question 6: Why is XY stereo preferred when mono compatibility is critical?
- It has no phase issues since capsules are coincident (Correct answer)
- It uses only one microphone
- It boosts the bass
- It removes the center image
Correct answer: It has no phase issues since capsules are coincident
With coincident capsules there is almost no timing difference, so summing to mono causes minimal phase cancellation.
Question 7: When using a spaced pair, what problem can arise from large mic spacing?
- Excessive bass response
- Phase or comb-filtering issues in mono (Correct answer)
- Loss of high frequencies
- Phantom power overload
Correct answer: Phase or comb-filtering issues in mono
Large spacing creates arrival-time differences that can cause comb filtering when the channels are summed to mono.
Music & Audio Advice Microphone Types and Techniques 3
In the XY stereo technique, the two microphones are positioned how?