Stereo Recording Techniques – Post 3

3        Recording in Stereo

When recording with stereo techniques, the panning decisions are being made before the editing and mixing process begins. This automatic panning is caused by the interaural differences being recorded by the microphones, which will then be replayed to listeners over speakers.

There are different types of stereo recording technique, which are outlined in this post along with examples of particular techniques following later. It is worth nothing that different technique types will make use of interaural differences in different ways, so the sound can differ, dramatically.

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Stereo Recording Techniques – Post 2

2        Stereo Image Considerations

A number of criteria need to be considered in order to ensure the stereo image sounds the best that it can. These considerations will influence what recording array you use and how you will manipulate the array before you commit to a recording take.

Audio production is a very subjective business. Entire research studies have been dedicated to see if it is possible to establish a set of words which can be objectively used to describe recorded sound. For example, one person’s ‘harsh’ could be another person’s ‘bright’, so having agreement on what is which can be helpful. With this in mind, this section has been written as an attempt to do the same but please keep in mind that the only rule to follow is to experiment.

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Stereo Recording Techniques – Post 1

Introduction

Hello everyone. This is the first post in a three post series about basic stereo recording techniques. The series is made of a few chapters, which have been split across three posts. Some will be longer than others, but it should be a nice way to present the topic as you can bookmark specific chapters, if you like.

This post describes how the stereo image is created and how it relates to our hearing systems. Post 2 highlights a number of sonic aspects of the stereo image which should be considered when recording and also when mixing. In terms of recording, Post 3 outlines the different categories of stereo recording arrays and some examples.

Overall, this guide aims to take readers through the creation, manipulation and recording of the stereo image across a variety of musical genres. It should be treated as a primer. Recommended reading will be suggested throughout the series. If you have any questions or you spot any errors, do not hesitate to get in touch with me at info@robkellysound.com.

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