Blumlein stereo system
The Blumlein stereo system developed by Alan Blumlein in the 1930s describes a stereo recording technique with two microphones . According to some researchers and developers, the Blumlein stereo microphone system is one of the best-sounding recording methods.
The Blumlein method provides for two eight-eight microphones crossed at 90 ° . The stereo impression arises from level differences (intensity differences ) and not from differences in the transit time of the channels. The procedure is therefore one of the intensity stereophony .
Ideally, the microphones are arranged as close as possible to one another. The Blumlein method is suitable for all real pressure gradient microphones with the directional characteristic of a figure eight. This means that condenser microphones or ribbon microphones are particularly suitable . Compared to the other methods of intensity stereophony, the Blumlein method is characterized by particularly good spatial reproduction and a broad stereo base. However, there are also two disadvantages: On the one hand, the rear sound events are only reversed and mirrored in the stereo image. The two lateral quadrants are recorded with reverse polarity (out of phase), which can lead to deletions in the sound image. Furthermore, the reproduction of low frequencies decreases proportionally more with distance than with microphones with other directional characteristics. In return, recordings in the MS or XY stereo method offer a significantly better potential for bass reproduction, since pressure microphones can also be used as an M signal for MS and wide cardioids for XY.
A popular microphone for the Blumlein stereo system is the ribbon microphone. A classic coincidence microphone (stereo microphone with 2 capsules in one housing) was the Blumlein stereo microphone. Experienced sound engineers recommend setting up the microphones in a stereophonic Blumlein arrangement at a short distance from the sound sources.
literature
- Michael Dickreiter, Volker Dittel, Wolfgang Hoeg, Martin Wöhr (eds.): Manual of the recording studio technology . 8th, revised and expanded edition. 2 volumes. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / Boston 2014, ISBN 978-3-11-028978-7 .
- Fritz Kühne: mono, stereo and transistor microphones . 7th edition. Franzis Verlag, Munich 1966.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Joker Nies: Sound & Recording . No. 4 , 2006, p. 122 .
- ↑ Bobby Owsinski: The Recording Engineer's Handbook . artistpro Publishing, 2005, p. 62 f .