loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

In article ,
Stewart Pinkerton wrote:
Mounting any speaker flush in a rack etc as they do in some TV production
control rooms for appearance really does mess up the imaging.

Some of the finest imaging I ever heard was from flush-mounted
speakers. Think about it - there *is* no diffraction smear from the
baffle in a flush-mounted speaker.

We'll have to differ, then. I've never heard any flush mounted speakers
that compare to the same basic design free standing. Doesn't stop plenty
of recording studios fitting them, though. But the final positioning will
be done on near fields in this situation.

--
*What was the best thing before sliced bread? *

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

Dave Plowman wrote:

In article ,
Ian Molton wrote:
But this is a fallacy. You can't position sounds accurately with
headphones as you can with speakers.

say what?

two sonically independant drivers (ie. no sound leaks across from one
ear to the other)

But the ear positions sounds by more than just relative levels - and this
is lost on a conventional recording when listened to on headphones.


How?

Ian

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

Dave Plowman wrote:

In article ,
Ian Molton wrote:
But this is a fallacy. You can't position sounds accurately with
headphones as you can with speakers.

say what?

two sonically independant drivers (ie. no sound leaks across from one
ear to the other)

But the ear positions sounds by more than just relative levels - and this
is lost on a conventional recording when listened to on headphones.


How?

Ian

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

In article , Ian Bell
wrote:
Dave Plowman wrote:

In article , Ian Molton
wrote:
But this is a fallacy. You can't position sounds accurately with
headphones as you can with speakers.

say what?

two sonically independant drivers (ie. no sound leaks across from one
ear to the other)

But the ear positions sounds by more than just relative levels - and
this is lost on a conventional recording when listened to on
headphones.


How?

Various ways including;

1) Relative times of arrivals at the two ears.

2) Effects of diffraction/scattering from the ear-lobes being direction
dependent.

It is possible in principle to process the sound so that these effects are
pre-applied - hence some of the 'dummy head' recordings. However with most
stereo recordings and broadcasts the sound will be produced on the
assumption that you're listening via a pair of loudspeakers.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

In article , Ian Bell
wrote:
Dave Plowman wrote:

In article , Ian Molton
wrote:
But this is a fallacy. You can't position sounds accurately with
headphones as you can with speakers.

say what?

two sonically independant drivers (ie. no sound leaks across from one
ear to the other)

But the ear positions sounds by more than just relative levels - and
this is lost on a conventional recording when listened to on
headphones.


How?

Various ways including;

1) Relative times of arrivals at the two ears.

2) Effects of diffraction/scattering from the ear-lobes being direction
dependent.

It is possible in principle to process the sound so that these effects are
pre-applied - hence some of the 'dummy head' recordings. However with most
stereo recordings and broadcasts the sound will be produced on the
assumption that you're listening via a pair of loudspeakers.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 13:23:57 +0000 (GMT), Dave Plowman
wrote:

In article ,
Stewart Pinkerton wrote:
Its easy to obtain a stunning stereo image... wear headphones ;-)

But this is a fallacy. You can't position sounds accurately with
headphones as you can with speakers.

Oh, yes you can. Ever hear a BBC binaural broadcast? The realism is
quite stunning - so much so that if you turn your head, it can make
you nauseus as the world spins with you!

I'm quite familiar with binaural, but it's pretty uncommon on commercial
recordings given its extremely limiting effects on modern production
techniques. It also doesn't IMHO give good compatibility with how most
listen - on speakers.

This has nothing to do with your comment regarding "You can't position
sounds accurately with headphones as you can with speakers", which is
fundamentally untrue.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 13:23:57 +0000 (GMT), Dave Plowman
wrote:

In article ,
Stewart Pinkerton wrote:
Its easy to obtain a stunning stereo image... wear headphones ;-)

But this is a fallacy. You can't position sounds accurately with
headphones as you can with speakers.

Oh, yes you can. Ever hear a BBC binaural broadcast? The realism is
quite stunning - so much so that if you turn your head, it can make
you nauseus as the world spins with you!

I'm quite familiar with binaural, but it's pretty uncommon on commercial
recordings given its extremely limiting effects on modern production
techniques. It also doesn't IMHO give good compatibility with how most
listen - on speakers.

This has nothing to do with your comment regarding "You can't position
sounds accurately with headphones as you can with speakers", which is
fundamentally untrue.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 13:33:20 +0000 (GMT), Dave Plowman
wrote:

In article ,
Stewart Pinkerton wrote:
Mounting any speaker flush in a rack etc as they do in some TV production
control rooms for appearance really does mess up the imaging.

Some of the finest imaging I ever heard was from flush-mounted
speakers. Think about it - there *is* no diffraction smear from the
baffle in a flush-mounted speaker.

We'll have to differ, then. I've never heard any flush mounted speakers
that compare to the same basic design free standing. Doesn't stop plenty
of recording studios fitting them, though. But the final positioning will
be done on near fields in this situation.

Try one of the finest monitors in the world - the ATC SCM300 -
basically, it's *supposed* to be flush mounted.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 13:33:20 +0000 (GMT), Dave Plowman
wrote:

In article ,
Stewart Pinkerton wrote:
Mounting any speaker flush in a rack etc as they do in some TV production
control rooms for appearance really does mess up the imaging.

Some of the finest imaging I ever heard was from flush-mounted
speakers. Think about it - there *is* no diffraction smear from the
baffle in a flush-mounted speaker.

We'll have to differ, then. I've never heard any flush mounted speakers
that compare to the same basic design free standing. Doesn't stop plenty
of recording studios fitting them, though. But the final positioning will
be done on near fields in this situation.

Try one of the finest monitors in the world - the ATC SCM300 -
basically, it's *supposed* to be flush mounted.
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

loudspeaker stereo imaging
 

Kurt Hamster wrote:

On Sun, 16 Nov 2003 14:30:48 +0000, Ian Bell used
to say...

Dave Plowman wrote:


two sonically independant drivers (ie. no sound leaks across from one
ear to the other)

But the ear positions sounds by more than just relative levels - and
this is lost on a conventional recording when listened to on headphones.


How?

Ian

Apart from binaural, have you ever heard sounds coming from in front of
you (or to the rear for that matter) whilst listening with headphones?

Yes to them all.


Ian