2. misc-audio
  3. 1078030216

Out of Phase?

Has anyone stumbled on a recording they could swear is out of phase - meaning that you need to reverse the connections on ONE speaker to give the recording focus, to create a center image? I have, and I'm stunned when it happens, particularly the latest discovery - RCA LSC 1903 - Brahms Violin Concerto - Heifetz. I've had the CD for a while and I often don't pay attention to CDs, but I recently purchased the Classic Records vinyl reissue. As soon as Heifetz came in it was apparent. The violin sounded like it was coming from all over the place. I couldn’t believe it, but having run into this at least two other times (RCA – Julie Andrews – Sound of Music and a Carpenters album) I thought, well… maybe. So I reversed the connections on the right speaker. It was a little less conclusive than with the other two albums. But the violin had more focus although it was mostly clumped up behind the right speaker.

Just curious if others have run into this?

KLee
kalee

Showing 1 response by eldartford

eldartford
4,262 posts
 
I have never heard a stereo recording where the soloist was out of phase between channels. This would be so obvious that I don't see how the recording could get through production that way.

Many recordings have tracks (of the original multichannel master tape) mixed out of phase so as to create the "coming from all over the place" effect. For example, Judy Collins recording of the song "Farewell to Tiwathie" has whale "songs" dubbed in as background, and, with a good matrix multichannel system, the whales swim all around you in the air.

One multichannel SACD, Hilary Hahn playing the Brahms violin concerto got me mad, because, with a perfectly good discrete center channel available, they mixed her into Left and Right.

Maybe this SACD was mixed by the same idiot who made the RCA recording. Interesting that it is also the Brahms concerto. A jinx perhaps?
More to discover