Wilson Audio Haters

Depth of soundstage should vary with each recording according to the venue and recording techniques of the recording itself, single mike recordings usually giving the best illusion of accurate spatial imaging of the actual performance.

Depth of individual performers and or instruments should have clearly identifiable spatial locations representing the actual spacing of each in relationship to the other, providing the recording/mastering captures this information.

If a system does so, it is not due to some frequency anomaly, but an indicator of reproduction accuracy and largely dependent on the time coherence of the speakers.

If depth and spatial information is consistent from recording to recording, then the system is creating the illusion of depth through distortions, whether engineered into the equipment intentionally or not.

Accurate reproduction of depth is as important to listener involvement as accurate lateral reproduction (stereo imaging), IMO.  

Dave

dlcockrum

... single mike recordings usually giving the best illusion of accurate spatial imaging of the actual performance

How can you capture depth with just a single microphone? Do you actually think monophonic recordings have better "spatial imaging" than a good stereo - or binaural - recording?

Single mike recording is not the same thing as monophonic playback, which blends the lateral information into a single source of sound.

One microphone captures the spatial information (distances from the microphone) most accurately if done correctly, vs multi-mike recording where the mixing/mastering engineer (hopefully) blends multiple microphone tracks to simulate correct placement of the instruments (this is called "mixing"), too often using artificial reverb or other techniques to do so.

Try Cowboy Junkies, "The Trinity Session" to see what I mean. A single-miked live recording (using only a Calrec Ambisonic microphone and mastered but not mixed), yet anything but monaural. If your system does not demonstrate the effects of what I am describing, it is not reproducing depth and spatial information very well. How important or even whether this is important at all to an individual listener is not the subject of my posts.

Another great test is the Opus 3 Test Record 1: Depth of Image (CD 7900) and also available on LP IIRC.

Dave

dlcockrum

Single mike recording is not the same thing as monophonic playback, which blends the lateral information into a single source of sound.

One microphone captures the spatial information (distances from the microphone) most accurately if done correctly, vs multi-mike recording where the mixing/mastering engineer (hopefully) blends multiple microphone tracks to simulate correct placement of the instruments, too often using artificial reverb or other techniques to do so. This is called "mixing".

Try Cowboy Junkies, "The Trinity Session" to see what I mean ...

I think this is an issue of semantics. Trinity Session was recorded with a stereo microphone, so calling it a "single mic" effort is a bit confusing.

There's nothing inherently advantageous about the Calrec mic used on Trinity Session. Proper stereo X/Y and M/S mic techniques can result in excellent imaging and stereo reproduction.