Journal Article
On the Naturalness of Two-Channel Stereo Sound
Journal of the Audio Engineering Society · Volume 39 · Issue 10 · pp. 761–767 · October 1991
Abstract
Psychoacoustic principles are considered in order to enhance the naturalness of the sound image achievable in a conventional two-loudspeaker arrangement. It is found that simulation of depth and space are lacking when the coincident microphone and panpot techniques are applied. To obtain optimum simulation of spatial perspective it is important for the two-loudspeaker signals to have interaural correlation that is as natural as possible. This requirement is met by the so-called sphere microphone, used as a main microphone, associated with the room-related balancing technique, which generates artificial reflections and reverberation from spot-microphone signals. Music recordings confirm that the sphere microphone combines favorable imaging characteristics with regard to spatial perspective, accuracy of localization, and sound color; and that the room-related balancing technique is able to preserve this stereophonic quality.
