13 August 2025
One of the challenges of remote recording is recording a live performance in a venue that's new to you. Add to the mix that there are mulitple pieces, each with unique character, and you'll find yourself needing a reliable stereo rig that gives you some options in post.
I recorded such a performance recently. The Sound Ecologies Chamber Orchestra premiered seven pieces by seven composers. I choose to employ a "phased array" on a single stereo bar: a spaced pair of omnis (2x Schoeps MK2H @50cm) and a semi-coincident pair of cardioids (2x Austrian Audio CC8 in DIN config) on the same stereo bar.
Such an array is a flexible way to record an ensemble, in that you can use either pair by itself, or you can mix them together, if you're careful about how you do it.
In the following video, I explain a bit about why I chose this config. I also explain the tradeoffs that you assume when you put multiple pairs of mics on the same bar.
I put "phased array" in quotes because there isn't a single accepted term for using mulitple stereo pairs of mics on the same stereo bar. Some have called it a "phased array", and that's what I'll use today. (It's a term borrowed from radar, and its use in audio is certainly not 100% accurate.) You can also call it a "linear array".
Harrison Mixbus v10