What Does Sound Field Mean From a Non-Professional Point of View?
We live inside a sound field environment.
We constantly analyze incoming sound information and this happens easily, habitually, “automatically” (exceptions are not taken into consideration!).
Sounds that are coming to us from above and below, from the left and right, from the front and back – do not cause any wonder or incomprehension. We accept incoming sound and define direction of its source, even if visual information is absent, e.g. in the darkness.
Not always, of course, but it is possible to define the distance from point, where the sound is coming from (approximately of course) and this gives an ability to orientate in the space. Accuracy with which untrained human hearing let define the sound source (blindfolded) IS THREE DEGREES!
What are the studios where the sound is recorded?
These can be small rooms as well as whole hangars, concert venues and etc. Certainly these studios and music halls also obey the laws of the science called acoustics.
Sound information (pressure difference) is received with microphone (-s). The microphone diagram reading pressure pulsations has no direction (microphone directivity is defined by the microphone body construction). Then, this information, in the form of electrical impulse is received and recorded with recording instruments, e.g. tape recorders.
Why recording with two microphones is more logical and natural?
People have only two sound receivers during record playback – EARS (THE CREATOR made people so). In case of two microphones sound record – two acoustic systems (speakers) for record playback must be used (it must be played accordingly to its record).
Good (or correct) two- or three-microphones record, as in life, has all components of sound field recorded. All sound sources are audible and their location can be defined – from the front and back, from the side (left and right), from above and below – this is sound sphere.
The result of such record and correct playback system installation is that the listeners (consumers) of sound record (phonogram) may become participants of events (entrainment effect), that happened at the sound recording place (studios, concert venues, and etc.).
More simply, the logical advantage of two-, three- microphones sound record method is that it has less components (or obstacles) on the way of the sound signal and this let make (record) sound more precise and better.
THE EMOTIONAL COMPONENT OF MUSIC PIECES THAT PERFORMERS, SOUND RECORD STUDIOS AND RECORD CONSUMERS STRIVE FOR IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED WITH QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF MUSIC INFORMATION.
P.S.L.