User guide

Stereophonic Microphone Technique

Classic Blumlein Technique

For many years, several “coincident” microphone setups have

been widely used for picking up sounds in stereo as naturally as

possible.

The “Blumlein” technique, named for A.D. Blumlein of England,

involves the use of two figure-eight microphones positioned as in

the sketch (see Figure 1), so that one faces left and the other right,

at an angle of 90º (i.e. each displaced 45º from center).

Each microphone ultimately feeds one speaker in a stereo system,

and due to the directionality of the microphones, the result is a

very well defined stereo effect on playback. For classical music,

particularly, the reproduction can be very satisfying.

Mid-Side Technique

In the early days of stereo radio broadcasting, there was a need

for a mic setup that would allow for simultaneous stereo and

mono feeds from the same mic array and for electronic “fiddling”

with the severity of the stereo effect.

Figure 1

Classic Blumlein or “coincident” miking

technique

Sound Source

(CENTER)

45 Degrees 45 Degrees

Coincident pair as seen from

directly above