_'--

,,

J J

i
M crphne Arrays Opim,zedfer
Music Becrdinga
Wieslaw R. Woszczyk, AESMember
Graduate Program tn Sound Recording
McGill University. Montreal, Canada H3A I E3

Microphone arrays have directional capabilities which allow them to extract coherent components from sound fields
while dispersing (smearing) incoherent components depending on the direction of sound incidence. Detailed measurements of a number of mono and stereo arrays are presented emphasizing their on-axis and off-axis performance. Mono
arrays can be considered as elements of stereo arrays and their stereo performance can be predicted for various sound
fields from mono measurements. Optimizing the use of mono and stereo arrays can lead to excellent results in recordlng, particularly in situations where the directivity of single microphones is insufficient. Arrays can also be used to synthesize microphones with improved characteristics.
tPI_I_F[_IIa&I_C_
C_{_dD'E_S_C$
OF
_C_IOPHONE ARRAYS
The purpose of combining individual
microphones into arrays is threefold: to
obtain increased directivity due to coherent reinforcement of axial signals, to
modify the coherence of received sig~
hals, and to create hybrid microphones
which combine characteristics of different microphones,
An array is a wave-type device and
its performance is wavelength dependent. A typical array consists of a humbet of microphone elements arranged
in line, in a vertical or horizontal column, their outputs combined electrically in phase (Fig. 1). Due to phase cancellation of microphone signals for

the array (inter-element spacing) must

be smaller than a half wavelength of
the highest frequency otherwise "gratlng lobes" appear--they are side lobes
thatcreate multiple beams and interfere
with the main beam. Side lobes mtroduce spectral colorations and spoil timbral definition of direct sounds because
amplitude differences can exceed 40
dB at some frequencies depending on
the position of the source. Side lobes
can be reduced by weighting (through
attenuation or filtering) the contributions of individual microphone outputs:
however, this also broadens directivity,
If the inter-element spacing is much
larger than the wavelength, the relative

sounds arriving at an angle to the main

axis, a vertical array produces a highly

uration of Microphone

Config

directional
the produces
vertical
plane,
and a response
horizontal inarray

sound wave

plane.
directional response in the horizontal
It isdifficult
toachieve
goodperformance over a wide bandwidth using a
single array, because the directional
performance of arrays is frequency dependent and limited by the size and the

off

J/

axis

range of frequencies without severe

performance compromises.
Thespacing
between
microphones
in
cannot function optimally over a wide

926

r m

Array

0 % axis I sound
wave
on axis

/,m
ono
array

M= 5

array width
{aperture)
/_

configuration of the array. Single arrays

* Presented at the 92nd Convention of the

Audio Engineering Society, Vienna, 1992
March
24-27.

phases at each microphone are random,

and the output of a two-microphone array is an uncorrelated sum (a 3-dB increase in level). If the inter-element
spacing is much smaller than the wavelength, the sound is received in phase
and produces a correlated sum (a 6-dB
increase). If direct sound reaches the
array from the broad side (on axis m
the array) the sound is received in
phase regardless of frequency and the
output is also a correlated sum. The difference between the correlated and uncorrelated sum increases by 3 dB for
each doubling of the number of microphones in the array, so for a two-microphone array the uncorrelated sum is 3

_ out

7'_

/7'/_'"_

__'J

_j

pacing
/m_en__t
/_
s

Figur '_
,._

........
J.AudioEng,Soc.,Vol.40,No.11,1992November

dB lower than the correlated sum, for

four microphones the difference is 6
dB. for eight microphones it is 9 dB,
and so forth.
The width of the array (aperture)
must be comparable to the wavelength
in order for the array m have a directional effect. If the wavelength is much
larger (4 times or more) than the width,
then all microphonesreceive the sound
in phase regardless of the direction of
incidence, and no directional selectivity
is possible. Low-frequency reverberation cannot be rejected by a small width
array when wavelengths are more than
four times the width of the array, The
rejection of reverberation
increases
with frequency and reaches maximum
when inter-element spacing is equal or

sponsible for this effect which can be

partly corrected by arcing the microphones away from the straight line [1].
Since directionalselectivity of arrays is
achieved by phase cancellation, their
performance is sensitive to positional
misalignment of the microphone elements. Tight positional tolerances must
be maintained for broadcast quality
sound,
When the number of microphones in
the array is fixed, optimal performance
at high frequencies requires narrow
spacing and narrow width of the array;
whereas to achieve optimal performance at low frequencies requires a
wide array with large spacings. Optimal
performance can only be achieved within a narrow band at a time. These con-

computer simulation of this array consisted of 64 omnidirectional

microphones, not compensated in frequency,
and the width of the array was 3.46 m.
Its directional performance at low frequencies below 250 Hz was not better
than that of a single figure-of-eight microphone. In this study, the arrays employing unidirectional microphones
were not investigated. The authors of
the report [2] concluded that if the array is to be as selective at 3 m from a
speaking person as a cardioid microphone at 0.75 m distance, then at least
50 microphones are needed, and may
be twice that number if satisfactory
wide-band operation is required.

larger than half of the wavelength. The

maximum attenuation depends on the
number N of microphones used in the
array according to the formula 10 log N
dB. For eight microphones the maximum rejection can reach 9 dB, for two
microphones 3 dB (Fig. 2).
Being wavelength dependent, arrays
fail to reject low-frequency background
noise unless their aperture is very large
(6 m or more),
Beam width, the width of the main
lobe having the largest sensitivity on
axis to the array, becomes progressively narrower as the frequency increases,
This creates losses of high frequencies
when the array is even slightly offset to
the source, Wavefront curvature is re-

flicting requirements make it impracticai to realize a wide bandwidth array,

and a compromise solution must be
found between the frequency range of
operation, the width of the array, and
the number of microphones in the array,
To achieve good directional resolution over the full bandwidth using a
brute-force method would require a
wide array with narrow inter-element
spacing and would require more than
10,000 microphones! One solution proposed in [2] for reducing the number of
microphones was a symmetrical logsrithmic array designed for speech bandwidth where the inter-element spacing
increases logarithmically from 0.1 m at
the center to 1.0 m at the edges. The

PC_I_5'llC_L_t_V$

Rejection of Reverberation by Arrays

50
I

100
I

room
rumble

dB 0

200
]

500
t

lkI

2kI

wavelength= 1
[ 4 x array width J

..

wavelength=
inter-element

more distant and echoey" as direct

sound was attenuated (phase interference) while reverberation remained.

1Ok

2x

arrays/

spacing

_
_

..................

5k

_
_

'._ii_

M-2

M-8

reverberation

I Arrays

incoherent
Hz

M-4
M-16

_ frequency

have same spacing and increasing widths

Fa_ur_
..........
J. Audio Eng.,Soc. VoL 40, No. 11, 1992 November

The authors report that the tonal quality

of speech was colored by high levels of
reverberation at low frequencies, and
thatthedirectional
beamwasnarrow

diffusion

i!
1
coherent
att, muation of

The BBC Research Department conducted practical tests using in-line arrays consisting of eight omnidirectional
microphones in order to evaluate their
sound quality and usefulness for speech
reception. The tests were conducted in
an anechoic chamber, in a reverberation room, and in a room typical of a
small TV studio [2]. Two regular spacings of 0.1 m (0.7-m aperture) and of
0.4 m (2.8-m aperture) were tried on an
arc array as well as the logarithmic
spacing of 0.1 m to 0.8 m. All arrays
gave similar performance on natural
speech. In the studio, the human speaker was heard with more presence on
axis compared with the single microphone.
Offaxisthespeaker
"sounded

addition, comb-filter colorations were

(level dropping 6 dB at 1 m off axis). In
verberation, when the speaker turned in
different directions.
The array increased the audibility of low-frequency
audible, only partly masked by the rebackground noise of the studio to an
unacceptable level as small aperture
(2.8 m) and spacing (0.4 m) made it un-

able to cancel large wavelengths. (The

inter-element spacing larger than half
the wavelength is required for maximumrejection
of thereverberant
t:>
927

 , ,

High-Quality

Cardioid

,,

.....

Microphone

Array: 4 KM84s Coincident,

Frequency Response Curves 0-180 Measured every 5

_-,,,

'_'--_'_.7,--J_,_
..,_ ,.,----42_[
_,
"-,q
2 , '_,'W.
"_ h;r
5_-2_5g/I
"

\_x_'x,

horizontal scale: 5kHz/division

vertical scale:
5dB/division
cursor marks at: 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 4 kHz
/ SMALLDIAPHRAGM,

SINGLE PATTERN CONDENSER MICROPHONE j

-T--Eqlrri_- (1) 0- 60

_:
....
_

k
_A_ _\_
_ '_A_,_lm
BI ItJl_
"

(2) SO- 120

l_tlljl'q

-'
....

?I-,.

":v,'_' \,'f rll Jtl/l.L

(1) 0- 180

1 I,_,d i:
- --_
'_
__ '_ _it-__ x'_
,_r_q_
__,; \ _Yi_tt_dll ___,

.....
.......

_';,;' ' '

_"_"_
'_ '_I_'T_

(3) 120- 180

Figure 4

field.) High-frequency performance,

beam sharpness, and the level of side
lobes, were sensitive to precise pos_tioning of microphones in the array,
A 1-meter-wide prototype array consisting of 40 microphone elements
spaced 28.3 mm apart was developed by
JVC of Japan in 1984 for use in situations where sharp directivity within the
frequency range of the human voice is
needed [1]. It was an electronically
steerable arc-line array using digitally
controlled delay circuits allowing 5.5-gs
delay increments and hypercardioid microphone elements oriented + 30o and
-30 to the main axis. A visual indicator
of beamdirection(a calibratedTV camera) was provided. The array was used

across a wide bandwidth, multiple-microphone arrays optimized for speech

and having narrow beam widths are
not useful. However. the limited directivity of a single, gradient-type, Unridirectional microphone can be effectively enhanced
with compIementary
narrow-band arrays. The strategy proposed for optimizing the use of arrays
in music recording is to combine narrow-band arrays with selected directional microphones and to adjust the
sound balance in a number of spectral
regions according to existing soundfield conditions,
When we examine the directivity of
studio-quality unidirectional microphones (see Fig, 3) we can identify

for capturingthe sound of sports events

from a distance. No subjective parlor-

three areas of distinct directivity: low

frequencies, middle range, and high

manceassessmentwasreported,

frequencies.The largestdirectivityis in
the middle range from 500 Hz to 5000

3 COMBINATIVE NARROW-BAND
ARRAYS OPTI_ED FOR WIDEBAND PERFORMANCE

Hz where a substantial attenuation of

45 dB can be measured at 180inet-

928

In Line

L_:,;_.

Figure 3

If they are to be practical, arrays used

in music recording cannot require a
very large number of microphones and
must function without the need for extensive and precise adjustments. To be
desirable, arrays must produce unique
results which other tools of directivity
and image enhancement cannot deliver,
In music recording, where mild difactional adjustments and low unwanted side effects are usually needed

, r,r,

I_
t'"'--- source rotation

- -

fill
'"_iltll
_ i tlJ
IIIII fll
t,?Ittt

dance in high-quality microphones (see

the large vertical spread of the response
curves). In the high- and low-frequency
range, directivity (off-axis attenuation)
is considerably reduced. It is in these
two regions that arrays can provide
their directional capabilities which elfectively complement that of the microphone alone. To accomplish this, the
mmrophones must be arranged in a narrow-band array optimized for high fiequencies, and also a narrow-band array
optimizedfor low frequencies.The uni-

directional microphone provides directivity in the middle frequencies.

A coincident arrangement of two or
more microphones is used to produce
an effective increase of directivity at
high frequencies and at the same time
avoid destructive phase cancellations
within the sensitive middle audio
range. A widely spaced microphone array is used to provide increased directivity allow frequencies. In addition,
spaced microphones contribute to increased diffusion in the middle and upper frequencies. Directional beams of
the two array systems do not overlap in
frequency or area of focus, so combina,,

I
0-80

L- ' , _
_:_-_I

I I I_'
i.
I _}ii'_l
I t_4_,'_11
I_

l,;_i9_
I,.;1'tM1'

l_'_11_,,

60-120

d. Audio Eng. Soc., Vol. 40, No. 11, 1992 November

Array:

4 KM84s Coincident,

attenuation reaching the maximum at

between 60 and 90 . The high-frequency response is also very sensitive
to slight source displacement
away

In Block

(Horizontal: 0-60 , 60-120, 120-180; Vertical: 0--60 )

,,_,

l_I

_'
-

"_,T,_
tttttl
\!k_,\_
I
':

__t

I tg_/tlttl

,
_lJ
k._

I ,I ,,lltll

q)

(1) 0 - 60

(1)

j
1

(2) 60 - 120

l_,\\l_lllJtl

quencies

_1ltrl_/l_ltHtl

tenuation at an angle of incidence between 110 and 130 (which is in

between the hypercardioid and supercardioid characteristics).

I t IIlIIl?,
J

_ __>._J'l\_l_-J
_-'--%-_

II_tlIUl
q l!llttjglltll!,

from the 0 axis. The response falls off

because of a small misalignment of the
source from 0 Middle and low fre-

0 - 60

I
!
_' ._--_----___J

th I
---- :"_t _I_l
_[_
IlIIl_
_
,I

I*ll
itl

J I/Itt'it_
IIt',_
'&J

x'_\'_/_-_'_7
It _]Jl:!
V
g!I I_[Iil_,
(3) 120 - 180

Fagu_'5

tive arrays provide good coverage for

any widely distributed sound field.
The performance of a high-frequency
array is presented in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5
where four unidirectional microphones
are mounted together in line or in
block. Tight coincidence means that the
array will be effective up to the highest
frequencies of the audio bandwidth
without any serious unwanted lobes
which could cause timbral distortions.
Smooth performance in the horizontal
plane (around the short dimension) can
effectively mask any undesirable side
effects resulting from increased directivity in the vertical plane (around the

long dimension),
Phase interference which increases
directivity of arrays can be compared
to acoustic phase interference
in a
shot-gun microphone. There. the array
of openings in the interference tube
produces an array of sound waves originating at increasing distances from a
single microphone receiver. For comparison, the directional effect of a short
1l-cm interference tube installed on a
hypercardioid transducer is shown in
Fig. 6. We can observe that the directional selectivity of the microphone is
much sharper at high frequencies due
to the interference tube, with off-axis

,/

t_

IJJ/I

: ::::::

at-

ray producessimilarperformance
tothe
interference
tube. it allows a much
greater control during sound reception
because in the horizontal plane (short
dimension) the array has the same directivity as one of its microphones. The
user may take advantage of a microphone system which has directivity
ranging from subcardioid or cardioid to
a shot-gun microphone by adjusting the
array orientation. The array layout
gives a clear indication which sections
of the sound field are affected by these
different directional capabilities and allows fast repositioning of the array in
order to achieve different samplings of
the sound field.
It should be noted, that phase interference resulting from an array of parallel slits in a microphone grid can also
cause a definite (although relatively
mild) directional effect. Fig. 7 shows
the difference of frequency response
between the horizontal and the vertical
grid orientation in a small-diameter

Microphone

0ijJ

?"'_
: :

to max]mum

Althoughthecoincident
parallelar-

Small Diameter Omnidirectional

response _

J g...[_,_-.-:,
._':''n,,

subject

Effect of Microphone Grid

Mini-Shotgun Microphone

.... nominal

are

: : ::::::

/ ///

,,1,,,,:,,: : ,, ': i _':iiii

..

_-_

5dB/div.
5kHz/div.

180
grid vertical referenced to grid horizontal;

Fil3ur_

J. Audio Eng. Soc., Vol. 40. No. 11, 1992 November

5kHz/div., 5dB/div.

Filler 7

929

,i

....

iW_zc:_Tk
continued
(16-mm) omnidirectional microphone.

Decca-Tree Stereo Array

The interference causes a 6-dB attenuation of a 20-kHz signal at 90 incidance. Some professional
users are
well aware of this effect and use it to
their advantage in recording.

Directivity, Precedence, and the Resulting Images

Low-and high-frequency condition
solid center
nter-right
&/l

_ I

ray (spaced array) should be positioned

Thelow-frequencynarrow-bandar-

X_e
'_r '/

sond
right

LO

t
I
I
I
I
diffused center (reverb)

Spaced Arrays M-3 and M-5

sound field only at the lowest frequencies [3]. The microphones are effec-

r
_
_
_
primary axis

signals)at middleand upperfrequentivefydecoupled

(receiveuncorrelated
cies, and contribute to higher diffusion

tical
doubling ofofinformation
density.
and smoothness
sounddue to
staffsIt should be kept in mind that a statisti-

I
1. LargeSpacing
2. Low Interference

El

El

L.

4____

M 3

El
L

El
L

El
C

%
M5
'"'outriggers'

El
R

iD
R

cally diffused field exists only at distances greater than a half wavelength
from the room boundaries, and at least
a critical distance (radius) away from
the source.
Arrayscan be put togetherusingmiand bi-directional microphones procrophones of any polar pattern. Omniduce arrays having symmetrical directivities with respect to their longest dimansion. This type of directivity

Figureg

"Straus Paket" Array, KM84 + KM83

_'__

ihepo ivowr
outrigger
in a Decca-Tree
arrangement
(Fig. 8), or in the M-5 stereo array
(Fig. 9_, coherent doubling of microphone signals occurs for an incoherent

Figure 8

3. Directivity at Low-Frequency
4. Diffusion at High-Frequency

path, along the large room dimension,

where low frequencies can develop, or
along the room boundaries that guide
/ow-frequency waves. For wide spacing of microphones, as for example between the L microphone and the L outrigger or the R microphone and its

ti/IlI
_11_
t_:._

KM84+

pattem
be difficult tomicrophones
use in some
situations.mayUnidirectional
produceunidirectional
arrayswitha
singleaxisof
maximum
sensitivity.
with which it is easier to avoid unde-

KM83

_/___
.......
......
--

0 ' 90 C_

''

5dB/div.

__
KM84

If It __ii,tit1r_ _
__.i
) { II fit_{I
[tlt[I ._._
"--- t'"Xt_4t;[,ti'' 'l'llI'k.-,,
'_"_------- ----_

I
90 - 180 C_

-_.

KM83

ii
r I lin Itill
5 kHz/div,

930

lands [4], takes advantage of its excellent response, which is much smoother
on and off axis than any one of the individual microphones.The extendedIow-

Figure l0
i

istics. Fig. 10 shows an example of a

coincident array consisting of two differentpattern(cardioid
and
omnidirectional)
microphones. The
avid
user of
this array, ProfessorVolkerStrausof
PhilipsClassics
in Baam,TheNether-

_' -*_

- 180

micro-

phones
having
different
polarcharacter-

_
..

sired sources.
Arrays can also incorporate

frequency response and a nonsymmetricai directional characteristic can be very

i

J. Audio Eng. Soc., Vol. 40, No. 11, 1992 November

Z
i,M

--_ SubCardiid (WideCardiOid'-_ ............

Hypocardioid) Compared to Cardioid
t

//

Stereo Arrays: L + R Sum Response

I

L_i_

90o /

--

:",,0

,,

_:li
I i t; ,_

t/
....
o_

""

useful in complex sound fields, and are

an added bonus of this hybrid microphone. Its subcardioidpattern (Fig. 11)
had been utilized long before the integrated subcardioid capsules of today became available. Clearly, the potential is
them for developing new improved mi-

.....

....

crophone characteristics by combining

various complementary microphones
intoarrays.
Stereo arrays can be considered as
dual mono L and R arrays, that is microphones panned to hard left or right
creating mono L or R arrays, and mi-

off-axis

_'_;_!!_
! _I_

source at 45

[ 110, 17cm
;

!""':I .....

source at 55
off-axis

crophones panned in between belonging to both mono L and R arrays.

Stereo microphonearrays may haveto
be summed for mono reproduction.
Free-field measurements of XY and
ORTF arrays in Fig. 12 show that
Phase interference affects the corn-

GetTalemaPrintedCircuit
MountToroidalTransformers.
Thebottomlineintoday'sglobalmarket
isperformance.
Performance
that
startswithqualitycomponents
likeP.C.
mounttoroidaltransformers
from
Talema
Electronic.
Manufactured
in anISO9001registered
facility,Talema
ULrecognized
toroids
providegreaterefficiency
withless
strayfield
andhum.Andthesehighperformance
toroidsaretotally
encapsulated
toresistharshsolvents
andoperating
conditions.
Giveyourproduct
theperformance
advantage
ofTalema
P.C.mount
toroidaltransformers.
Callorwriteforquoteor specifications.
For immediate technical data, see our
catalog listing in EEM, Volume A.

#3 Industrial Park Drive, P.O. Box 306

St. James, MO 65559
(314) 265-5500 FAX (314) 265-3350

J. Audio Eng. Soc., Vol. 40, No. 11, 1992 November

931

bined L+R response of

ORTF pairs when the source
is on axis to one of the mi-

....

Stereo Loudspeaker
Perceptual

thearray)Thefrequencyrecrp hnes(55ffaxist
sponsesare measuredevery

Consideration

_
coherel ce axis

5 when the source moves

upward,
awayfromtheheft~
zontalplane of the microphone pair. The comb-like

'x

audible
in the ispresence
of a
ORTFarray
usuallynot
strong reverberant
sound
field which fills in peaks and

EARS

SENSITIV

/ (soatial) axis

COMPONENTS
OFSOUND

IMAGES
Figure 13

Double-Stereo

Arrays

Loudspeaker

Improved Spatial Image

RF

r'l

r-1

_)

LF

RF

_LS

[[3
\
_

focus, which can be used to

PLACED

TOGENERATE
COHERENT
AND INCOHERENT
SOUND

each (Fig. 14). The spacing

andpositioning
of the Ioudspeakers
introduce
additional diffusion and directional

the
sound
image inqauality
room.of
adjust
theoverall

'

//LOUDSPEAKERS

SUM
ANDDIFFERENCE,
_. _
PRESSURE
AND VELOCITY

LF

4_IE_ER
A_OT[_AI_ll_AVg
A_T LOUD-

mono arraysconsistingof
parallel produceLandR
two spaced apart elements

ce

avoid unwanted interference,

Ny
,_

_n

interference produced by the

valleys with reflected energy. This shows, however,

that coincidence
or large
separationof microphones,
which are suggested in order
to optimize the performance
ofarrays,are a goodwayto

sorpti0n,volume,dimensions, and so forth). Two

stereo arrays connected in

Array

RSn

5 COHERENCE
lNG BY
ARRAYS
Arrayscanbeveryeffective
where proper imaging depends on a specific balance
betweenfocusand smear,
and between coherent and
incoherent components of
rive effect of arrays on the
sound image can be describedasselective
focusing
and smearing.ofj_age
de_fi-.....
the
soundfield.Thesubjecnition.

Microphones which are

panned in between the left
LR
RR
L
and the right channel should
_I=i
3rm
be reproduced over an array
FRONT
ARRAY
and REAR ]
FRONT
ARRAY
and SlOE
In a diffuse sound field,
of stereo loudspeakers (two
focusing directional_ beams on the listener
constructed from running
loudspeakers separated by a
increasing diffusion, spatiousness and envelopment
plane waves incident from
typical distance of a few meall directions, Sound-field
ters). Depending on the fre_
Figure 14
samples taken by microquency,amplitude,
andphase
phonesbecomestatistically
relationships of the L and R signals: a
generation of complex Coherent and im
independent above a certain frequency,
stereo loudspeaker array has a potential
coherent sound images from a single
This occurs when an array samples the
to generate positively and negatively
array (Fig 13). The DolbySurround arsound field at points separated by dis,
con'elated, partly correlated, and uncorray utilizes extra loudspeakers to tmtances which are greater than the correrelated (random) components of the total
prove the spatiousness and definition of
lation length or the coherence interval
sound field, or coherent and incoherent
the perceived sound image. Spatial tm(greater than half the wavelength). In a
sound fields, in the listening room. The
pression improves because a stronger
typical integrated sound field, some of
balance of these components mostly dediffuse fietd is generated by using a
the sound field components are coherpends on the relationships of micronumber of surround loudspeakers arent direct sound waves incident at cerphones in the recording room. In a
ranged in a spaced array along the lattain angles off axis. These oncoming
stereo presentation, smearing and diffueral axis, and a center front loudspeaker
coherent waves become decorrelated
sion as well as directional selectivity
is used to enhance the direct frontal tmand lose their coherence within the outprovided by the arrays become much
age definition,
put of the array, when sampled at
more audible than in mono because they
Stereo perception in the horizontal
points outside of their correlation
contribute to spatial perception by fully
plane can be somewhat controlled and
length.
engaging the binaural capabilities of the
improved during sound reproduction
At high frequencies, when the spaclistener,
when double stereo (a dual stereo arlng between the microphonesis larger
A stereo loudspeaker array is typicalray) is used [5]. Spatial impression inthan half the wavelength for off-axis
ly placed at +30 , -30 angles, which is
eluding directional resolution, sense of
angles of incidence, the microphone
in between the optimal positions for the
diffusion and envelopment, and definisignals are uncorrelated and an tmproduction of a direct frontal image and
tion of center image can be adjusted to
pulse received by the array becomes
production of a diffused spatial image,
a cegain degree depending on the exist*
dispersed (diffused) or smeared m
This positioning greatly simplifies the
lng acoustical conditions in a room (abtime. An impulse received on axis and
932

d. Audio Eng. Soc. VoL 40. No. 11, 1992 November

t
in phase by the microphones retains its
integrity in time domain, and its amplitude is increased because the correlat~
ed microphone signals add without
loss. The smearing of direct sound received off axis helps to blend that
sound more with diffused reverbera~
tion and makes it more indistinct as the
individual sound. Early reflections arriving off axis also become more
smeared (diffused) in time when processed by arrays,
This coherence processing function
of arrays can be considered as enhancing or destroying the fine time-domain
pattern of sound depending on its frequency and direction of incidence, and
can be used as a tool in the design of
auditory images. On-axis correlated
sounds are enhanced by amplification
(coherent summing) and by maintainlng time-domain integrity (multiple
sound images are perfectly timealigned with each other). Off-axis
sounds are smeared (multiple sound
imagesare not aligned)and attenuated

highlight the definition of two distinct

(statistically independent) areas of a
distributed sound field. If the microphones are unidirectional (cardioid),
then the focus extends down to the
middle frequencies. In the proposed optimization scheme, large microphone
spacing avoids unwanted timbral et'fects and produces diffusion over a
wide portion of the audio band. Close
spacing in a coincident-array arrangement also avoids timbral effects, and
introduces
certain "soft focus" or
smearing at high frequencies. In mono
arrays medium spacing is avoided as
audible timbral colorations could perceptually overpower the subtle effects
of smearing and diffusion,
The array, therefore, has the capacity
to change qualitative and quantitative
balance between the sounds it receives
based on their angle of incidence and
frequency, and this can be used as a
tool of artistic interpretation in the
hands of a sound engineer,

(incoherent sum). While a sharp image

may be desired for forward direct
sounds received on ams, a poorly defined smeared or diffused image may
be appropriate for sounds received off
axis to produce a secondary layer or
background effect,
In the spaced-apart array, coherent
low-frequency components are amplifled and are in focus, while middle and
upper frequencies are smeared. If each
of the widely spaced microphones is
not a single unit but a coincident pardilei array of microphones (uni- or omnidirectional) then at high frequencies
these arrays focus on two areas along
their axes. This allows the engineer to

6 _M4_g_l_
In general, we can define an optimal array performance (for music recording)
as that giving uniform directivity, good
directional selectivity, low level of
grating lobes or ap lobes at all, small
physical size for little visual obstruction. wide bandwidth of directional operation, and good adjustability of the
sound image. It has been shown [2] that
a single array cannot provide optimal
performance over a wide audio bandwidth,
However, coincident and spacedapart arrays optimized over two extreme (high and low) narrow bands

,,

II

can effectively complement directivities of single transducers and produce

results that cannot be accomplished
easily with any single microphone.
Arrays can also deal more effectively
with large distributed sound sources
(for example an orchestra, or a room)
and can modify the coherence of
sounds received by the microphone,
and therefore change the properties of
the sound image.

[1] Y. Abe, N. Miyaji, M. Iwahara, A.

Sakamoto, L. Boden, "Practical Application and Digital Control of the Microphone Array," presented at the 76th
Convention of the Audio Engineering
Society, J. Audio Eng. Soc. (abstracts),
vol. 32, no. 12, p. 1006 (1984 Dec.)
preprint 2116.
[2] P.S. Gaskell and K.A. Bradbury,
"An evaluation of the use of microphone arrays for studio recording," The
BritishBroadcastingCorporation.Research Department Report # BBC RD
1985/8 (1985 August).
[3] W. Woszczyk, "A Review of Microphone Techniques Optimized for
Spatial Control of Sound in Television," Proc. AES 9th Int. Co_.fkrence
"Television Sound Today atTdTomorrou,' Detroit. MI (1991 Feb.).
[4] Author's conversations with Professor Volker Straus, Philips Classics,
Baam, The Netherlands, 1986.
[5] M. Burkhard, W. Bray, K. Genuit
and H. W. Gierlich, "Binaural Sound
for Television." Proc. of the AES 9th
Int. Conj'krence "Television Sound Today and Tomorrow" Detroit, MI (1991
Feb.).
,,

%_1_ _llJlJ'__
Wieslaw Woszczyk established the Graduate Program in Sound Recording at McGill
University in Montreal, Canada, in 1979. He
is currently a full professor and the chairman
of graduate studies m sound recording at
McGill.
Prior to joining McGill, Dr. Woszczyk was
actively involved in the music recording industry in New York City. He continues his
practical involvement in audio as a recording
engineer and producer, in addition to his
consulting practice. His inventions find appli-

J.Audio
Eng,Soc..
Vol.40,No.11.1992
November

cations in products serving the audio industry, and as new techniques used in the
recording practice.
Dr. Woszczyk has presented numerous
papers at AES conventions, and has chaired
sessions and conducted seminars. Recently,
he wasthe chairmanof the AES9th International Conference, 'q-elevision Sound Today
and Tomorrow," held in Detroit, Michigan,
and currently serves as an AES governor
and as chairman of the AES Membership
Committee. In 1991, he received the Board
of Governors Award from the Society.

933